FLYMPH FORUM

Another tie, just the herl and starling, no tinsel. I lashed a short piece of yarn on top of the middle of the shank., just to bulk up the fly. Next time I'll use a smaller feather.

Hook: 14 Daiichi 1530
Thread: Pearsall's claret
Hackle: Starling
Underbody: yarn
Body: 3 strands bronze peacock herl

Very nice plump looking fly Lance.

I see from the older flies in the other photographs where your inspiration is coming from. You are doing some fine work in representing them in your new ties.

Thanks Jeff. Your herl was what got me rolling on these beetles.
It is such a simple fly to put together, but still challenging to get all the nuances just right.
Lance

Juicy looking beetle! Lovely fly.

Wayne - Thanks for the comment about the yarn underbody. That makes perfect sense. I can't believe I never tried that. (that sound you hear is me smacking my forehead...DOH).

Lance, I cannot take all the credit, Im just the guy who sends the moulted tail feathers around the world!
The bird belongs to and is cared for by my parents, I just reap the reward and I am glad some others can share in the bounty.

You are doing a great job with the nuisance ironing out, but believe me- fish are not as picky as forum photographs, they don't mind the odd nuisance. Many of my herl fies look a bit odd but they still take fish.

Dubbn,
I neglected to thank you for the yarn suggestion. Worked great!

I can't believe I'm just seeing this. What a brilliant thread.

Lance, thanks so much for sharing your flies and the flies from the wallet. I love seeing the experimental flies and all the variations. To me they acknowledge the creativity of the tier giving the theories and writing more credibility and deeper meaning. They demonstrate an ever curious nature and I would not expect anything less.

Many of the flies you've posted in past months do have a vintage quality and I too say that as a sincere compliment. For me, it is in the traditional construction and the head shape, but besides that, your hackle length is often equal to that found not only in the wallet, but also in so many of the older books. My hackle length varies, but typically it has been shorter. I realize there is not a correct length, but I look at flies in Pritts plates, where the hackle to extends further back and I still go to the vise and try to keep my hackles closer to the shank length. I can't say why. Old books are another reason I get that vintage vibe from your posts. In modern lit and online we are typically seeing pics of flies elevated where the hackle remains distributed around the shank, but most of the old pics from books (tie2fish old, not letumgo old ) and images of flies in wallets document flies placed flat similar to your own. Your photography is remarkable and makes seeing your flies very enjoyable.

Thanks again for sharing these. And kudos to Mm for making it possible.

w

Lance ~ That last photograph is astounding ... the clarity and sharpness are simply amazing and the colors are absolutely true.

Very nice thread Lance. Thos flies are cool! I really like the pics of the fly wallet. I can't believe the colour and sheen on that peacock after all this time.


Vicki

Tie2fish, that last "photo" was actually a scan, 1200 dpi, cleaned up in Photoshop. The Pete Hidy flies from the wallet are also scans. The rest are done with an SLR (Canon 5D) on a tripod.

Jeff, Ray, Vicki, and William, thanks for your comments. William, your thoughts are especially interesting. The "Vintage Vibe" is not something that I am consciously trying for, but I suppose it is inevitable while I am immersing myself in the Leisenring and Hidy material for the book.

I also have to say, once more, how grateful I am for all the tutoring, and other information-sharing that happens every day here. I feel like I am in fly-tying grad school, with some of the best professors in the world. I am just having trouble finding the time to do my homework, the same problem MY students are always telling me about.