holy crap, you step away and the whole thing goes to pot.
These are my favorite threads by far. Certainly the most engaging and interactive.
Eric, never a worry on a hijack situation, the only tinge of concern is that I'll never find that drake soft-hackle in two years when I'm looking for a standard to follow. These are really fantastic. I appreciate the branches this conversation has taken. Your insight on the triggers you've worked out for yourself match my own, contrast, mobility, texture. This is good stuff.
Wayne a few gems that I have no doubt hold a high place in your boxes. Fantastic flies and a great conclusion.
A thread like this could pile on for weeks. Please bring it on. I'd like to hear more about fishing the drakes with these flies. And the comments on the CDC and Elk are ubiquitous. I've heard the same astounding results all over the world from the day I first heard of this pattern. I've always thought the dimples and light bending that occurs in the surface as a result of the loose cdc fibers played a significant roll, along with the reasons you've mentioned. It's something I try to be aware of and one of the hardest things to achieve in dry fly design. The Elk Hair Caddis is another that mimics the point of surface contact light bending.
I have other questions as well, all better suited to the tying section and the fishing section. I'll post those there. One in the fishing section, fishing the drake soft=hackles and another in the cabin, regarding your favorite spinner designs. I really don't care to see patterns without understanding why they work and the spinners are something much written about with miles of contradictions and designs.
This thread should flourish, but I'll take these specific side questions to the other sections.
love it.
w
