FLYMPH FORUM

dd,

When I am planning a particular fishing outing I tie patterns that will generally imitate the expected hatches, or attractor patterns that I have had success with in the past. Most of these patterns will be pretty standard and well-known. I have more confidence fishing them and feel I will be using my fishing time most efficiently. If I have caught a satisfactory number of fish I will sometimes tie on a pattern of my own design and try it out.

Izaak wrote:dd,
If I have caught a satisfactory number of fish I will sometimes tie on a pattern of my own design and try it out.

Seems reasonable. Shame I rarely come to that point. But I remember one time when I sat for four hours, waiting for the fish to show, then caught two fish in two consecutive casts and was satisfied. I had another cup of coffee and watched the sun set behind a mountain far away. A friend picked me up eventually and we returned to the cabin. It was a very peaceful day I'll never forget.

dd

dd, I like this thread. The long answer is both...yada yada. The short answer is me trying to produce something that helps me resolve issues I had on the last outing. Sometimes expanding something that worked, but usually trying to find a solution to a particular species or water condition.

I'm right at 50/50. I create a lot of my own patterns but I also enjoy re-creating history by getting as close to classic patterns as I can. Part of the fun is collecting the materials to re-create those old patterns. I have waited a few years sometimes to get a certain material to be able to tie a certain pattern. I don't normally put a lot of effort into retaining a certain material as I know I could go looking and probably find whatever I needed. It is fun to see if it finds me along whatever road I'm on.

If fishing ended tomorrow, my vise and material would be in the dumpster tomorrow night. I did not take up tieing to save money. I took it up to tie patterns the way I want them to look. Rarely do I tie a pattern exactly the way the originator did. If the pattern fails I have only myself to blame.

Some store patterns have tails too long, or wing cases too narrow etc... I could have kept on complaining about them or tie flies myself. I chose to tie. I have fun tieing them, but first and foremost the patterns that come out of my vise must produce fish. I tie as fast as I can and still be some what effecient. That being said, I am still not as efficient or as fast as most tiers on this forum. Photographs do not lie.

I suppose I create by taking ideas from other tiers patterns.

I just remembered something. There is a category of fly patterns that I tie which are not meant for the trout. Upon each one of my granchildrens first haircut,a lock
of hair is saved for me. I then use the babies hair to create a fly just for that child. The flies are given back to the parents and are then placed in the childs baby book.

Depends what I'm drinking at the time. if its Tullamore Dew, or a good New Zealand Pinot Noir or a Californian Zinfandel I create. If its coffee or herbal tea, I recreate....

hankaye wrote:dd, Howdy;

I do things best when there is a deadline. Most of my tying
has been done when I'm involved in a swap.
Lately, I've become interested in the smaller flies.
Just finished reading "TyingSmallFlies" by Ed Engle.
Got truly interested this past Sept. when I went fishin'
with DUBBN. Then at the San Juan the bitty flies
were also the fly de Jour. Gotta admitt when you can
glue 2 32's on the head of a pin that alone takes some skill ,
I don't expect to go that small, 22 or 24 might be nice.

hank

Tying small flies is something I did a few years ago.Size 30 and 32's and I have used them on the Davidson River in NC. Those trout are attracted to red and I tied several different patterns. Now, I have not caught anything on them yet but I have had them taken. That was a thrill in it's self. I have also given many away just the heck of it. The look on someones face when you hand them a 30 or 32 is priceless.