User Panel
[#1]
Tyer for 20 years now, fly-fishing for 33.
Nice job especially for being new. Those will all catch fish! Proportions may be a little off, but that comes with practice and still only really matters if you are selling them. Then they need to be perfect. In my experience the fish DGAF. Probably caught more fish on my fucked up ties that I kept for myself, then people caught on the perfect ones I sold! |
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[#2]
With what you have done as a starting point, you will be doing great things with some practice.
I need to dig my fly tying stuff out. |
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Tennessee Squire
Team Ranstad NRA Life Member (no longer financially supporting) |
[#3]
Yep, ugly bugs catch fish. I like to think trout appreciate the "impressionist" school of art more than the "realist". I get weenie about tying terrestrials (especially grasshoppers) though. Maybe I am barking up the wrong tree but I have had my grasshoppers closely inspected by (particularly) brown trout, only to have the fish "meh" out at the last minute. I tried every grasshopper I had in my box at a river a few years ago with zero success, only to grab a live grasshopper off of a branch and chuck the insect into the water. The water boiled and the kraken sized brookie hammered the real insect. The difference was I think color- the real insect was a shade of green that I didn't have in my box. Or perhaps my flies suck and the trout think I am a bad man who should feel bad.
You may also consider tying your own leaders. It involves purchasing a stack of Maxima line of various weights and finding a formula (3 feet of "X", then 4 feet of "Y", etc). The upfront cost seems high but I go through leaders frequently and rolling my own makes sense for the varied types of fly fishing I do. Save your short tapered leader butts for making streamer leaders. I just ordered a new blood knot tying tool (http://www.eztiesystem.com/) that I suspect will replace my existing blood knot tying tool. I will review it when I get it in the mail. |
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Scratch And Sniff
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[Last Edit: MBRMan]
[#4]
Those flies are miles ahead from what I was tying when I first started out! Like everyone has said, those will all catch fish! Great job, man! Just be careful! People usually justify tying their own flies as a way to save money. Let me tell you, fly tying can quickly become a money sucking enterprise in and of itself! But its still very rewarding catching fish on flies you designed and tied yourself!
Dave As a matter of fact, I've been using some self designed nymphs and have been killing the local Cutthroats and Rainbows on em! So satisfying! |
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[Last Edit: JQ66]
[#5]
OP is doing well for a beginner.
You have the benefit now of there being so many resources. Especially videos on YouTube to help learn patterns and techniques |
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[#6]
Originally Posted By JQ66: OP is doing well for a beginner. You have the benefit now of there being some many resources. Especially videos on YouTube to help learn patterns and techniques View Quote I've been watching a lot of youtube vids. Came to the conclusion that i need to pick up a couple more tools, like a hair stacker. I'll also try to get some more pictures uploaded. I really do appreciate the feedback from everyone. |
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Carthago delenda est
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[#7]
Originally Posted By Cheesebeast: Yep, ugly bugs catch fish. I like to think trout appreciate the "impressionist" school of art more than the "realist". I get weenie about tying terrestrials (especially grasshoppers) though. Maybe I am barking up the wrong tree but I have had my grasshoppers closely inspected by (particularly) brown trout, only to have the fish "meh" out at the last minute. I tried every grasshopper I had in my box at a river a few years ago with zero success, only to grab a live grasshopper off of a branch and chuck the insect into the water. The water boiled and the kraken sized brookie hammered the real insect. The difference was I think color- the real insect was a shade of green that I didn't have in my box. Or perhaps my flies suck and the trout think I am a bad man who should feel bad. You may also consider tying your own leaders. It involves purchasing a stack of Maxima line of various weights and finding a formula (3 feet of "X", then 4 feet of "Y", etc). The upfront cost seems high but I go through leaders frequently and rolling my own makes sense for the varied types of fly fishing I do. Save your short tapered leader butts for making streamer leaders. I just ordered a new blood knot tying tool (http://www.eztiesystem.com/) that I suspect will replace my existing blood knot tying tool. I will review it when I get it in the mail. View Quote Could be color, could also be the drift, which the leader would contribute to. I also build up my own leaders. Also use Maxima for the butt section, but then softer monofilament and fluorocarbon for the tippet Joe Humprheys has instructions for building up leaders in his books. Look for Joe Humphreys Trout Tactics book Also check out his videos on casting, presentation, etc, on YouTube. Best class I ever took at Penn State ( casting). Never got into his Trout Fly Angling class unfortunately- that was like hitting the lottery getting selected for that class. |
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[Last Edit: JQ66]
[#8]
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[#9]
Originally Posted By JQ66: Could be color, could also be the drift, which the leader would contribute to. I also build up my own leaders. Also use Maxima for the butt section, but then softer monofilament and fluorocarbon for the tippet Joe Humprheys has instructions for building up leaders in his books. Look for Joe Humphreys Trout Tactics book Also check out his videos on casting, presentation, etc, on YouTube. Best class I ever took at Penn State ( casting). Never got into his Trout Fly Angling class unfortunately- that was like hitting the lottery getting selected for that class. View Quote I will check out the book- thanks! I use monofilament for the tippet but need to incorporate flouro now. |
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Scratch And Sniff
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[#10]
George Harvey also wrote a book on trout fishing and fly tying a LONG time ago. He was Joe Humphreys’ mentor at Penn State, and I think the story goes he taught more students in his angling classes that any other single professor at PSU.
