less is more...??

[DOUGSDEN]

Gentlemen,
Here's a dandy question for you this evening. Even though I enjoy tying and fishing wingless
wet flys (flymphs), I also enjoy tying and fishing other types of flies too such as nymphs (yes, weighted) and streamers and the occasional sorted affair with a cork popper or deer hair bug.
My most favorite patterns are flymphs without any doubt. Whilst reviewing a box of Dave Whitlock Fox Squirrel nymphs, I started culling out those patterns which, to me, just didn't make the grade as far as appearance or composition (too many deviations from the orig. receipe.) Am I too much of a perfectionist? Perhaps. I just wanted to have a box of fox sq. nymphs when I was done as close to the orig. receipe as possible. When I got done, I had only a fraction of the patterns as when I started. But, I couldn't help but think of the phrase "less is more". I now have about 1 1/2 doz. to tie to fill up the box to a reasonable level. When finished (if there is such a thing), I will have about 5-6 varieties found mostly in diff. hook shapes and of course sizes. Still way less than when I started. I use this process on other boxes in my vest but not quite to the extent that I did on this one.
Does anyone else suffer from this particular mental illnes? By the way, I did not throw or give away the "culls" just yet. They are perfectly fishable and have done good service for me in the past. Let me know your thoughts!
Dougsden

[letumgo]

If you looked in my fly boxes, you would see that I tend to be on the other end of the spectrum. I have lots and lots of variations and only a few copies of each pattern. That is not necessarily a good thing, it is just an indication of the way I tye and fish. I like switching things up and experimenting. Then again, there are some patterns that I try to keep restocking because they work so well.

[RnF]

I would say I have some staple patterns that I always have in my boxes. Some just work good most of the time. If I didn't tie my own flies, I would no doubt use just a few main patterns. I would try some new ones from time to time, but why bother.

But for me, I tie quite a bit, and honestly, it gets old for me to tie 30,000 hare's soft hackles. (if I had to choose one pattern it would be that one). I have my fly boxes with my "good" flies, then I have my boxes/containers with all the rest of the crap I have tied up. I even have a grab bag full of 500+ random fly patterns for those just "in case" moments I have nothing else that works.

One thing I have noticed over the years though, is that the same pattern doesn't always work on a particular given river. I have had many flies kill one year and the next the fish won't even sniff at. So that is another reason I am always tying up new patterns, and tweaking existing ones. Fooling fish doesn't have to be so complicated, but I tend to make it so.. by choice of course.

[Roadkill]

I am a tyer whose vest is filled with the "more is more" philosophy when I go out to try and match the hatch especially in a new place. Like letumgo lots of those variations came from time on the water and fish can change preferences. If I have zeroed in on a hatch, I may fish multiple fly casts with some minor variations of the same bug and note many times the change in fishes' moods toward the fly with nothing more than a passing cloud's effect on tinsel preference in the tie.

I also try to let the fish cull my patterns rather than making the cut based on my preference. If i tie it and it isn't quite "picture perfect" it goes on the end of the row in the box as a sacrificial tie ment to push the limit of casting into harm's way in a difficult lie. I often know there has to be a fish in that brushpile across the river sweeping into the logs and I never mind putting one of those "culls" on before the other "better flies" in the box. And many time like LaFontaine said "Ugly is better".