For Bob Mortenson the only thing that eclipses the exploration, the ingenuity, and the excitement of aircraft, is the passion, learning and progress that goes into their repairs. Indeed, in terms of comfort and competence, Mortenson knows Mooneys, Seabees and Pitts’ like nobody’s business – well, nobody’s business like his own that is.

Currently, Mortenson and his three Pitstop Aviation employees, working inside a gigantic warehouse at Stevensville Airport, are perfecting their portion of projects. On one side of the garage, there’s a Mooney – known for its record setting achievements and zippy flight patterns and for having an engine similar to ones found in Volkswagens – getting a top overhaul, one cylinder at a time.

“We’re working on some true classics,” says Mortenson, who created Pitstop Aviation with the intention of catering to vintage aerobatic aircraft owners.

Two vintage Seabees are also presently on the work order. According to Mortenson, the basic design of the Seabee can be summed up in a word – simplicity. Containing less than five hundred parts, this number is a fraction of the two-thousand-plus parts found in most modern production aircraft; these machines hit the market in the late 1940s at an initial cost of just under $4000. Around 1,100 Seabees were built before the production line was closed down. Mortenson says that there are approximately 200-300 Seabees still registered with the FAA today.

“Seabees are basically flying boats, due to the fact that they’ve got pontoons on the bottom,” says Mortenson, whose passion for flight is outpaced only by his noticeable need to constantly innovate.

One of these Seabees came into the shop as a bare fuselage and it’s now nearly complete, after being torn down to nothing and restored. The other dynamic machine arrived mostly finished and was in dire need of heavy cleaning of many decades worth of crud.

“We’ve made lots of repairs to make sure that these planes are air worthy. Everything on these machines needs to be strong enough to perform its certain function,” says Mortenson, examining a Seabee wing, already taken down to bare metal, cleaned, and primed, but still in need of re-alodining and reassembling.

In the center of Pitstop Aviation’s warehouse is an unquestionably exceptional red Pitts aircraft. Designed in the late 1950s, the high-performance Pitts Special became the world’s leading aerobatic airplane.

In the early years, the Pitts were only available to those who could build it from the plans or from homebuilt kits. It was not until the 1970s that Pitts became accessible to all pilots with the longing to fly a high performance competitive airplane.

It seems as if Mortensen has in fact found his market niche in the business world. Dealing with such a distinct segment of the aircraft repair market, he says, means dealing with a lot of technology that’s almost forgotten.

“With your older vintage aircraft, you don’t have a lot of technical data, because the factory tells you how to repair and change things. So, basically, you have to start and end with talent. Since you don’t have the manufacture instructions, you’ve got to do it yourself,” says Mortenson, overlooking a 1993 Pitts S-2B aerobatic biplane whose wing separated from its body after smashing the ground during a landing a few months back. (The wing is wooden and requires new fixtures with exact alignments which need to be nailed and glued together. Once it’s been taped, stitched, rigged, and test flown, it’ll be ready for its owner.)

While welding, hammering and assembly work may not seem like things having much in common with holding a paint brush or easel, Mortensen likens what he does to painting a portrait. “Working on older aircraft is like painting freehand.”

Mortenson adds: “See, with vintage you don’t have to do it the way that the manual tells you. With modern rotorcraft, well, everything is spelled out in black and white. With vintage stuff you can do it yourself, because the guidelines set by the FAA are looser in how you perform and approach the project.”

Mortenson, who possesses a congruous combination of insatiable curiosity and inherent ingenuity, started working with rotorcraft, or helicopters, at age 18. He discovered his passion was working with his hands while in the U.S. Army, where he handled aviation tools and equipment as a mechanic and repairman.

Subsequently, Mortenson received his civilian and commercial aircraft license and FAA approval and inspection certification. Next up on the aviation itinerary: DAR approval. A Designated Airworthiness Representative is a non-agency employee designated by the Federal Aviation Administration to perform certain functions on behalf of the FAA.