His book also has tippet building instructions, as well as tying info and tactics. Holy smokes the price! https://www.amazon.com/Techniques-Trout-Fishing-Fly-Tying/dp/1558210687 I have an autographed copy in my fly fishing book collection. Also have some flies he tied, that I should finally do that shadow box presentation with someday, and Joe Humphreys did a really nice autograph and drawing inside the cover of his Second book, which if not a first edition is close Also this article. Scroll down quite a bit for the tippet formula. https://troutbitten.com/2019/07/21/dry-fly-fishing-the-george-harvey-leader-design/ It was nice back in the 1990s when the Fly Fishing show was relatively new and held at Seven Springs Resort in SW PA. There were also some other smaller shows that would come to Monroeville Pa, with some big names like Gary Borger, Gary LaFontaine, Ernest Schweibert, etc. I amassed quite the book collection back then on fly fishing, as well as materials. More than enough stuff to last me a lifetime. |
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[#11]
Originally Posted By JQ66: George Harvey also wrote a book on trout fishing and fly tying a LONG time ago. He was Joe Humphreys' mentor at Penn State, and I think the story goes he taught more students in his angling classes that any other single professor at PSU. **snip** I amassed quite the book collection back then on fly fishing, as well as materials. More than enough stuff to last me a lifetime. View Quote To me,, Mr Humphreys techniques on nymphing in particular do work very well for him, but they are his techniques. Meaning the use of different power and timing on his tuck cast is what he uses to adjust his presentation most of the time while nymphing. Thats something I could never master, lol. He's an artist and that would be like me taking painting instruction from Michaelangelo, I may understand what he is explaining with his technique and watching his brushstrokes...but after 20 years of practice, my shit is still gonna look like a 5 year olds finger painting in comparison! My grandpap took lessons from Mr. Harvey a looooooong time ago and then passed on his love of flyfishing/tying to his children and grandchildren. I took in a short presentation by Mr. Daniel a couple years ago when he came through International Angler in Pittsburgh. Also have talked to him on a few ooccasions while bumming around the TCO shop in State College. Very friendly and a wealth of info. Has always taken time to answer my most mundane questions, and I've improved greatly from the experience. Tight Lines! |
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[Last Edit: JQ66]
[#12]
Next installment of the on line Orivs fly tying class (its free!)
The Clouser Minnow Correction - bead head hares ear nymph tonight |
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[#13]
Nice OP
Ugly ties look like crippled bugs. Animals are lazy, especially fish. Bass go for the wounded shad with the erratic motion. Trout see the same perfect bugs in a hatch, if you present a cripple in the right size and color with a good drift they will pick it out of the clones. Many patterns are tied ‘cripple’. Especially emergers. |
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There are times I almost think I am not sure of what I absolutely know.
"You see, Mr. Simpson—a man, well, he'll walk right into Hell with both eyes open. But even the Devil can't fool a dog!" |
[#14]
Nice work! They do work better after they get torn and tattered.
I like zug bugs and pheasant tails for the SE, streamers and wolly buggers for the north shore. |
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[#15]
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Carthago delenda est
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[#16]
That'll catch fish! Nice tie!
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[#17]
A humorous add
An old time quip or two. Any color fly is fine as long as it’s grey. I suppose that’s a reference to the representative school. The other bit? You can catch a fish on a cigarette butt if the presentation is proper. |
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There are times I almost think I am not sure of what I absolutely know.
"You see, Mr. Simpson—a man, well, he'll walk right into Hell with both eyes open. But even the Devil can't fool a dog!" |
[#18]
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Sheeple= Sheep like people who vote to have the teeth pulled from the sheep dogs that protect the flock.
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