Hair or Hackle
- Thread starter sundrunk
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David
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I agree...some of each. Start fishing with the one you like (or can see) better...then change if the fish tell you they don't want that one.
If you like hackles...(tying and fishing)...tie more of those. If you always start fishing with those, you will be more confident in it... but you'll likely lose more of them in fish or snags too!
If you like hackles...(tying and fishing)...tie more of those. If you always start fishing with those, you will be more confident in it... but you'll likely lose more of them in fish or snags too!
mediclimber
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- Nov 24, 2006
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- 193
Yeah, deer and elk hair are a PITA to work with, but whe the fish demand it, you gotta give in and fish it so you miiight as well tie it. I carry lots of the old Catskill patterns, comparadums and parachutes just so I have what they are interested in at the time. They can be rather finiky little buggers. I think that's part of the fun for me in fly fishing, knowing I have whtever they are hitting on. If not, I'll run, well walk fast, back to the Blazer and tie up something different. If it's smaller than an 18, I better already have it since the old eyeballs don't like doing 20's or smaller without help.
FishTank
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- Mar 11, 2008
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I've gotten away from hackle unless it is palmered on a high riding elk hair.
My box has either comparaduns or CDC tied on pupal hooks with a poly trailing shuck with some pearl angel hair mixed in with the poly.
I primarily fish the lackawanna, and history has taught me that the biggest surface feeding browns on that river, 16"-20", sit on the micro currents in the real smooth glassy water, often on the edge of a shelf of embedded rocks. So the cast often has to land exactly on the seem or it gets sucked into the eddy water.
It may seem tangental to this topic, however I have witnessed these fish sitting less than 6" under this glass water, comitting to the surface, before the natural ever gets into its window. I know the bug is outside its window cause the fish will have its beak out of the water, disturbing the film well before the fly can enter that area where the whole fly can be viewed from that vantage point.{this is why I cast downstream, so I can peg the micro currents with out disturbing the film}
Now, if I undeniably see the trout take a high riding dun, feeding in this manner, I use a comparadun in the proper body color for the season, and always with a trailing shuck as explained earlier. I like the comparadun cause it is heavier and depresses the film more than standard hackle. Unless I see the bug above the surface, I go with CDC tied straight out from the eye of the hook, over a dubbed body, with the trailing shuck pointing straight down, all on a caddis bend hook. When the fly is on the surface, the only thing the fish can possibly see is a bit of the body, and the glowing shuck due to the angel hair strands, and the distortion the CDC creates pressing on the film.
The fish in my avatar was taken on a size #18 BWO tied in the manner explained, over a fish feeding in exactly that type of water.
I will sometimes use CDC to post a parachute, but that is usually just cause I wish to play at the vice.
Just my $.02
My box has either comparaduns or CDC tied on pupal hooks with a poly trailing shuck with some pearl angel hair mixed in with the poly.
I primarily fish the lackawanna, and history has taught me that the biggest surface feeding browns on that river, 16"-20", sit on the micro currents in the real smooth glassy water, often on the edge of a shelf of embedded rocks. So the cast often has to land exactly on the seem or it gets sucked into the eddy water.
It may seem tangental to this topic, however I have witnessed these fish sitting less than 6" under this glass water, comitting to the surface, before the natural ever gets into its window. I know the bug is outside its window cause the fish will have its beak out of the water, disturbing the film well before the fly can enter that area where the whole fly can be viewed from that vantage point.{this is why I cast downstream, so I can peg the micro currents with out disturbing the film}
Now, if I undeniably see the trout take a high riding dun, feeding in this manner, I use a comparadun in the proper body color for the season, and always with a trailing shuck as explained earlier. I like the comparadun cause it is heavier and depresses the film more than standard hackle. Unless I see the bug above the surface, I go with CDC tied straight out from the eye of the hook, over a dubbed body, with the trailing shuck pointing straight down, all on a caddis bend hook. When the fly is on the surface, the only thing the fish can possibly see is a bit of the body, and the glowing shuck due to the angel hair strands, and the distortion the CDC creates pressing on the film.