While Mortenson has been around and in different aircraft for decades, the great revelation of beginning a vintage aircraft restoration business – which he compares to being clubbed over the head with a monkey wrench – came to him somewhat recently.

He was working in Wyoming at a high-powered Pitts aircraft facility, churning out newer models, when Mortenson realized that old hot rods and hand craftsmanship were more fun to him than assembling repetitious modern aircraft from instructions out of a book.

“In the factory I had an epiphany while watching older recoveries come into the shop. See, the design is the same with older and newer Pitts’, but the technical differences are great.”

This unambiguously intuitive moment in Mortenson’s life will prove even more legitimate this January when Pitstop Aviation celebrates its first full-year in business. This nice milestone he partly credits his satisfied customers’ with having a hand in.

“Word of mouth is what gets you started, and it’ll make you and it’ll break you,” says Mortenson.

Word of mouth can be fine indeed, but having a dependable, accurate and honest crew working together cohesively, and that can be relied upon, is inestimable.

“I’ve got three great guys, all of them have exceptional skills and talents,” Mortenson says.

Each three have an area of expertise, and sometimes these niche arenas of intelligence overlap. Val Swenson specializes in wooden structures, general maintenance, fabric repair and aircraft building. Dave Bierer brings his experience in sheet metal, and an expertise in fabrication, to the table. Shane Starkey carries out most of the electronics and avionics duties.

Getting vintage aircraft primed for atmospheric flight requires skill and precision, so too does a capable, efficient business plan, something Mortenson also credits for an appreciable chunk of Pitstop Aviation’s success.

“My advice: Spend lots and lots of time on your business plan, follow it thoroughly, and make sure that it works out,” says Mortenson, beneath one of the two vintage Seabees, which he plans on installing a new electrical actuator system in. (This system has never been put into this type of aircraft before, says Mortenson, and the process requires much engineering prowess using force, length and retrofitting measures.)

While certainly not one to actually take a pitstop, or to even rest on his aeronautical laurels, Mortenson is greatly pleased with Pitstop Aviation’s consummation, character and camaraderie.

“What’s here now is just what I had hoped for a year ago,” he says.

From time to time folks pull up their sleeves and get going on home improvement projects. Perhaps they’re out for a totally new look in their bathroom, or kitchen, or even a revamping of the whole house. Or, maybe they merely desire having a home of their own. With housing costs nearly tripling in Missoula and Ravalli Counties for the past decade, any home improvement is going to cost a pretty penny. To boot, financing for new home construction is staggering. This is why the fairly new Home Resource, a non-profit organization that sells used building materials (located in Missoula), comes in handy.

Home Resource (HR), was built on the premise of reusing construction materials and has created a win-win situation for western Montanans. Whether you are planning on purchasing brand new materials - or used ones - its services can fit your needs.

HR is the brainchild of Lauren Varney and Matt Hisel, both of whom were previously employed by Missoula Urban Demonstration (MUD). It was there that Varney and Hisel clearly saw a demand for the re-use of building materials and wanted to take that vision to a greater level. They put together a business plan and soon found themselves signing a 3-year lease with the owner of the Women’s Club for a large lot and warehouse on the same block, at 825 West Kent, behind the Holiday Village Shopping Center. They have been operating there since August of 2003.

Suppose you intend to remodel and have the pocketbook to purchase new construction materials. That creates a dilemma of how to dispose the old materials. Home Resource will not only take your old usable materials, but also in many cases will pick them up. That saves a costly trip to the dump, reduces the burden on landfill space, and provides someone down the road with an affordable price. In addition to saving dump fees and helping the environment, the donor can enjoy a charitable tax deduction.

But, perhaps you’re the sort that desires savings of 50 - 90% off of retail; you’re insistent on quality and may even want something that reflects the “retro” in you, or you want to get your mitts on those hard-to-find vintage items. Home Resource can fulfill those expectations. Their inventory is loaded with sinks, tubs, vanities, etc. from various eras. They also have an assortment of light fixtures from the 20s era, along with many other goodies from bygone years.

