Importance of wings on dry flies?

[Stevie-B]

I have a copy of th "In the Ring of the Rise", and the conclusion that I drew from it was that the fish can see the wings but, based on the pictures submitted, it would be hard for the fish to pick them out as they float by. Think about it. How thick is a mayfly wing? Now put that leading edge of the wing against a light/dark background and the fish will not "think" to focus on whether or not this fly has wings. Besides, sometimes cripples get better results and the wings are not up.
Just my thoughts.

Steve

 

[sandfly]

here you are, scientific proof..

 

[troutbert]

Wings are pretty important on a Comparadun! Because there isn't any hackle. It's just tail, body, wing. And for selective trout, Comparaduns are very good.

And learn how to tie parachute dry flies. These are really good. Get someone to show you, because they aren't that easy to learn from a book.

On standard flies that are fully hackled, like the Adams, I don't think wings make much difference. I fished winglesss Adams and March Browns a lot and caught plenty of trout. But George Harvey said that the fly looks incomplete without the wing, and I agree. I Light Cahill without the lemon wood duck wing just isn't the same. This has to do with the craft and art of flytying, more than the fish catching ability.

But Comparaduns and Parachutes will outfish the standard fully hackled flies in most cases. Learn how to tie those.

 

[afishinado]

Troutbert wrote: “Comparaduns and Parachutes will outfish the standard fully hackled flies in most cases”

Yup – for me too. Though, the Catskill style tie has one advantage over the aforementioned ties, it’s easier to skitter or move on the surface. I do tie Catskill style flies in many patterns as well, for that reason.

For the most part, I believe that the hackle on top of the fly probably represents the wing to the fish anyway, but like Troubert said, for aesthetic reasons, I do tie wings on my Catskill type flies too.

 

[MKern]

I only tie parachutes for my boxes.

 

[sandfly]

Each type has it's place, in defence of the catskill style they are better in fast water, compara duns and parachutes work better in slower water, I carry all of them.

dang i just noticed the pic in my last post didnt turn out that great..have to redo it..

 

[troutbert]

sandfly wrote:
Each type has it's place, in defence of the catskill style they are better in fast water, compara duns and parachutes work better in slower water, I carry all of them.

dang i just noticed the pic in my last post didnt turn out that great..have to redo it..

I think the pic in the first post was more representative of what trout see: A fuzzy blur, with some vague shapes and spots. 🙂
Just kidding.

About Catskill flies. I still love them and use them. There are times they work better than other flies, and they sure look nice when tied by someone who's good. Someone other than me. Mine look scraggly. A nicely tied Light Cahill or Quill Gordon is a thing of beauty.

 

[sandfly]

some guy on here (plunbob) ties married wing carskill style drys..just works of art they are...of course he fishes with garden hackle..... :-D

 

[troutbert]

sandfly wrote:
some guy on here (plunbob) ties married wing carskill style drys..just works of art they are...of course he fishes with garden hackle..... :-D

Married wing DRY FLIES? Can you tell us any more about them? Is that a traditional Catskill tie? Got pictures?

 

[afishinado]

I'm guessing that Sandfly is refering to married duck quill slips used on classic catskill dry (and wet) flies. They look pretty when tied, but they are durable at all.

 

[sandfly]

more like this, thanks Plumbob for the fly..

 

[plumbob]

Sandfly, forgot you had one. I think that was the second or third one I ever tryed. Here's a little better one. My new one is at the begining of this thread.

 

[tabasco_joe]

Get some green in there and you will have a Christmas candy cane fly.

 

[beadhead2]

For everyone who does not know it plumbob won 1st place in an international fly tying contest with that fly (Fatal Attraction ) :lol: