synthetic materials..

[BobSmith]

You colonial heathen !

[tie2fish]

"You colonial heathen!"

[hankaye]

Got to thinking again (I know shouldn't do that to often), ... anyway, her goes;

Didn't some of the older tapisteries have threads of Gold and Silver as well as clothes for the wealthy?
Wouldn't it be possiable for some of those to "slip" into a fly here and there???

just askin'

[Johnno]

Thanks for the replies pples. I guess its traditional vs modern and where the line is drawn.

I look at synthetics as being an opportunity to refine, enhance and progress those ideas, patterns and recipes handed down to us by those who have gone before. I think they'd have done it.

So I hope y'all don't mind too much if now and again I post a couple of "modern" personal takes on "traditional" flies... After all I have a colonial heathen tag to live up to.

Heres what a colonial heathen got up to yesterday. Best fish for a couple of years. One of seven between 5 and just under 8 pounds. And the flies did have an element of synthetic in them, including rubber hackles on one.




and because I can show off, another.....



Life can be hell sometimes...

[Joe Billingsley]

Good Gawd, Johnno. Those are some serious fish!

Joe

[daringduffer]

I can't imagine what it's like to hook a fish like that but since synthetics are involved they don't count. (The adrenaline rush would kill me).

Johnno, we need pictures of the disgusting flies. Maybe we learn something.

("It's not the fly but the driver").

dd

[William Anderson]

Johnno, you know I tend toward fur and feathers and silk, but I've fished your rubber string hackled softies and If I remember correctly, they worked out just fine for rainbows in South Carolina a couple years ago. I like the idea of advancing or maybe just confirming fly design theory with synthetics or combos, putting the emphasis back on the movement and impression of the fly, not the materials. If you need a pic of the rubber hackle flies...I may have one.

Nice post.

w

[daringduffer]

Johnno,

Tonight I have had great fun tying with plastic canvas yarn, mixing different colours and heavy material. I am tying point flies for Mike Brave so that he can get his wingless wets down deep where he has confidence in them. I am using a yarn mentioned on another forum claimed to have the same properties as zelon. It sure makes meaty bugs.

The hook I am tyiong on is this: Stout heavy wire! It says nickel plated on the picture but it is bronzed. It is reversed so it can take a fat body. I bought 100 for $5.14 http://www.kenhook.se/mustad-fly-hooks/3If he looses them to the bottom of the river nobody will cry. With the aid of Cellire varnish and Sally Hansen they look like snacks. Remember - the fish ain't supposed to eat them!

dd

[Johnno]

another recent catch, from earlier this week... yes - synthetics again.. Around the 10 lb mark...

[GlassJet]

LOL Johnno - you doctoring these in photoshop?!

Looks a superb place - and clearly superb fishing

Andrew.