Working on your bathroom? HR stocks bathroom cabinets, sinks, tubs, vinyl flooring and even latex paint. To top off that project, visit HR’s “House of John,” where you can find just about any commode and accessory. If you’ve ever tried to buy a lid to a toilet in a retail store, you can’t. They don’t sell them separately - but HR does!

Basically, if you were to visualize any room in a home, HR has the materials to build, fix, and modify it! They also carry lumber, trim, plywood, hard and softwood flooring, and siding- all de-nailed and ready to use; you’ll also find doors of all designs, including solid core commercial doors, aluminum screened doors (complete with frame), panel and vintage styles - all of good quality. You’ll also find double-pane vinyl, wood and aluminum windows (with thermal pane seals intact), newer carpets, sheet rock, drywall, hardware, fencing, and even furnaces and water heaters! They have a room dedicated just for tile and another that displays an array of light fixtures.

In a nutshell, HR’s vast inventory is absolutely incredible!

While perusing HR’s facility, I ran into one of its devoted customers, Kathy Abarr, who is in the process of building her dream home - all from HR materials. She enthusiastically showed me a porcelain sink she just bought, and was tickled at its price tag.

“Every community should offer a service such as this!” Kathy said. “Building a home from re-use…you sort and you look. It’s not for everybody, but it should be! I can find the down-to-earth, to the functional, and far out. I like to use many items in non-traditional ways.”

Abarr loves to shop there and has spent many hours investigating new fixtures. “You can pick up items of the highest quality - when they really made things well - at phenomenal prices!”

HR’s partners are excited how the place has evolved. It didn’t take long for the concept to be embraced, and despite the generous space of their shop, they see a need for further expansion, and hope to acquire an even larger site.

Currently, Hisel and Varney’s concerns include recruitment of volunteers. They need assistance in refurbishing donations, organizing departments, preparing displays, teaching a workshop or writing for their newsletter.

HR volunteers come from all walks of life. A retired mathematics professor from the University of Montana, Dr. Keith Yale, donates his skills in the electrical department, and has spent considerable time sorting through donations and even decorating special containers. HR has high hopes to acquire help in the paint, lighting, hardware and tile departments.

Various community organizations, such as the Daly Mansion, Boy’s and Girl’s Club, Opportunity Resources, utilize donation materials or funds from HR.

Discarded construction materials take up to 40% of landfill space. A business like Home Resource is part of the important quest to have less of an impact on our environment, and is smack in the middle of the formula to “reduce, reuse and recycle.” Since HR’s 2003 opening, well over 620 tons of building materials were diverted from our landfill (that figure only includes materials resold, not HR’s vast inventory)!

If you desire to join in HR’s efforts in some fashion, give them a call at: 541-8300.

Pottery provides Mitch Kutula a sense of fun, relaxation, and fulfillment – and both pottery and clay sculpture have been favorite forms of his self-expression and livelihood for decades. At Kutula Clay Studio, in downtown Corvallis, he crafts a wide variety of beautiful and functional pieces such as jars, pots, mugs, dippers, pie plates and platters.

Humans’ exploration with clay dates back for literally thousands of years, and while Kutula’s own connection to clay is unlikely to extend this far, his initial absorption in pottery has interesting roots which can be traced to an Army craft shop he visited after returning from Vietnam.

“All military bases have arts and craft centers,” says Kutula, seated firmly on a potter’s wheel and shaping and watching the clay bowl spinning under his hands. Wearing an apron, jeans and hands covered with muddy water, he discusses his initial experience shaping pieces of pottery.

He says: “The concept of clay in the military developed to give GI’s an outlet where they can make a purse for mom, or just throw a pot, and in the process keep themselves away from trouble downtown and out of the bars. I wandered into the center one day, sat down and took to it.”

