First Hare's ear

[gfen]

surveyor06 wrote:
Take the classic catskill fly. Theres alot that can go wrong when tying: wings too long, body out of proportion, too much hackle, too long a tail, etc. Now take a comparadun, simple pattern, less for the fish can refuse.

I can't stop praising thing thing enough:
http://www.flyguysoutfitting.com/usual.html

Change the size, fur colour and silk colour and have anything and everything at your disposal. Floats like a cork, takes to Gink like..something that really likes something.

 

[jayL]

gfen wrote:
like..something that really likes something.

Gary to superfluous "u"s.

I'll be here all week.

 

[gfen]

jayL wrote:
I'll be here all week.

 

[surveyor06]

Thats a pretty cool pattern. I may have to give that a try. Does the color of thread dictate the color of the fly. In other words, if i want to tie a sulphur, would I use sulphur colored thread, olive thread for a bwo?

 

[gfen]

Actually, the one you see up there was Fran Betters' sulphur, which is what started them.

I tied them with the orange and some with yellow, the orange seemed to work better, but then that may be chance.

 

[jayL]

Andy,

The orange thread works pretty damn well for sulphurs. You could try yellow, but might find that the orange works as well, if not better. I don't know.

 

[surveyor06]

I have some orange floss at home, might try some using that. I alos have some in green for bwo. Just need to pick up a snowshoe rabbit foot.

 

[gfen]

Well, considering the sulphurs are over, I wouldn't sweat the orange.

I routinely use bright (caddis) green, orange, tan, and black. I vary the rabbit I use between blonde, brown, and "light dun."

I've also tied them without tails and just a basic hareline dubbed body and called 'em "caddis," and the fish are just as happy for that.

Its one of those stupid easy patterns, there's just no way to do it wrong.

Its for this fly I want a good wax to touch dub the body, as it is I usually rub my fingers over the wax and then dub the thread that way...I don't get teh same nice, translucent body in the pictured one, but it works.

 

[surveyor06]

Gfen

I dont use wax to dub, never needed it. Ive been tying all kinds of patterns, including sulphurs, trying to fill up my fly boxes, and learn some new patterns.

 

[tomgamber]

If you are doing a hare's ear and making a loop and spinning it you shouldn't need wax. I don't use it any more for dubbing on a single thread either but when I started, I found it helpful. As I did it more I found it unnecessary. I would keep the wing case but I would use the pheasant tail. otherwise it look great for the first time.

 

[gfen]

surveyor06 wrote:
I dont use wax to dub, never needed it. Ive been tying all kinds of patterns, including sulphurs, trying to fill up my fly boxes, and learn some new patterns.

You will if you plan to tie Usuals. They require touch dubbing for the body.

 

[bam]

unless I'm tying a really sparse wet fly where I want thread to show through wax is unnecessary and slows me down. Same with dubbing loops. They're fun, but usually impractical if you value your time.

 

[surveyor06]

I think gfen is right on this one. Since you want the thread to show through, i think the wax is going to be necessary. I may try a variation. Just use the rabbit hair for the wing, and dub the body. Use some antron for a shuck.

 

[gfen]

At that point, you're tying a rabbit hair comparadun, which is fine. I guess the comparadun's roots are effectively the Usual (or, the Haystack, where the Usual comes from).

You can twist rabbit hair around thread, but its not easy. The longer stuff from the toes'll work better, but a little wax goes a long way. Even just slipping your finger tips over the wax can make a difference.

Try chapstick, although if you're buying rabbit feet, a tube of even the crappy Waspi wax is only like $3 more.

 

[jayL]

I almost never use wax, but it's pretty much required for the usual. Snowshoe is a PITA.

 

[surveyor06]

I'll pick some up. doesnt hurt to have some laying around, plus I dont want my flies to smell like cherry chap stick.

 

[gfen]

Either that or a toilet seat gasket, which I forgot about 'til now.

I'm told that stuff is super sticky, and you can melt it and mix it with something to make something approaching Overton's Wonder Wax, which is supposed to be the bee's knees.

Maybe I'll undertake said project.

Or, I'll buy some int wo weeks at the show?

...

Toilet seat it is!

 

[SBecker]

Heard even fish can not resist bacon...

 

[jdaddy]

But if it is in slower water and a fish has a good look at it I would think those kind of things matter. Agree or no?

Why are you nymphing slow water?

I agree with Alpa, he shared that with me earlier this year and worked very well on local small limestoners. I like copper bead and wire.

TCO's branded sulpher dubbing is an awesome orangish color and they significantly outfished yellow sulphur patterns this Spring and Summer on the Manny and Tully.

 

[SBecker]

jdaddy wrote:

But if it is in slower water and a fish has a good look at it I would think those kind of things matter. Agree or no?

Why are you nymphing slow water?

I agree with Alpa, he shared that with me earlier this year and worked very well on local small limestoners. I like copper bead and wire.

TCO's branded sulpher dubbing is an awesome orangish color and they significantly outfished yellow sulphur patterns this Spring and Summer on the Manny and Tully.

I was talking about a fast run into a pool, thats the slow water i am talking about. Not talking about a damn lake lol