Do you fish them?

[William Anderson]

Wayne, I like this conversation because it hits about 10 different topics. I just hope this one will open a new vein, rather than "art vs craftmanship" or "imitation vs attractor". All interesting, but there is some new fodder for discussion here.

I worry (a little) that I keep posting flies that seem the same. I don't hear grumblings from the gallery that I should try to be more creative, or "for god's sake another drab #16 herl body?" Not that I worry much about these things, but you brought it up and sometimes I wonder. To answer your question directly, I haven't posted a fly that I would not spend a day fishing and fully expect good results. My flies are often drab, even becoming predictable, which is fine with me. It seems that when I sit down, I nervously ask myself...what can I do to avoid getting skunked? Maybe this, or that. I can answer with a 100%, but I value all the fly that don't fall into that category equally.

The danger and what I think you're referring to is the constant variety of patterns tied seemingly for their own sake. And if we have patterns that work...what's with all the pushing the boundries to the point where it seems the creativity seems more important than the fishing ability of the fly. (I am very likely reading into this based on my own neurosis. ) All I can say is the exporation of the techniques exhibited here, whether the flies are ever to be wetted or not offers some kind of unlimited library of methods and material combinations, sometimes resulting in new patterns...that ring true.

My other concern is with the quality of the tying technique. We often commend one another on beautiful execution of a particular fly. Some of it has to do with what I consider dressing well and combing your hair for picture day. You wouldn't want your kid to have his school pics taken looking his worst, and the same is true for my attempts (I can't speak for anyone else) to show a fly in the best possible light, for conversation...and sometimes a sense of pride. I'm proud of my son and want his pics to be worth sending out to family.

I'm enjoying this thread. And I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes.

[kanutripr]

Every one of my flies (well except anything in Mark R's thread) will be tried at some point in time. They are tied with fish in mind, they may not be used today, they may not be used tomorrow but they will go in the box and there will be a situation where (I may be desperate ) they will get used. I have had flies sit in my box for a couple of years, come across a particularly difficult day of fishing, pull one of them out and they save the day. I had one of those days last fall. The weather had been very poor for a couple of days and had put the fish down. I finally tied on a particularly nasty looking soft hackle woolly worm variation, tied when I was just learning to tie. I don't think I could purposefully tie anything quite so ugly again! Anyway it saved the day and I caught the biggest small river brookie I have ever caught. It was 15" and that river isn't supposed to have anything bigger than 11-12". Liars!! Anyway I learned a valuable lesson that day.


Vicki

[Ruard]

All my flies I tied are tied with the purpose to use them. There is a diference between the most of you I suppose: I can only one or at the most two weeks try them on trout, the rest of the year I cannot catch any trout so these flies are for Rudd and Roach and they take everything if it is in the right depth. So for my troutflies I depend for 95% on your experience and that is much appreciated!!

Greeting

[DUBBN]

There are some very interesting responses to my question. Like I said, there were no right or wrong answers. After my last post on this thread I got to thinking. I came to the conclusion that I am a bit of a hypocrite. I went into detail about the process in which a pattern has to go through to 'earn' a spot in the hallowed confines which are my fly boxes (sarcasm). Not all patterns have to go through that testing phase, and sometimes patterns are only temporary residents in my fly box.

Remember, I am talikng about new patterns, not freshly tyed flys of time tested patterns that are already in my fly box. One species of bug that only gets temporary status is the PMD. For me it is a seasonal bug, in that it does not really have an effect on my fishing for more than 3 months (July-Sept). You can add late June some years, and Early October on other years. About the time the local rivers start to clear and slow down from the yearly run-off, is the time I have to pay attention to the PMD'. As I rarely find that the fish I am after become super selective and will only take a PMD, I dont have to carry many flys to imitate the bug. That being said, there are times during a few days when the fish can get very picky. It doesnt happen often, but when it does I am usually prepared with a half dozen nymphs and the same amount of emergers.