The fish in my avatar was taken on a size #18 BWO tied in the manner explained, over a fish feeding in exactly that type of water.
I will sometimes use CDC to post a parachute, but that is usually just cause I wish to play at the vice.
Just my $.02
sundrunk
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I bought a couple quill bodied CDC flies a few years back. They were Hendricksons and I seem to rememeber the pattern performing fairly well. For whatever reason I just never got around to tying with CDC. I too carry a good mix of patterns for the hatch. Can anyone recommend a good source for CDC materails? Are you clumping bunches of it up to create the right density?
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Here's another article about CDC:
http://www.danica.com/flytier/articles/cdc_types/cdc_types.htm
I started tying pattern with CDC wings using the type 1 & 4 in a loop. I'll use a "trailing shuck" type tail on a curved caddis hook, typical body colored dubbing and then tie in the butt end of the CDC as if tying in a wing case, then loop the CDC forward toward the eye and lash down. Very quick tie, sits low in the water, floats well and remains fairly visible. It pays to blow on it really hard if it starts to sink too low and then eventually you need to blot it on an absorbent cloth or shirt sleeve, particularly if you catch a fish. Or, if you have several of each size/type, just rotate them, giving the used ones some time to dry out a bit.
Here's a picture from the NET to demonstrate more or less what I mean:
http://www.danica.com/flytier/articles/cdc_types/cdc_types.htm
I started tying pattern with CDC wings using the type 1 & 4 in a loop. I'll use a "trailing shuck" type tail on a curved caddis hook, typical body colored dubbing and then tie in the butt end of the CDC as if tying in a wing case, then loop the CDC forward toward the eye and lash down. Very quick tie, sits low in the water, floats well and remains fairly visible. It pays to blow on it really hard if it starts to sink too low and then eventually you need to blot it on an absorbent cloth or shirt sleeve, particularly if you catch a fish. Or, if you have several of each size/type, just rotate them, giving the used ones some time to dry out a bit.
Here's a picture from the NET to demonstrate more or less what I mean:
I use very little hackle anymore. I think I have one pattern in my trout box that uses hackle and I combine it with snowshoe and CDC. I use CDC, for bodies and wings. Snowshoe rabbit for wings and some dubbing material and a bit of deer hair for wings.
Here's a pattern I do where the body and wing is CDC.
http://www.danica.com/flytier/jcaruso/wissahickon_midge.htm
Here's a pattern I do where the body and wing is CDC.
http://www.danica.com/flytier/jcaruso/wissahickon_midge.htm
sundrunk
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Frogs Fanny lasts forever and floats the fly so well.
Last year I picked up a little bottle from the then Cold Spring Angler.
After tying drop a little on the fly and rub it in. In a short time it suds right up. By the next morning its dry. Except peacock herl; Frogs Fanny tends to break down the fibers of Herl, perfect for everything else.
Last year I picked up a little bottle from the then Cold Spring Angler.
After tying drop a little on the fly and rub it in. In a short time it suds right up. By the next morning its dry. Except peacock herl; Frogs Fanny tends to break down the fibers of Herl, perfect for everything else.
Mkern:
It will float for a couple of fish, and if it's not slimmed too much a couple of false casts or drying it in my shirt will fluff it up and I can continue to use it.
If it's too badly slimmed I just drop it in the bottle of Frog Fannie or whatever drying powder I carry with me and let it sit and tie on another one. By accident, I found out it can be very effective as subsurface pattern, particularly where black flies are present.
It will float for a couple of fish, and if it's not slimmed too much a couple of false casts or drying it in my shirt will fluff it up and I can continue to use it.
If it's too badly slimmed I just drop it in the bottle of Frog Fannie or whatever drying powder I carry with me and let it sit and tie on another one. By accident, I found out it can be very effective as subsurface pattern, particularly where black flies are present.
