OK, so how sparse is too sparse?

Post by **CM_Stewart** » Wed Jun 20, 2012 10:36 am

After catching many bluegills with this fly, I finally retired it. It was still catching fish, though, so I could have kept fishing it.

So when do you retire a fly, or do you keep fishing it until there's nothing left but the hook and a bit of tattered thread?

When you tie, how sparse? Insects only have six legs after all.

Post by **chase creek** » Wed Jun 20, 2012 1:56 pm

I think if a fly has moving parts (hackle, rubber legs, etc.) - as long as it has something left to wave around, it's still in working order. I think movement is probably the strongest trigger.

Post by **DOUGSDEN** » Wed Jun 20, 2012 7:12 pm

Dearest CM,
I like this post! You mentioned Bluegill and that's pretty cool! Do not retire the fly esp. if it's still working for you. Of course, who knows what the next outing will bring? They may refuse it all together but more likely they will come to it again. I think Chase Creek is right on! Movement is the biggest trigger, next comes color, and then size!
Good one! Please keep them coming!
Rather hot in this house,
Dougsden

Post by **William Anderson** » Thu Jun 21, 2012 8:26 am

Great post. Another testimony to the durably of these bodies. Would you share how the body was tied and the material?

Post by **CM_Stewart** » Thu Jun 21, 2012 9:26 pm

The body is three layers of Pearsall's Hot Orange. There is a 5 turn whip finish at the bend, but no head cement. I am a bit surprised the body held up so well. Bluegill teeth are so sharp that they would reduce it to a bare hook eventually.

Post by **redietz** » Thu Jun 21, 2012 11:04 pm

CM_Stewart wrote: So when do you retire a fly, or do you keep fishing it until there's nothing left but the hook and a bit of tattered thread?

When you tie, how sparse? Insects only have six legs after all.

Yes, but they also have wings and tails. The hackle fibers have to represent those, too.

I've left a bare hook on after a trout's teeth completely unraveled the fly previously tied on the hook, not wanting to take the time to re-tie the whole team. Guess which fly caught the next fish?

My general rule of thumb is that I tie a fly with about 20 hackle fibers (I strip the stem so that there's about 10 on each side, and wrap the whole thing -- I don't actually count) expecting that a few will pull out just putting it into the fly box and taking it back out again. I usually think about retiring the fly when it's down to about the same amount of hackle you show in the photo -- if it had even two more fibers I would definitely keep fishing it.

DUBBN · Post by **DUBBN** » Sat Jun 23, 2012 12:48 pm

Kinda over dressed for a midge larva, isn't it?

Post by **letumgo** » Sat Jun 23, 2012 6:30 pm

(chuckle)

Post by **CM_Stewart** » Sat Jun 23, 2012 6:41 pm

Better?

Daiichi Bloodworm
Hook: Daiichi 1153, size 12
Thread: none
Hackle: none
Body: none

DUBBN · Post by **DUBBN** » Sat Jun 23, 2012 6:45 pm

Very good sir. The lines are perfect as they blend from the abdomen to the thorax. The no see'um tie off at the head is a classic!

OK, so how sparse is too sparse?

OK, so how sparse is too sparse?

Re: OK, so how sparse is too sparse?

Re: OK, so how sparse is too sparse?

Re: OK, so how sparse is too sparse?

Re: OK, so how sparse is too sparse?

Re: OK, so how sparse is too sparse?

Re: OK, so how sparse is too sparse?

Re: OK, so how sparse is too sparse?

Re: OK, so how sparse is too sparse?

Re: OK, so how sparse is too sparse?