The sensuality of touching the clay, the process of shaping it from premise to conclusion, and the inherent calmness brought about when molding it, convinced Kutula that clay was worthy of his concentration. “There’s really a monk-like soothing and tranquil peace with it,” he says.

In fact, he says that working with clay was much different in the 1970s; it was a cottage craft, very few books on the subject existed, and potters freely shared and swapped secrets.

Later, Kutula took an 18 year hiatus away from clay sculpture, which he blames on life’s tricky complications, until one day, his son Mark, returned home from college for the holidays – in love with a potter.

“He wanted to know how to throw pots. I said: ‘Mark, instead of becoming a potter too, just spend time with her when she’s throwing, compliment her work and help her clean up’.”

The son had other ideas, however. (To be expected since, after all, love is a funny and enamoring state of mind.)

“He found my old stuff and we set it up.”

Then, dad bought fifty pounds of clay at a local arts center and went home and pedagogically put a piece of clay on the potter’s wheel and centered it. Indeed, for Kutula, it was like getting reacquainted with an old friend he wished that he made a better effort staying in touch with – and it was one heck of an emotional strain reliever too.

“It was so nice, so therapeutic. There was that soothing feel of the clay going through my fingers that I missed,” says Kutula.

Kutula, who settled in the Bitterroot Valley in 2002 after being attracted to the area’s agricultural bounty and beauty, continued toying around with pottery, if only as a hobby.

“It became a hobby on steroids,” says Kutula, standing in between a pair of electric kilns in the backroom of the clay studio that he’s rented out for five years now. (Kutula will be closing the studio in December and traveling to Argentina, upon his return he plans on converting the garage of his home into an artist’s studio.)

What Kutula means is that he’s been quite busy not only making pottery – everything from 12-place settings for a wedding registry to custom ordered casserole dishes and serving plates – but also selling it at craft shows and teaching the potter’s art.

Learning the art of crafting clay is tough, but these challenges only exist at the beginning and are eventually overcome by most folks: “It takes awhile, sort of like skiing, everybody starts quite challenged. There are a lot of variables that go into pottery. It depends on your throwing ability, how nicely you can throw things, what kind of clay you’re using, and what type of firing and glazes you use. Some people get it and some people don’t.”

Potters use many different methods for forming clay into various shapes. For example, pinching is when the potter’s thumb is inserted into a ball of clay and the ball is rotated as the clay is pinched and pulled up the sides with the thumb. These “walls” around the thumb are pinched and compressed with the fingers until the clay is shaped into a rough, thick-walled, rounded pot.

Coiling is when clay is rolled into snakelike coils which are attached around a round, flat, slab of clay. The pot is rotated as additional layers of moistened clay coils are added on top. The inside and outside of the enlarging pot are then smoothed with various flattening tools.

Functional pottery has and serves a utilitarian purpose and needs to be capable of serving the purpose for which it was designed. For example, thrown porcelain bowls, vases, teapots and tableware should each be crafted for durability and usefulness.

“Functional pottery can be tactilely used, as opposed to something that simply serves visual purposes,” says Kotula, who, like any good potter, uses the words glaze, color and surface a lot in conversation. (Glaze is a glass that adheres to ceramics.)

The unpredictable magic of the kilns still intrigues Kutula. No two pieces of pottery are the exact same.

“”What comes out depends on the mood of the kiln gods, the relative humidity, and the atmospheric pressure. That’s why if you ever put tile flooring in your house, you should buy a few extra boxes, because two glazes will never be the same.”

Kutula makes and demonstrates pottery using several different glazing techniques, including the crystalline approach. The crystalline process involves the use of high-fire porcelain clay, zinc-oxide based glazes and a different kiln-firing technique to spur the formation and growth of crystals on the pottery. “Interestingly, the look of the crystals all depends on the blending of certain chemical compositions,” he says.

