Unproven

[Paul Arden]

Saltwater fish are generally less fussy. Clousers in various sizes, a crab pattern and a popper and you have most of it covered. The importance of fly pattern is definitely overrated. Putting the fly in the right place seems to be the most important thing, how it’s fished and presented. Whether the fly has two or three tails, a tag or no tag, tied with starling or soft hen hackle, really is of absolutely no consequence almost all of the time. How it swims is of course important.

In my experience the simpler and shaggier the fly the better.

Back to the topic, I don’t think anglers design flies, I think the fish do. By that I mean we tweak patterns over hundreds and sometimes thousands of fish. Those are the flies that work. It’s only when you’ve stopped tweaking them are they finished. I certainly have flies that I don’t think can be improved upon. But that doesn’t stop me trying

But I do think most of it is bollocks. Same with some casting. As a friend of mine once said (many times in fact!) “there are anglers and there are danglers”. I’m still not sure which he thought I was

I’m going to produce some fly tying videos. I need to rebuild my other boxes and this will give it a second purpose. I’ll definitely tie some flies using socks.

Incidentally I’ve solved my snakehead popper hook up problems (I believe). I’ve moved from 1 to 1/0. Who would have thought that would have made the difference? Amazing how much work I’ve done to try to find the solution. I think it’s the heavier hook.

Cheers, Paul

[Bendix]

Hi again.

Thanks for all your replies, and great points. But I think it’s getting off track with my original point.

What I was trying to say was, that I’m tired of the approach where people tie a new and “innovative” fly, and then posting pictures and videos all over the internet, and claiming that it’s the best fly in the world, before the varnish has even dried up…
My point is, how about actually going out and catch a fish or two on the fly, and prove that it actually works, before singing its praises, and claiming that it’s the best invention since sliced bread. I don’t think that’s too much to ask…

Cheers
Bendix

[Paul Arden]

That’s certainly very weird Bendix. Fortunately I don’t see those posts. Maybe they all want to be extraordinary fly tying geniuses

[whinging pom]

That’s certainly very weird Bendix. Fortunately I don’t see those posts. Maybe they all want to be extraordinary fly tying geniuses

Even before 'on line' was the go to source for new knowledge . 4 or 5 Magazines like Fly fishing and Fly Tying, etc here in the UK, would have these hacks, desperate for monthly copy, and inventing new 'Killer' patterns based on 'COD' entymology and run a few pages explaining its worth and there incredible wisdom.

I saw one of the hacks getting a good public dressing down about the practice by Oliver Edwards at BFFI one year, it was delicous!

Its part of the bullshit that surrounds this industry , that leads beginers and inexperienced anglers down dark allies to dead ends and too dissapointment. and then subsequently perpetuate the myths to the next lot starting on the journey.

Sadly we cant shoot the perpertrators or go back to the 14c at smash the printing presses. ( wouldnt that be lovely) But we can have a whinge!
pom

[Paul Arden]

My first fly box…

bewildering.jpeg (78.25 KiB) Viewed 150 times

There were 8 sides packed wall to wall

My current fly box…

IMG_7747.jpeg (121.73 KiB) Viewed 150 times

Out of which I fish two flies (because there are two species of fish here )

Fly fishing is a process of elimination!!!

Cheers, Paul

[Rickard]

There exist som variation there.

[Paul Arden]

Very nice! The variations are interesting. I often think we go fishing to develop flies. Constantly tweaking and sharpening our “toolbox”.

But I sometimes wonder if our flytying is like our handwriting/art work. Certainly my flies look like something I’ve scrawled across the paper. Messy and often indecipherable. It happens to be what I think the fish want, but the irony is not lost on me.

Cheers, Paul

[umm, Steve]

I read Yvon Chouinard’s “Simple Fly Fishing”. It inspired me to trim my fly boxes dramatically. For over a year I’ve fished with 6 patterns tied only with non-synthetic materials. I’ve had some of the best success since, which I attribute to thinking more about HOW to fish rather than what to fish.

Bringing this thought home to Bendix’s point: fish care more about action than colors, styles, or entomological accuracy. Fishermen seem to care about flash and voodoo. So there’s a ready market in fishermen for new flies that will solve their problems, and of course willing tiers to reach that market.

[Paul Arden]

Colour can be a trigger too. Mostly HOT colours are a bad idea. But sometimes they are a very good idea.

[Carol]

I’m going to produce some fly tying videos. ... I’ll definitely tie some flies using socks.
Cheers, Paul

I thought scenting flies was not kosher.