FLYMPH FORUM

I have a couple of comments that might be relevent.

It needs to work, and aside from that, it should not be obtrusive. It might not be of importance to the fish, but a nasty one might be.

I've come a long way with heads in the past couple of years. I just didn't know any better, and that reflects my skills throughout the construction of the fly. In other words, the eye is a visible reflection of the care and ability applied to the remainder of the fly construction, seen or unseen. I know my tying improved by leaps when I started being very particular about where I started the tie-in, and how many wraps for this or that, and flattening the thread...etc. Watching you guys describe your methods over the past couple of years has been the greatest influence on my tying and certainly expanded my enjoyment. The eye just reflects the attention to detail in the entire fly, and especially on a spider where there just isn't a lot to critique.

look at this from IBF Swap #1 in 2006. It's neat, but to me it's embarrassingly large.


This is what I aim for. Sometimes I get it, sometimes not. 2008.


I haven't used cement in a couple of years either, since I went from a piled up, double 4-wrap whip finish, to a clean 4 turn whip finish. I have never had a fly come undone...on the front end.

w

william,

I have often been amazed and envious when I have had the opportunity to see your progress in fly tying. william - the progressive fly tyer!!!!!!!!!

dd

Wow, dd, , I'll agree my tying is better, but you're much too kind. Wait until you see my hair-hackle fly from the IBF Swap 11, you'll have to take it back.

Thank you.

What I try to achieve with the head depends entirely on the fly. I tend to go for as small as possible on most dry flies, and large on streamers that I intend to paint eyes on.

On flies relevant to this forum, I'm split. On something that has a herl head, the head seems to make a difference. Although I can't rule out the confidence factor, I seem to catch more fish on a Spanish Needle than on a Starling & Crimson (essentially the same fly without the herl head.) On some flies, I'll deliberately build up a large thread head -- the sulfur emerger that I use falls into this category. OTOH, on a
partridge & orange it's one half hatch and a three turn whip finish.

Bob,

What I try to achieve with the head depends entirely on the fly.

I do concur.

If I feel the head to serve a purpose, I will shape it the way I want - either in thread (like the Bleeding Coyote at the start of the thread) or using another material.

By and large, though, I do not consider the head to serve a distinctive purpose other than to neatly finish the fly - in which case I aim for the minimalist result.

Cheers,
Hans W

I like to tie my flies with a small neat head. I'm from the school of thought that a clean neat head will help finish of the fly. The fish don't care, but as a tier I do. A neat clean head on a fly says I'm well tied.






carlp

Carl,
Could We please have a recipe for that last fly.
I'm pretty sure the thorax is peacock herl, but not certain. The tail and wing case are my main question.
That is a very striking fly.
Thank you ,

Kirk

Kirk,

If you follow the second link in Carl's .sig (the Danica url) you will find the recipe details of the nymph, and some other Carl flies.

Cheers,
Hans W

Hans,
I saw the Holo pt, just didn't know if the materials were the same. I really like the peacock on Carl's thorax, and was looking for more info.

Kirk

Kirk,

Mea culpa. I should have checked first - the Black/Red PT is one of the update set Carl sent me. I have yet to add them to the page... duh.

Here is what Carl provided for the pattern:

Black/Red Phesant tail
Hook: TMC 9300 size 16
Thread: Red 8/0
Bead: n/a
Tail: Black Pheasant tail
Ribbing: x-small red wire
Abdoman: Black Pheasant tail
Thorax: Peacock Herl
wing case Butt ends of abdomen, black PT
Legs: Butt ends of abdomen, black PT
Wing: Flashback

Cheers,
Hans W