While taking mud and turning it into something that can be utilized is thrilling for Kutula, he truly finds pottery’s deep archeological and historical roots unequivocally mesmerizing.

Indeed, the use of clay for pottery-making predates recorded human history, and pottery remnants continue to provide a record of past civilizations. Such building materials, bricks (baked and as adobe) have been used in construction since earliest time. These historical truths are not lost on Kutula:

“A thousand years from now, as archaeologists survey the ruins of what was once the great city of Corvallis, basically the only thing that’s going to be left is pottery – shards of pottery.”

The study of martial arts is like life on a slightly less grand scale. Just as a person’s life seems to be divided into epochs, the study of martial arts is divided into belts.

The epochs of a person’s life may be thought to be lived in stages such as infancy, childhood, puberty, which includes the teen years, young adulthood, prime adulthood, middle age, old age, and what has been called the declining years. The older a person gets before reaching their declining years, the wiser that they can become and the more that they can accomplish.

How wise they do indeed become and how much they do in fact accomplish depends on how hard they struggle in their life to learn and how hard they work to attain the goals that they set for themselves and of course how high they set their goals in the first place. Such is also the case with the study of martial arts. The longer that an individual studies martial arts, the more that they can understand about themselves, and the more accomplished they may become.

How much they understand and how much they can perform is in direct proportion to how hard they work to learn and perform with the perfection that is possible, as opposed to thinking that they have already finished their study because they have achieved a Black Belt, or even several Black Belts. The person who accomplishes the most in their life is one who never gives up, and one who is constantly revising their goals upward as they are accomplished, so that they are always striving for more.

Perfection should always be just beyond our reach. A person who always sees more possibilities in their future than what has already been done in their past, not resting on their laurels, but rather seeing more to be done than what has been done. Just as the wisest people in life do not waste time patting themselves on the back for what they have done, while there is so much still left to do, the wisest martial artists are those who always have their eyes on the horizon of learning, to know as much as possible, while their bodies can still perform what they learn and at the same time doing as much as possible to sustain the health, strength, flexibility, and vigor required to perform their art and enjoy their life.

As we go through our life, each epoch confronts us with challenges that are physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual that we must face and triumph over if we are to live a life worth living and not be beaten by the adversity that makes strong people stronger and weak people flounder. As we study martial arts, each belt presents us with challenges that are also physical, mental, emotional and spiritual that also must be met and overcome if we are to succeed in our study and become all that we have the capacity to become.

Many people underestimate the difficulty of martial arts and have unrealistic expectations of what they hope to accomplish, just as they also underestimate the difficulty of life. If we give up because the study of martial arts is too hard, we are very likely to give up because life is too hard. If we fail to achieve the goals we set for ourselves in our study of martial arts, we may lose self-esteem, which may in turn deprive us of the confidence to persevere in life. If we fail to persevere in life we may doom ourselves to a life of misery, or even early death.

If we work hard, study well, and perfect the techniques we are taught as we study martial arts, we are rewarded by advancement to the next belt, where new and more difficult challenges await us along with the opportunity to become more than we already are, to rise even further above the accomplishments of those who settle for comfortable mediocrity.

The more that we become, the more we realize what we may yet become, and once again we revise our goals upward. As perfection is approached, our vision of what perfection is changes, so as to keep it always just beyond our reach, not so far that we cannot see it, but just far enough to make us believe that it is an attainable goal and make us work just a little harder. Life is the same, if we are lazy, or willing to settle for less, that is surely what we shall have. If we focus on what we have done, we will all too often allow ourselves to believe that it is enough. Only if we are willing to work as hard as necessary and often as hard as we can, will we accomplish the goals that we set for ourselves. Only then may we be worthy of our own approval.

There are many who believe that their life is judged by how much money they acquire, or how big their house is, or how new and shiny their car is, and indeed there are many who would judge by these criteria, but if you are truly a successful human, you shall be judged by what kind of person you are and what you may have endured to become what you are. A successful human is one who does not allow adversity to affect how they treat others, or how they conduct their lives, or how they present themselves to others.

