My obsession with simple flies has been made known here for a few years. Those North Country Spiders and Soft-Hackle flies with there thread bodies and sparse hackle have not only dominated my efforts at the tying desk they have also taken charge in my efforts on the stream. Realization is that trout look at food much differently then we do. Trout in small streams take that look even further. An insect floating down stream does not look like a fly in a catalog. The tail is not perfect, the number of segments on its body are not uniform and its legs may be deformed. So why take the time to tie a fly and complete all of those steps to make it look perfect. A question I asked myself and I decided this. Perfection in tying flies can be artistic, and then look at at Fran Betters Haystack...its all in the eyes of the fly tyer and angler.
Pictured here are some of the dry flies I have tied and fished over the years. Most have a thread body, a thorax of either dubbing or peacock with a few wraps of stiff hackle.
This is one of the first flies I tied a very simple skater pattern. Ideas coming from both E. Hewett, and Ed Shenk
This is a result of the simple dry fly.
I was given another simple dry fly pattern that I'm in the process of tying. It's from a gentleman in Argentina. When I complete it I'll post it along with his.
I've always wanted to try skaters. I bet you get some pretty violent takes out of that fly.
ReplyDeletebillp
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Bill violent is an understatement. Give them a try.
Well my knee replacement is next Tues. so I'll be able to tie 'em but not test 'em.
DeleteI used to use skaters for SM bass back in Wisconsin.
Bill Murray's fly shop in VA. has for years offered a bass skater for smallmouth.
DeleteYou even make dries look good, Alan. Those are fantastic.
ReplyDeletemike
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Mike easy is something I like. Like something and chances are you will do OK.
Alan,
ReplyDeleteCool flies. Very buggy looking.
That is a glorious brookie!
JJ
Beaverdam
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Joe it's the buggy look that gets them. That fish came out of the Farmington river.
I think the only flies that need to be perfect or near perfect are the ones you tie that should be in a picture frame. The rest, just buggy.
ReplyDeleteMark Kautz
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Mark framed perfect flies have a place in our sport. The best frame is the fly in a fishes lip.
Alan
ReplyDeleteThese flies are another example why you are among the best when it comes to work at the fly tying vice!! Great Post, thanks for sharing
Bill Trussell
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Bill so many times I'll tie something that looks like poop. I'll still give it a try and sometimes it will produce.
Alan, amazing photos and thought provoking prose. Reading John Atherton The Fly and The Fish right now - like you, an angler who sought his own solutions. No. 5 dry fly is next on my list.
ReplyDeleteNed Zeppelin
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Kevin that #5 is still working very well. Several fly tyers have tied skaters in one form or another. And they all work.
Hi Alan,
ReplyDeleteHow does that saying go........ 'Keep it simple, Stupid!'?
I do enjoy tying challenging flies for wise fish but some of the best fish catchers are the simple flies. My top simple fly is a Griffiths Gnat followed by an F-Fly with black body and the addition of a twist of grizzly or cree hackle.
That last fish is tantamount to what can be achieved with a basic pattern.
Thanks
Alistair
Anonymous
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Alistair I like that saying...
The Griffiths Gnat is a super simple fly that has proven itself to be in everyone's fly box.
Not sure if you will like the origins though Alan - it is a USN saying!!!!!
DeleteTake care and stay safe
Alistair
Those Navy boys....
DeleteSpectacular... Simply.!
ReplyDeleteArmando Milosevic
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Armando well said..
Alan, all these dry flies - with the possible exception of the skater - will also make surprisingly effective wet flies. Don't Gink 'em up, just fish them. They'll start out dry but will eventually sink. Stiff hackled wet flies are a generally unrecognized cornerstone of Japanese tenkara. Dead drift barely scratches the surface, lots more can be done to induce strikes but you can manipulate them much more effectively without your heavy fly line in the water.
ReplyDeleteChris Stewart
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Chris I have by accident managed to take several trout on these flies just as you have said. I love the fact that so much can be achieved by such a simple fly.
Now is a Tenkara rod i my future, well....