Caleb’s Bee

This is the current evolution of a pattern I created when I was 15.  I consider it one of my top 3-4 dry flies for the freestone trout streams of southern Appalachia.  The wily brown trout of the smokies seem particularly gullible to this imitation– I think this is because the orange eyes trigger their carnivorous instincts.  Or, perhaps they just like the spicy taste of wasps.  Try fishing this fly anytime April through August (May and June seem the best).

Caleb’s Bee

Hook: TMC 2499 #12

Thread: Black 70 Denier

Body: Montana Fly wasp body

Wing: Deer hair, stacked, crystal flash

Eyes: Medium round rubber, orange

Head: Superfine dubbing, black

Legs: Fine round rubber, black

Here are some rudimentary tying instructions:

Cut body to shape and cut slit to slide body onto hook.

After tying in the body, drop some cement into the foam slit to give extra durability.  Stack the deer hair, and tie the wing and flash in.  Then use figure-8 wraps to secure the rubber for the eyes.  Continue to dub the head in a figure-8 fashion.  Lastly, tie in the legs and whip finish.

The materials

Enjoy (letting the fish enjoy)!

PS- Check back soon to see a new cased-caddis larva pattern!

Happenings and an Inspiration

This past week I took off from running while I continued to nurse my Achilles back after injuring it last week (a freak and stupid ordeal involving a poplar log rolling back onto my sandal-shod heel while helping my dad unload some recently-cut firewood).  I also to a few days off from my college studies, flying up to Indianapolis to help my grandfather assemble some products that he designed.

This week I have also enjoyed musing on a song that my sister and I will be singing soon in a trio at our church.

“Without Him”

Without Him I could do nothing,
Without Him I’d surely fail,
Without Him I would be drifting,
Like a ship without a sail.

Without Him I would be dying,
Without Him Id be enslaved,
Without Him life would be worthless,
But with Jesus thank God Im saved.

Jesus, oh Jesus,
Do you know him today?
You can’t turn him away,
Oh Jesus, oh Jesus
Without Him how lost I would be.

Here are some Scripture verses that spoke to me this week that relate to the song quite wonderfully–

Ephesians 2.4-6

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

and

Hebrews 4.16

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

I thank God that he brought several specific trials into my life shortly after my time on the US Youth Fly Fishing Team in 2008 which brought me to my knees.  It was then that I accepted God’s redemption plan through Christ.  Without Him, I would definitely be enslaved, drifting, and dying.

The beginning of something, hopefully…

Caleb, circa 2002

Welcome to my new blog!  I have had the occasional thought of having a blog for quite some time now, and now I have finally decided to take the plunge.

First a little history of my online activity– I published my first personal website at the age of 14 and it has been active in some form for the past eight years.  I originally established it to document my fishing trips and display the flies that I tied.  Life went on, and as events happened in life, there were times that my website was out-of-date and neglected because of the lack of time and inspiration.  Recently I tried to resurrect my old website using MS Frontpage and I was not pleased with the archaic 20th-century look I was achieving.  I determined to explore my options for setting up a blog, and after thinking about it, I realized a blog would better suit my needs; as life proceeds, content can easily be updated.  WordPress seemed to be a very contemporary blogging platform, and after a short learning curve it also seems very user-friendly.   So here I am.

Topics I hope to cover in this blog include: fly fishing, fly tying, photography, hiking, running, backpacking, maps, future interests, my Faith, and life-in-general.  I realize that since my blog subject matter will potentially be so diverse,  it may limit the number of readers I have, but no big deal.