In the same way, a successful martial artist is not judged by the color of their belt, but by the understanding of the art they study, the perfection of what they have learned and the enlightenment that has come with it.

Merlin Eagle is the owner of Washido Studio, an elite combat Martial Arts school in Hamilton. For information about attending a free Hapkido class, contact him at 375-0372.

Hunting season is here: ducks are quacking, geese are honking and tails are wagging! Working retrievers are put to the test of fitness, stamina and durability throughout the Bitterroot and the Mountain Flyway. This makes me think of each dog faithfully retrieving each duck -- retrieve, after retrieve, after retrieve -- in some cases in icy waters or frozen wetlands. They do it because it is in their heart and soul, never-mind how happy it will make the owner. I love my retrievers and I am very thankful for their love and companionship. There are days when I leave my retriever home and welcome the sight of my hunting partner’s dog, giving my companion a rest. Warning: there is a guilty and sad feeling in leaving him behind, but there’s no sense in taking two dogs into a duck blind when only one dog is needed. The following is my reasoning and understanding about the lifespan of a working dog.

I only want what is best for my dog(s) and promote measures which encourage the best of the breed. Therefore, I consider certain elements which affect my dog and his/her performance. With that said, I further think of their average lifespan and about the long-term effects and pressures the working dog experiences. Based on my own statistics (emphasis on the Labrador Retriever), dogs that are “working dogs” have a higher mortality rate compared to house pets. Allow me to explain:

All the dogs I have owned have been working retrievers. All were worked hard, but some harder than others. Many performed tasks involving Search and Rescue, Service and Assistance, and all were hunting retrievers. The working conditions play a major factor. For example, the Eastern Shores of the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland can provide a wicked Northeasterly wind during winter waterfowl hunt. Dogs hunting in those types of conditions will eventually wear you down. This is the case even with the most physically fit dogs. I have first-hand experience as a guide in Maryland for 5 years. And, at times, I too struggled with the dogs to make it through 60 days of hunting with only periodic breaks. There were and are times I give my hunting dog a treat or two, okay or three or even four treats in the duck blind. My dog always looks forward to that and I hope perhaps adds a little bit of energy to finish the day comfortably. Kabasa is a common duck blind treat I carry in my pack. Surely a little Kabasa never hurt anyone, although some might differ in opinion. Nevertheless, I feel the dogs deserve that, and more, considering what they do for us in the field. Back to my story, towards the end of duck season we are cold, tired, in some cases wet, and ready to end the season. This had been my experience with my finest retriever, year after year. The hard effects on the dog will eventually surface. The hunter can experience the same result, but that is a different story.

The same extreme condition exists on the ranches of Western Montana where some of the finest cattle and ranch dogs are worked. They are at a constant risk of being kicked, bit, or trampled, and, they still have to perform their task. “Hat’s off to the herding dogs!” I could easily guess that most ranch dogs have a greater risk of dying than a non-working dog.

Therefore, I feel it is pretty simple to understand why a working dog has a higher mortality rate and experiences more physical stress compared to say, “a lay around pet.” Size, age, weight and physical condition of the dog also play a role when considering mortality. For example, an Irish Wolf Hound (not a working dog) has an average life span of 7-8 years. The size and weight of the dog plays a major role. Excess weight adds extra stress to its major organs such as the heart and lungs. Stress to the hip and shoulder joints also play a role. It is very important to maintain the dog’s nutritious diet, and make necessary adjustments according to the dog’s weight, age, and activity level.

To conclude, a working dog has to deal with added stress and risks, which increases its chances of mortality. Keeping the dog in good physical shape will increase the lifespan of the dog. In addition, working with more than one dog (individually) will allow the other proper resting and recovery time. Giving your furry friend a little kabasa (duck blind treat) will not hurt your dog’s feelings when the ducks aren’t flying. Yes, I have my favorite working dog; however, giving him time off will only increase his lifespan, therefore, allowing him more time to spend with me. It is the least I can do for my best companion, besides appreciate all that he does and would do for me.

