Curly's Envy

[crazy4oldcars]

LOL See that pic WAAAYY up top? Dial the quality back about half and it looks JUST like it! (heavy self-afflicted sarcasm. lol)
I'm still working on the proportions a bit. I had to put the tying stuff away shortly after I posted. If I manage to get it close to the proportions of yours, I'll put it up. It may be this weekend before I can get back to the vice...err, vise.

Kirk

[crazy4oldcars]

OK. Still needs a LOT of work, but I would fish with the ones I have in a heartbeat.


Hairwing Olive (AKA Kirk's Green-eyed Abomination)

Looking back at Steve's fly, I see what I an doing wrong, a la the proportions. I need to tie the wing and the hackle in at the same location, and move that all the way to the front of the hook. I'll work on it some more and get back to y'all.

Kirk

[crazy4oldcars]

Finally got one I an happy with. Same materials as I listed earlier.
I have mad respect for Steve's tying skills, as the kids don't say anymore.
As a bonus, I now have enough of these that I won't run out soon.

Kirk

[swellcat]

Kirk, when I saw this, I thought it was Steve's.

More importantly, I can't imagine this not catching fish.

[letumgo]

Man that is a pretty fly Kirk! Beautiful proportions and color combo.

[crazy4oldcars]

Thanks, guys, but I'm just playing copy cat. I can still see a LOT of mistakes, lol.
I agree that this is a fish catcher. That is why trying so diligently to get it close to Steve's offering.
It was also an experiment in trying to achieve the same look without having the "proper" materials. In that regard, I think I managed it.
I may get another chance this year to try them out. Water temps are getting down close to 70F, and the fish are slowing down. Once it gets below 65F, the season is pretty much done.

Kirk

[UC Steve]

Yer getting there, Kirk. I'm sure you're finding, as I did, that this style is a bit less forgiving than a wingless type, particularly in dialing the wing to right proportion. Light should pass through the wing, too much material & it'll swim like a shaving brush. Yours are on the sparse side, & I'd prefer to err that way. Though I include it in the recipe posted in Soft~Hackle Journal, too quick on the trigger, I ommited a very important little step in the recipe posted here. Forgive me. If you look close at the photo of my CE, you'll notice a very short thorax or 'ball' of yellow dubbing installed prior to winging & winding the hackle, & that is a critical element on any pattern utilizing a tinsel or floss body, as it serves to give the skinny fly mass & proportion, pillowing the wing, keeping it at the correct angle, & also ensuring proper flare of the hackle, otherwise the fly will be too skinny when wet, without good shape & mass.

[crazy4oldcars]

That would help keep the angles correct, or even in there. I need to get a little more length on the wing. Usual wing length is midpoint of the tail. Mine's a WEE bit short, lol

I like the style and the colors in this fly, so I will keep working on it. Thanks for the encouragement, folks.

Kirk