FLYMPH FORUM

Had to play with some of the stuff I bought today.

Hook - Mustad 3399A size 18
Thread - Benecchi 12/0 Tobacco
Tail - Honey Dun Hen
Abdomen - Copper Mylar
Thorax - SLF Prism (Lt. Orange)
Collar - Honey Dun Hen

Hook- 3399 Mustad size 12
Thread Benecchi 12/0 Tobacco
Tail- Honey Dun Hen
Abdomen - Amber Rabbit fur
Rib - Pearl Mylar
Thorax - Cinnamon Rabbit fur in a split thread
Collar- Honey Dun hen hackle



A few weeks ago I was fishing after work. I put on a Grannom Soft Hackle. I tied the thorax in with the split thread technique. I was amazed at how the free flowing fibers of the thorax swept back to the abdomen when wet. It was kind of like a perfect transition from the drab natural hares ear abdomen to the green thorax. Anyhow, i doubt the trout were as impressed with the technique as I was or I would have caught more. I was impressed with the effect, and I plan on studying it a bit more.

Split thread is good stuff, innit?

Cheers,
Hans W

The second photo is my favorite. Nice work!

Hook- 3399 Mustad size 12
Thread Benecchi 12/0 Tobacco
Tail- Ginger Hen
Abdomen - Cinnamon Rabbit
Thorax- Sow Scud (Brown) in a split thread
Collar - Ginger Hen

As much as I like all three, if I had to choose one to throw in the water, it would be number 3. My opinion may be skewed by looking at all the March Brown patterns from the swap, but #3 is it for me, with #2 a very close second.

As I rummaged through the hackles like a vagrant looking for my next meal in a garbage dumpster it dawned on me..What has happened to the hackle industry? Yes, the quality has gone WAYYY up. The Indian capes? They have been relegated to a lot in our society where they belong in a large Tupper Wear tub at the entrance of a hick towns fly tieing Expo. Silly me. I am the only one out of 500 people that thinks he has found treasure.

These are the feathers that I heard my dad, and the "experts" of my community talk about when ever I visited my barbor. Oh how these feathers have fallen.

I will not make the arguement that these feathers deserve a place next to the genetic fowl of today. They dont. I do believe that these feathers are as good at attracting fish in 2013 as thy were in 1947. It is so easy to ignore these ugly duckings. With a modern feather, I can sometimes get Four flies from one feather. With the Indian Grade, 2 flies is lucky.

Something snapped in me as I watched the "modern" fly tier ignore these capes this morning. I need to revert back to a simpler time. A time of my youth. I need to catch alot of fish with low grade feathers. I hope some of you will join me.

I see where you are coming from, and I certainly do not disagree on the "the flies tied then, with 'then' hackle, caught their fair share of fish.

I do have a slightly different take, though. I have been tying and fishing flies long enough to have a fair perspective on Indian necks, and the materials we have available today, including genetic necks and saddles. Decades back, before Metz and Hoffmann, anglers tied flies with the best materials available to them. Please note "best" in this context means - most suitable among what was available, for the patterns at hand. Today we do no different.

We live in the golden age of flytying today - I very much doubt the range and breadth of materials available to us today has ever been equalled in years gone by. How do you view this?

Cheers,
Hans W

Hans Weilenmann wrote:I see where you are coming from, and I certainly do not disagree on the "the flies tied then, with 'then' hackle, caught their fair share of fish.

I do have a slightly different take, though. I have been tying and fishing flies long enough to have a fair perspective on Indian necks, and the materials we have available today, including genetic necks and saddles. Decades back, before Metz and Hoffmann, anglers tied flies with the best materials available to them. Please note "best" in this context means - most suitable among what was available, for the patterns at hand. Today we do no different.

We live in the golden age of flytying today - I very much doubt the range and breadth of materials available to us today has ever been equalled in years gone by. How do you view this?

Cheers,
Hans W

Yes, we certainly do live in a Golden Age. Forgive me for jumping on a soap box, and preaching about the virtues of days gone by. I would never trade my Whiting Capes for Indian Capes. That being said, I have to send a shout out, call it a salute to those that tied before us. They believed they lived in a Golden age, and did their best to make the most of the hackles (Indian?) that they had.

You understand where you came from in the fly tieing world. I know you do. You quote too many historic patterns not to know. Perhaps you prefer the Whiting CDL, or Brahma to the Indian feathers. You and I have the luxury of choice.

My feelings were hurt for no other reason than the majority of tiers at my local show had no clue of the history of their art. My history only goes back to the barber shop of my youth. I am sure you can trace it further.

I love the synthetics available to me in this era. I feel good that I do not need them to catch a trout.

Howdy All;

Good thoughts from both sides of the same coin... Didn't mean to interupt,
please gentilmen do continue ...

hank