Saturday, September 8, 2018

Lost And Found....And Soft-Hackles

A few weeks ago while fishing I glanced down and saw something reflecting light at me. It is not uncommon to see broken glass or a piece of metal along the stream. Curiosity got the best of me and I reached down to see what is was. As it turns out it was a plastic box that appeared to have something in it. Taking a closer look I saw some flies in it. I removed the debris from the box and opened it up. Inside were five flies that I recognized as mine. The reason I knew the flies were mine was one of them was a Smokey Mountain Forktail, a fly that no one ties around here. I started to think when the heck did I loose these flies. Over the next hours off and on I managed to piece together a time when I could have dropped the flies. I won't go into how I determined that because I hate typing...rest assured they are mine.



Looks like a bomber,a soft-hackle, two elk hair caddis and the forktail.


Tied up a few soft-hackles using orange silk thread with squirrel dubbing and starling hackle. The first one is tied on a long curved hook size 14


The second soft-hackle uses the same materials only it's tied on a dry fly hook. It to is a size 14


A soft-hackle fooled this native brook trout.









26 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. John Dornik
      Thanks
      John that's quite possible.
      Funny I don't remember loosing them.

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    2. Yellow dyed starling, good substitute for flicker in "Yallar hammer and Yallar hammer deviants". An American classic pattern.

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    3. Thanks John....I fish the yellow hammer from time to time and have decent luck with it.

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  2. Karma no doubt. Love the looks of the softie; where did you get the dyed starling?

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    Replies
    1. William Shuck
      Thanks
      Bill I picked it up a a local fly shop here in CT. They don't always have them so when I see one I grab it.

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  3. Message in a bottle, orin this case a small box. They still have a fishing life. Excellent.
    regards, John

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    1. The Two Terriers
      Thanks
      John they were in great shape. Now if I could remember where I put my wallet.

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  4. That's great luck discovering a box of your own flies beside the stream, Alan. They deserve to be given a second chance to catch fish.
    Now, I've lost but never found many items while fishing--sunglasses, tweezers, small fly boxes that have slipped out of my hand and raced downstream, hats-- to name just a few. I once had the whole contents of a small fly box just catapult themslves out and disappear away in the current. Grown men do weep! The only things I generally find are other peoples discarded rubbish, which I pick up and take home.
    Kind Regards,
    Steve.

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    Replies
    1. Steve Hynes
      Thanks Steve most things I loose I never recover. Those nippers that hang from my pack seem to always find there way to the bottom of the stream, I now buy them by the dozen..

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  5. So nice of the Brookies to gather your lost flies into a box and give them back to you. ;-)

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    1. Gary
      Thanks
      Gary those brookies are so sweet. That's why I love them so.

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  6. Man, that dyed Starling is gorgeous stuff! You're living right, Alan; karma is a wonderful thing to have on your side.

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    1. mike
      Thanks
      Mike living right is what I try to do, sometimes there are some bumps.
      If it is on my side I hope it stays. Cold night ahead.

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  7. Great read thank you. What are the odds you find a box of flies on a stream, and your own to boot. This past May I found a small plastic box, like yours on the Neversink full of red midge pupa. I didn't see another fisherman all day. Interesting how many of the Brookies in your pics have the stubby tails. I catch my fair share in NJ, but none with tails like that. Is that a genetic trait to your area?

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    1. Michael Capurso
      Thanks
      Michael the odds are pretty low, but the excitement was super high. Next time out maybe I'll find gold. One day I must fish the Neversink. I spent a few days over the years fishing Fir Brook and the Willowemoc.
      The tails are average size, I think the photos don't show the actual size.

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  8. I am glad that you found the flies you tied, Alan. If one ties enough of them, you really get a sense of what you have created on the bench. Whether we realize it or not, we all have our own style on certain patterns.

    After reading Modern Dry Fly Code by Vince Marinaro, I would certainly know the dry flies I tie with outsized wings. They fall on their sides most times with one wing in the water and one sticking upwards. Not a bad thing.

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    Replies
    1. Parachute Adams
      Thanks
      Sam tying flies and putting your own special style incorporated within those flies makes them unique and special. Outsized wings not a problem..a trout is a predator and will take the weakest prey. I have several of your flies and they have done the job for me...love the Royal Wulff. An interesting book would be to have us fly tyers tie our way, featuring classic patterns.

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  9. Amazing what you find walking along a creek.

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    1. Mark Kautz
      Thanks
      Mark one of these days I hope I happen upon a 100.00 bill along the stream.

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  10. Alan,
    How bizarre this is that you would lose then find your patterns such as you did! They look in really good shape! I can't tell but had the hooks rusted? I am glad that you found that which was lost!
    The soft-hackles you have posted are terrific! Soft and subtle! It helps a bunch that they have an orange body which, at least in my waters, seems to be universal medicine! Great stuff Alan!

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    Replies
    1. Dougsden
      Thanks
      Doug an unusual happening for sure. The hooks were in great shape with no rust.
      Orange or yellow are great here, sometimes purple will stimulate a brookie.

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  11. Alan
    Flies worthy of finding and using again---glad you recovered them, I wasn't as lucky. Thanks for sharing

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    Replies
    1. Bill Trussell
      Thanks
      Bill I was happy to find them. I'll bet though if they were in a Wheatley fly box they would have never turned up. I take it you lost some flies, not good for sure.

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  12. I see how it is. Most of us lose flies while getting skunked and you find flies while catching brookies. Real fair! jk Great post and that is a crazy coincidence.

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    1. Kevin Frank
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      Kevin it's experience. I never would have thought that something like that would happen, especially to me. I'm great at loosing stuff but not so great at finding it. You know those little zingers that hold your nippers....

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