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256 Posts
Tying Insecta......
It took roughly 10 years of stick waving before I started my personal pursuit in fly fishing. It wasn't enough to present a fly to that wary feeder..... it became all about my tied fly..... then my own pattern.....and to this day I pursue both the fish and the pattern.
I started tying using recipes in books and magazines, as most of us did and do. These flies where the old traditional flies; Royal Wulff, Elk Hair Caddis, pheasant tail, hares ear, etc. Today, I would have to look up most patterns as the market has become filled with unfamiliar names; something that happens when your not buying flies, left printed recipes behind, and ventured into the world of insect mimicking. So when someone asks me what I was using I just reply Caddis nymph, Baetis emerger, etc. (Unless it's a Jujubee, I always give Charlie his credit) Then they want to see it and they say "Kinda looks like a _____". Great, but that name is meaningless to me. It's just my imitation of that particular bug at a certain stage.
I consider myself lucky I started tying when I did as I didn't get hooked on "flashy" bugs. This is where I diverged and followed the path of insect imitation. Midge larvae/emergers are the only patterns I have covering a rainbow of colors but they are also one of the most color ridden emerging insects. Otherwise, I only have subtle color variations, with one or two PMD exceptions, but some substantial variances in stage representation but no flashy dubbing, ribbing,...I avoid it all together.
I am just wondering:
1) How much flash do you incorporate into your flies? Why?
2) Have you become more successful by changing/adding some characteristics that are not available in store bought flies?
3) Do you tie your own pattern for a specific hatch/time on local water?
4) Did catching fish on your pattern change your perspective on fly fishing? For example: Did it make you branch out to refining other patterns?
Did you become more of a student of Insecta?
5) How much time have you spent "testing" your changes?
It took roughly 10 years of stick waving before I started my personal pursuit in fly fishing. It wasn't enough to present a fly to that wary feeder..... it became all about my tied fly..... then my own pattern.....and to this day I pursue both the fish and the pattern.
I started tying using recipes in books and magazines, as most of us did and do. These flies where the old traditional flies; Royal Wulff, Elk Hair Caddis, pheasant tail, hares ear, etc. Today, I would have to look up most patterns as the market has become filled with unfamiliar names; something that happens when your not buying flies, left printed recipes behind, and ventured into the world of insect mimicking. So when someone asks me what I was using I just reply Caddis nymph, Baetis emerger, etc. (Unless it's a Jujubee, I always give Charlie his credit) Then they want to see it and they say "Kinda looks like a _____". Great, but that name is meaningless to me. It's just my imitation of that particular bug at a certain stage.
I consider myself lucky I started tying when I did as I didn't get hooked on "flashy" bugs. This is where I diverged and followed the path of insect imitation. Midge larvae/emergers are the only patterns I have covering a rainbow of colors but they are also one of the most color ridden emerging insects. Otherwise, I only have subtle color variations, with one or two PMD exceptions, but some substantial variances in stage representation but no flashy dubbing, ribbing,...I avoid it all together.
I am just wondering:
1) How much flash do you incorporate into your flies? Why?
2) Have you become more successful by changing/adding some characteristics that are not available in store bought flies?
3) Do you tie your own pattern for a specific hatch/time on local water?
4) Did catching fish on your pattern change your perspective on fly fishing? For example: Did it make you branch out to refining other patterns?
Did you become more of a student of Insecta?
5) How much time have you spent "testing" your changes?