Further North

Try hand sanitizer, or the orange scented Goo Gone. Rinse after the Goo Gone.

Speaking of hook keeps...

Fishing rods without hook keepers make no sense...

They are really good, and knowledgeable.

That's pretty good stuff...what knot were you using? I use a perfection loop most often (easy to tie, no stress on the wire), but if I want the knot to be tight to the eye of the hook/lure, I'll use a three wrap Trilene Knot.

Which tieable wire did you try? There's lots of options and some are considerably better than others. Yep. I use Tyger Leader (out of business, but I have a huge stash of it), Rio, AFW, and occasionally, Knot-2-Kinky. I hae some of that Cortland product around here too. I even run it on Texas rigged soft plastics, not because I'm concerned about losing the bait, but because I want to catch the fish...

I bet the 13# tieable wire I use on my 8 wt. fly rod with poppers would work. If it works on a 1" popper, I doubt it's heavy enough to impact a jerk bait.

I'm at a point where when I hear about people losing lures in water they know has pike/pickerel/musky in it and they don't use wire leaders...I kinda shrug and think, "What did you expect?" It's not the fish's fault... ?

I can't help with that kind of fishing, but welcome anyway.

Wow! That had to be a bunch of fun!

I think of this when I see perfectly rendered crayfish flies...the craftsmanship and attention to detail is simply amazing...even though bass have a marked preference for crayfish without claws...

I don't know if AI will design better flies or not...that's for the future at this point. As I mentioned above, I feel like there's too big a gap between design and evaluation yet. In the video it's obvious that the choices in design are still driven by human interaction and that the AI is really just rendering, not "creating". Automation of actual tying would be another step (some of which I think is already happening) for consistency, but natural materials add variation no matter what (almost 40 years making corrugated teaches you that). As we're prone to say in our fly tying club, "Nature doesn't make any perfect bugs/fish/critters." I'm not any kind of purist...I think as a fly angler focused on pike, musky and bass, that's impossible...and I always enjoy the discussions about whether a this fly or that is "real fly fishing". I do often question why some anglers try so hard to duplicate gear lures and baits though...when I want to use those...I just fish gear.

...no boats missed. I post things I think people will find interesting, and to try to get a conversation going not necessarily because I think it's the path to follow. Your post is a great example of a fun conversation! I'll still do my own "creative design" outside of computers, there's too much that hasn't been programmed in yet, and I'm not sure it ever will be. All of what you mention, plus watching and evaluating how a fly actually performs in the real world - how does it cast, how does it work in the water, does it catch fish? - are things that can't presently be reduced to code and fed to machine.

That's very nice work!

How he did it:

https://spawnflyfish.com/blogs/spawn-blog/the-future-of-fly-tying-using-ai?fbclid=IwAR22_vnk7JgymvqzwPBZnIqsLILr-DmfHEV0ZTMmgVMb9n9SZCZ3i_9SksM The Future of Fly Tying using AI Fly tying is an art form that has been around for centuries. From the early days of using only feathers and fur to modern-day synthetics and cutting-edge materials, fly tying continues to evolve. However, one thing has remained constant, the human element of creativity and experience. We all have been drawn to this aspect of our sport and that will not go away. We believe AI is here to stay and is going to impact every industry including ours. With the advent of artificial intelligence (AI), fly tying is set to enter a new era. AI technology has the potential to revolutionize fly tying by assisting fly tyers in creating new patterns, providing innovative material ideas, and incorporating unique design elements into their creations all with the click of a button. One of the most interesting aspects of creativity AI is pattern generation. Using multiple AI tools we have extensive knowledge on pattern generation. Every image on this blog is created with AI and it is frankly terrifying. However, at this moment it is not as good as we are when it comes to creativity. Through machine learning, AI can analyze existing fly patterns through photo uploads, prior knowledge or descriptions and create new ones based on similar design elements. This means that AI can help fly tyers create new patterns as well as introduce new variations of classic patterns. Here is an example of a simple more classic style shrimp pattern I created in AI then asked it to provide variations. In addition to pattern generation, creativity AI can also provide innovative material ideas. With access to a vast database, AI can suggest new materials to use in fly tying based on the intended target species, fishing conditions, and desired presentation. This means that fly tyers can experiment with new materials that they may not have considered before. All of this without having to read the past literature on these fisheries, blogs like this that we write, or even without watching the YouTube videos we all love. AI will do it for you. Finally, AI can assist with incorporating unique design elements into fly patterns. By analyzing existing patterns as well as real insects identifying successful design elements, AI can suggest new design variations that may be more effective at attracting fish. This means that fly tyers can create patterns that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also more likely to result in a successful catch. We are a bit skeptical on this but time will tell! However, despite the potential of creativity AI in fly tying, there is no replacement for the human element of experience. The joy of catching a fish on a pattern that you created, tied, and cast is a feeling that cannot be replicated by AI. The passion and creativity that fly tyers bring to their craft cannot be replaced by technology. At Spawn we believe AI will only bolster what we do, it will draw people to more real experiences like tying a fly and catching a fish without the assistance of AI. We know our hands on experience creates not only a product we love but a truly human relationship with what we created. AI isn't going away but either is the creative fly tier. Apr 06, 2023

I don't have the patience for either. I love to see the finished work though.

I know a few folks who do this as a hobby.

That looks like how they get beat up during spawning.

That's what I figured. Who said that? I've seen muskies clear the surface with their entire bodies, and not just two foot fish.

Yup. Completely different situations.

I've owned one bamboo rod, a Dave Norling 5 wt. A beautiful piece of functional art, it just wasn't the kind of rod I like to fish with. Far to "soft" with a slow action that just doesn't suit my casting style. I sold it to a very enthusiastic fan of bamboo rods who fishes the hell out of it, which is what the Norlings want for the rods they make.

Take a look at this pike my brother caught (about 30") on a Canadian lake: It inside to inside measurement on those jaw marks was over 7". One comment on the Instagram post: Esox are "cannibalistic" from day one, not when they reach a certain size. One of the best natural baits for pike is is pike belly (thankfully illegal most places) as discussed by Barry Reynolds in his book "Pike on The Fly: The Flyfishing Guide to Northerns, Tigers, and Muskies" which should be on the reading list for any serious esox angler, regardless of which methods they choose to pursue them. The follow up book is also excellent. I have found "pike colored" lures and flies to be very effective for esox, the week that picture above was taken, nothing worked better than green and yellow spoons the size of pike fry, moved fast through the shallows. We caught hundreds of them that week. I've also had a four-foot+ musky t-bone a 28" pike I had on the line on one of our local lakes - it was a hell of an exciting experience. The big girl would not let go of that pike until a tried to net her. Nailed it, thanks! I doubt that's what the "vertical" reference was about though, which is why I asked.

It took two tries, but it worked. Wingra dam down in Madison, happens every year. I don't understand the "vertical" part...

Poor little guy. Thought he'd made it out...