The patterns change every year. For nymphs, I want a size 16 1x or 2x long hook. Slim profile to the pattern.A pheasant tail nymph with a Dark Cream, or Light Yellow rabbit fur thorax would work.
For emergers I want the pattern to be two toned, and on a size 16 hook aswell. I dont care if it is light abdomen and dark thorax, or vice versa. I dont care if it has a foam wing or if it uses hen hackle as a collar. This was the Emerger I used last year. I gave it's construction about 30 seconds of thought beofre I tyed it, and then proceeded to use materials in its construction that were cluttering my desk. Had there been Dun hen hackle on the desk instead of Brown, the Dun would have been tyed on.


This next picture is from an auction to raise funds for a park bench to memorialize a gentleman by the name of Al Campbel from another fly fishing site. The pattern was inspired by another tyer and friend, the late Ron Koenig. The next year the CDC was dropped, and a foam wing was added.


Wow, I am sitting here waiting to take my work truck in for an oil change, and I realize I am RAMBLING again! My apologies.

In a nutshell, there are patterns that are visitors to my fly box. They are tyed for a specific time and place. I would no more throw a PMD emerger in January than fly to the moon. The PMD isnt a tough bug to imitate (for me). When the fish are keying on them? It can be really frustrating if I dont have the right pattern. If I have thrown together a pattern that is the right size, shape, and close to the right color, I can usually make the fish look stupid. Not that I am a great fly fisher, it's because of the time spent on the water. Remember, I target the dumb fish of the stream.

Every time I brag to this forum about my 'absolute rules', I remember how I am always breaking those rules. Yes, I am a hypocrite.

[kanutripr]

That's OK Wayne. I'm sure no one took you THAT literally! This has been an interesting thread.

We still luv ya!




Vicki

[Smuggler]

This is a great question DUBBN, I often wonder this myself of other board members that post all those great looking flies.
Myself I'll probably get around to fishing 60% of the new flies I've tied. I have two whole rows in my main wet fly box dedicated to Hendrickson's and Quill Gordons but, this year doesn't look like I'll be making it up state to fish these hatches due to work. So right there is a huge chunk of the newer patterns I've tied this year that may go un-fished.

Usually though, I'm pretty good at not going gung-ho by cranking out all types of patterns and just putting them in the fly box... only to remove them at the end of the year and put 'em in that bottle that I know we all have of flies that probably won't get fished

[daringduffer]

Very few of my flies ever swim since I have a lot more opportunities to tie than to fish. Whenever I tie a fly I'm convinced of its capacity to catch the fish I'm after. I hear the stream and the rises, envision light and shadows, marvel at the beauty of fur and feather. If my flies don't catch I don't blame the flies. They usually catch though.

I have a friend who cleaned his fly boxes from flies he had tied his first years as a tier. His intention was to throw them away but his fishing partner wanted to have them. They kept catching fish for several seasons before worn out/lost. This friend caught a lot more fish than my friend did with his fresh, well tied flies.

dd

[hankaye]

Howdy All;

2 years ago when I first attempted to fly fish in ernest (he said he didn't mind), I was using some
'store bought' flys. Used them and liked them... So, I got hooked on fly fishing. Near the same
time I found this forum and joined in the discussions, asked questions and started gitting my grubby
hands on the tools and materials of the affliction...
Since that first winter I have not fished the 'store boughts', I have only fished the flys that I have tied
(certian amount of pride in using one's own creations), or a few of the ones that have been sent with
express orders to fish. I havn't been fishing that many times this past year so the number of flys used is small.
However, I'm workin' on that. Still have the 'store boughts', useing them as models, Twiggy would be proud.
So, I reckon ya'll can pidgenhole me into the 100% group ...

hank

[DUBBN]

I think I will bury this here. I am starting a bucket list (I turn 50 next month)
1. Tye a fly with Seals Fur. Been tying for 35 years, and have never used it.