Mark's Fly Tying Forum Pattern Link

[letumgo]

I thought this link belongs in the reference section. These flies, and the accompanying tying instructions, are a huge reason I love wingless wet flies so much. Check them out. Nearly all of them have full tying instruction.

http://www.flytyingforum.com/index.php?act=flysearch&gettyer=Soft-hackle

http://www.danica.com/flytier/mlibertone/mlibertone.htm

http://www.troutnut.com/topic/8275/Mark-Libertone-Flies

http://www.danica.com/flytier/mlibertone/mlibertone.htm

http://globalflyfisher.com/patterns/flymphs/

http://www.flyanglersonline.com/features/oldflies/part402.php

http://www.troutnut.com/topic/8275/Mark-Libertone-Flies

https://www.google.com/search?q=mark+li ... =598&dpr=1

[chase creek]

Thanks for doing that, Ray. Pretty Cool.
The FTF is where I first saw Mark's flies, also. Quite a gathering of wingless wets.
(Thanks, Mark)

[hankaye]

Ray, Howdy;

Perfect refrence for a forum such as us...

hank

[Smuggler]

This is a real treat, thanks Ray and thank you Mark.

[letumgo]

Here are links to a couple articles that Mark wrote a while back:

The Road to Wingless Wets: http://globalflyfisher.com/patterns/flymphs/

Wet Flies Rediscovered: http://www.flyanglersonline.com/features/oldflies/part402.php

Mark's Facebook Page: http://www.danica.com/flytier/mlibertone/mlibertone.htm
Libertone Studio Facebook Page: http://www.danica.com/flytier/mlibertone/mlibertone.htm

Article discussing the fund raiser for Mark: http://rivertoprambles.wordpress.com/2012/11/05/autumn-journal-november-5/

Photos from Mark's Rod Project: http://fiberglassflyrodders.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=38448

An old post by our friend Mark:
I have been fly fishing since I was 13 and tying since I was 14 years old. Since that time I've noticed that fly fishermen are totally infatuated with dry flies. While I understand this fascination, I find it very hard to understand the general low interest in wet flies. After all, wet flies are the precursors to dry flies and many fly fishermen have cut their teeth, so to speak, on wet flies. I am among that group.

My particular passion is the wingless wet flies, which are often called Flymphs, Soft-hackles, or Spiders. I am a trained artist and the wingless wets have a certain aesthetic quality that makes them truly a form of simple beauty. Their effectiveness and versatility are unmatched within the myriad of fly tying patterns, which tend to be more specific in imitative quality and usage. Because of their suggestive nature and the fact that the soft hackles used to tie them give life to the fly, these flies are tried and true fish catchers.

In 1941 James Leisenring along with his friend and student Vern "Pete" Hidy wrote a book entitled The Art Of Tying The Wet Fly. With the publication of this book, the world of wet fly tying was disclosed to the American public. Leisenring's work highlighted the effectiveness of the wingless wet fly and taught others how to effectively tie these flies. Unfortunately it was not till 1971 that saw the reissue of the work as The Art Of Tying The Wet Fly and Fishing The Flymph. that it became popular. Hidy added more information on how to fish the patterns Leisenring adopted from various English patterns. He also coined the term, "flymph" denoting the fly as an imitation for the hatching or emerging insect.

Leisenring also employed winged wets as well, and his book offered a small number of the more traditional winged wets from England. Leisenring's tying technique made them more durable and more deadly, and despite the fact that the traditional American wet fly was more attractive in nature, Leisenring's flies were much more imitative or suggestive of real insects. They are not the beautiful, fancy wet flies illustrated in Bergman's Trout, but more natural and life-like in appearance.

Slowly, today, many modern fly anglers are learning about the wet fly and their effectiveness. It has been my pleasure to help educate many old and new fly anglers alike on the virtues of the simple, elegant and deadly flies.