4-14 through 4-19 opinions please

[Kelly L.]

[Kelly L.]

[Kelly L.]

[DUBBN]

Whats not to like? You do very good work Kelly.

[Kelly L.]

Thank you. I know some have big heads, some have tiny ones. Mainly I was just PLAYING around. I was mainly trying to practice tying hackle through the thorax. I think I have a handle on that now. I did not follow any recipes. I am sure some of these are close enough to another pattern to be called that. I used my own mixed dubbing. But most of the hackles are all different.

[Mataura mayfly]

You had me baffled there for a second..... you Americans and your backward written dates!

All very nice ties and slight variations on each other, so hard to pick any one fly as tops. But I like the colour in 4 and 5 and really like that last one.
Take 'em all out and fish them. Let those with gills be your judge!

[William Anderson]

Kelly, there is a lot to like here. For every pattern shown you'll find someone who finds each element of these to demonstrate exactly what they like to see. Nice work. The hackles tend to be a little on the full side. I wonder if you're wrapping the hackles back 3, 4-5 turns without stripping one side. Some people prefer the fuller hackle, but you can get a more sparse effect by stripping one side. Even if you're going for a very full overall build, you might try it both ways just to broaden your options. Just a suggestion. These are very nicely done.

w

[Kelly L.]

LOL....okay April 14th-April 19th. The ones you liked were helpful, thank you. That last one had Greenwell hen for the hackle. The March Brown looking ones had Brahma hen...one had cape feathers, the other saddle. I think it was called Golden Brown. I could be wrong about that. Somebody said in the last thread, when I was trying to do these, that they wanted to see more. Well, here is MORE...lol. Most of these flies used silk. But the dun colored head was dark dun Benecchi thread. The yellow ones were also Benecchi thread. I just mixed dubbing up on the fly, playing with materials, and dubbing...while still trying to maintain my theme.

William, I was not stripping one side of the hackle. I was going for a more full look. I will try it the other way too. I tried to space the hackle out more, but still use both sides of the hackle, and I didn't like that as much. These were just test runs. I have very little experience with this. But I think they are improving. I have decided that HENS are the way to go with this. I tried sharptail grouse, and quail...I did not like them nearly as much. I love the colors, but they just did not look right for thoraxed type flymphs. (to me) The hens were much easier to work with. On a spider pattern, the other I mentioned would be fine.

[chase creek]

Really like that last one. Guess I'm a just a heavy hackle type of guy. But If needed, I also strip one side for that "sparsey" look. Sometimes, instead of stripping one side, I will trim that side as close to the shaft as I can. When you strip the hackle, sometimes (well, a lot) of times it takes some of the shaft with it, weakening the shaft. If you trim the barbs, you're left with a stronger intact shaft. This works pretty good with delicate hackle. It takes a steady hand to trim the barbs real close to the shaft. Just stripping one side is faster and easier.
All these ties are definitely fish getters.

[Kelly L.]

Thank you Chase Creek. I am gonna try that right now.