FLYMPH FORUM

I'm not sure if I've got the names right, but what are the main differences between the these two types of winged wet flies...other than the parts/types of feathers being used for the wings? I guess I'm interested in which is more traditional? Is one more common than the other in the world of winged wet flies? Do you folks prefer one over the other? Has either type proven to be a more effective trout catcher than the other? Thanks ahead of time for any responses. I like hearing from the experts! I realize this is in Fishing "Wingless" Wets, but I couldn't figure out where else to post it.... Sorry if I messed up.

Blueback, Howdy;

Don't worry about the 'where' you asked the questions, it's the questions themselves that promote the
conversation and bring life to the forum. Thank you for bringing an active and inquisitive mind to the
bench.

hank

PS. It probably may have gone into this forum " Fly Dressings - Winged Wet Flies "

I've moved this thread over to the winged wet fly section.

Can you give us an example of the "Dabbler-type" wing? I'm familiar with quill-slip wings, but not the dabbler type.

I believe Dabbler type wings are rolled slips. If I’m wrong please correct me. Dabbler flies are popular when fishing British stillwaters. I don’t think there’s much new in them. A
silver invicta or a solder Palmer might be good examples of a so called “Dabbler” fly

In his book "Wet Flies" Dave Hughes talks about both types. Roger Fogg, in his excellent book "A Handbook of North Country Trout Flies" writes that the rolled wing goes back to the eighteenth century and continued to be used until the First World War.

I’ve always preferred the dabbler style wings. I find them easier to work with and with more material options than the matched slips. I also like the folded upright wings you can find on some spider patterns. As with dubbing, I think less is more when it comes to wings.

Davie McPhail has almost 700 fly tying videos on YouTube. He covers nearly any type of fly you can imagine.

Thanks for the information guys. I'm looking forward to tying both types this winter, but I have a feeling that I'll focus mostly on the dabbler-type; they're just really cool looking to me.... I just picked up Dave Hughes's "Wet Flies", so I'll read up on both types.

wsbailey wrote: ↑Sun Aug 26, 2018 10:41 am Davie McPhail has almost 700 fly tying videos on YouTube. He covers nearly any type of fly you can imagine.

Yes.... I watching those videos, he talks of "tenting" or "cloaking" the wing over the hackle /wing, cutting a wide single section from a feather. He repeats this process for the "beard" by rotating the fly and applying a "less wide" feather section, a bit shorted then the wing. The key results that he pointed out in at least one video, is that there is a gap on both sides of the fly, thus top wing does not connect to the beard!

Fun to tie and fish!