Dry fly wings

[jeremymcon]

OldLefty wrote:
Sorry, must be to large of a file and I don't know how to size to fit.

No problem. I was hoping maybe you'd upload a picture of a dry fly with a post wing like I described. Resizing images can be tricky. I'll have to try that anyway and see how it looks.

 

[PAgeologist]

I struggle with sizing my wings also using duck and deer hair. I found that for most flies, tying with poly, keeping the wings long, and trimming to size is the easiest method. Getting the splits right is hard for me as well. I strip alot of flies back off the hooks before they hit the fly box becasue I am not happy with the finished product.

 

[jeremymcon]

Gave it another shot this morning. I actually found some bronze mallard feathers in my tying stuff! Not really sure what I would have bought them for - maybe tails on nymphs or something. So these two are tied with that. I think I'm getting closer. The one on the right in this picture needs more fibers in the wing - it kind of got lost in the hackle. Left one is getting closer.

I was also reading about thorax style dry flies, and apparently it is standard for that style of fly to just have a single wing - usually made from a turkey flat (whatever that is). So I feel a little better about my single poly wings on these sulfurs:

 

[McSneek]

Fish catchers for sure. On the March Browns I would still try to move the wing forward just a tad and maybe add one more wrap of hackle in front. try to make the heads a little smaller.

The single poly wings should work OK. When I tie thorax stye flies (mostly sulphurs) I follow the instructions in "Fly Tiers Benchside Reference" for wrapping a single hackle thorax style.

Randall Kaufman's "Tying Dry Flies" is another great reference and instruction book.

 

[dryflyguy]

The march brown on the left looks pretty good to me!

Turkey flats are the breast feathers from farm raised turkeys - they're naturally white in color, then dyed many different colors for specific needs. And , yes, they're usually used for clump style wings on thorax patterns. However, they can be used for divided wings too

 

[djs12354]

OldLefty wrote:
Dry Fly wings:
(I hope this uploads

Posting for Mr. Rothrock

 

[OldLefty]

O.K., I'm trying to upload the photo again. Thanks to djs12354 for resizing.

This is an alternative wing for dries.

 

[OldLefty]

Another failed attempt...

 

[djs12354]

Dave

I sobered up and re-read your email. ( On a a weekend getaway with Joy for our anniversary) Pic posted for me as you can see above.

Glad to help.

 

[jeremymcon]

Interesting. So that's some kind of feather cut or burned into the shape of a mayfly wing and tied in by the stem. And just a single wing, right? What is the feather from?

 

[FrequentTyer]

shortrod2 wrote:

jeremymcon wrote:
How important are a dry fly's wings to catching fish, anyway? They're definitely aesthetically pleasing when tied right, but they're a little tricky to tie.

Datus Proper, suggests that the hackle-fly design (catskill without wings) is usually very effective.

Thanks for bringing this up Shortrod2. That book has to be the best I've read on flyfishing for trout. Datus Proper wrote beautifully and clearly in a unbiased fashion about the design of flies. He does write that under certain conditions the no hackle fly can be effective, but also makes the point that many times switching to a winged fly makes the difference, especially with dark winged duns. He goes a step further though, and I think this really shows his brilliance, to point out that there is no such thing as a wingless dry because there is always going to be something protruding above the plane of the hook (ie hackle). This point is my own extrapolation of what Proper wrote: on a light winged dun, adding a wing could theoretically present a less natural profile!
Jack's comment about confidence should be the tyers first lesson. I wing most of my dries, but I do it because I like doing it (it gets easy after the first 100 dozen) and I have confidence in my flies. I imagine the trout sees the fly in a certain way and base my designs on that imagined theory. However, I don't presume to know what's going on in the head of a fish.
Mike.

 

[blueheron]

The logic that I've come to believe about winged dries regardless of material relates to the cone of vision of a trout and the presumption that the first thing entering the field of vision is the wing on a dun and the reason I make mine a bit taller than suggested in many manuals. The other factor is how the wing affects the cast, the stiffer materials present resistance and sometimes corkscrew your leader. I love a woodduck wing for appropriate mayflies but my second choice is the tips of dun colored hen back feathers, they fold back enough in the air to allow for a better presentation.

 

[OldLefty]

The wings on the Sulphur dun are hen back feathers cut to shape with a scissors. When using the natural barbules for the leading edge of the wing the stem is angled back. This has the wing pushed back on the cast and the wing doesn't cause a twist in a leader tippet. I fish #18 dries on 7x and don't have a problem.

 

[1hook]

I use this standard to get the location for my wings... Start your thread at the eye, wrap half way down the shank and then wrap half way back up.

After you tie in lift your wing up with your fingers and see where it will set once up righted. You may find you have wondered a little from your original tie in point. If so make the correction.

Always always take your time and go back if needed. I find proportions are one of the hardest things to master when tying flys. Nothing I hate more than tying a fly, looking it over and not liking the way something looks...wing too long ,tail to short ECt

 

[lv2nymph]

I'm the same way, I keep a check on proportions as I'm tying if something looks a little off kilter I back up and do it again. My thinking is if you're tying say a size 14 and the tail and wings are just a touch too big then really you're tying a 12 on a 14 hook. I like my ties whether it's dries or nymphs or whatever to be size related to what I'm tying it on. So when I lay out in a line five different sizes of flies I need them to be and look like five different sizes of flies. Maybe that's being too anal but I can't help it, if I don't like the looks of a fly after tying it it never makes it out of the vise. I strip it and start again.

 

[1hook]

Lol I'm the same way... I hate myself for it but can't help it. If its not up to my standards when done i take a blade to it! I would make a terrible production tyer