David Riggs may be contacted at www.mtretrievers.com, or call 406-859-LABS(5227).

Fall is upon us, the temperatures are dropping and winter is on its way. With the opening of hunting season, the rivers are no longer crowded. These hardy people know that the fishing that is available this time of year is great – and are on the water as much as possible.

Some of my regulars here on the Bitterrroot have been bringing in photos of some really nice trout. The key is to fish when the sun is shining, (the highest fish activity is mid-afternoon), and fish with very small flies. The dry flies that have been producing are Blue Wing Olive Quigglys, Mahogany Duns, and Parachute Adams in #18, 20, and 22’s. For the people who like to nymph, most traditional nymphs have been working. Prince, Hares Ear, Copper John & Bob’s, Flashbacks, etc. both beaded and not. Most success has been with indicators set higher, 5 to 9 feet. If you nymph - expect to catch some whitefish.

As we approach winter, those who continue to fly fish will be using nymphs. Our thoughts will quickly turn to our first dry fly hatch of the new year, which will be the Squala Stone Fly. With that in mind - this month’s fly of the month will not be a dry, but will be the Squala Stone Fly Nymph.

Our featured Fly Tier is Ted Trowbridge of Hamilton, Montana. Ted is a noted commercial flytier.

Hook: Mustad 9672 or equivalent

Thread: Brown 6/0

Tail: Brown Goose Biots

Rib: 2 to 4lb. test mono, or brown larva lace

Body: Western Olive

Wingcase: Mottled Bustard Thinskin

Thorax: Western Olive

Legs: Brown Hackle Fibers

Weight: .020” Wire Lead

Instructions:

1. Wrap a base of thread on the shank of the hook.

2. Wrap the forward half of the shank with .020 lead wire. Leave enough space to finish the head.

3. Make a few wraps over the lead wire to secure it and then return the Bobbin back to the bend of the hook.

4. Tie in two Goose Biots for the tail.

5. Now tie in a piece of mono or larva lace at the base of the tail.

6. At this same point tie in a narrow piece of thin-skin for the wing case.

7. Dub a body from the base of the tail to the half way point up the hook shank.

8. Pull the thin skin over the top of the body and tie it in.

Side note : do not trim off the tag of the thin skin because this will be stretched over the top of the Thorax to form the wing case.
9. Spiral wrap the body with either the mono or the larva lace, it’s your choice, tie off and trim the tag.
10. Tie in a brown hackle and leave it hang for now.

11. Dub the thorax.
12. Spiral wrap the thorax with the hackle. Tie down and trim the hackle tip.
13. Gently stretch the remaining tag of the thinskin up over the top of the thorax after you have evenly separated the hackle fibers and have pulled them down and to the sides.

14. Tie off the thinskin, trim, and cement the fly head you have formed…………….

Go fishin’ !!!
The pattern you just completed closely imitates almost every stone fly nymph, depending on the hook size, from a large #4 stonefly nymph down to a #14 or even smaller ‘Bitterroot Stonefly Nymph”. It really is a great imitation of almost all of the stonefly nymphs found in the Bitterroot River. They will catch fish for you year round. Lighten up the dubbing on the body and you have a nice Golden Stone imitation.
#4-6 Salmon Fly Nymph.

#8-10 Squala Fly Nymph

#12-14 Bitterroot Stonefly Nymph.

Just like any other pattern, there are those days when it won’t produce fish, but if you fish it often it will catch a lot of fish for you over the long haul. Thanks Ted for your input. There’s still plenty of time left in the year to get in some good fishing. Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Best Fishes, Dick Galli

Dick Galli is the owner of the Flyfishing Center in Hamilton. . He can be reached at 363-3801.