Modern Flies

[JohnPowers]

I recently read a little article in The American Angler. Interview with six Delaware guides. Not one of them referenced a Catskill style fly. I love to tie them, have more than a few primo necks. Looks like it's quill bodies and CDC and Comparaduns in the here and now. I'm only 69 so I can change. So what's the thought on this. Am I the last to get the word on the passing of the Classic Catskill Fly?

 

[Swattie87]

I think the theory is Chutes/CDC/Comparaduns/etc all look more natural than Catskills in most situations. Granted, that doesn't always translate into more fish taking the fly though.

Catskills still have their place IMO. Catskills float much better than any of the above thanks to the hackle, and are good for heavier, faster water where it's tough to keep some of those others on the surface. In those conditions fish don't get near as good of a look at the fly and something that's reasonable, but not necessarily perfect in presentation, but floats well (i.e. a Catskill) often is a good choice. Essentially in that situation you're trading how natural the fly looks for some increased level of flotation.

In the end, a mix of the above for different conditions is probably advisable in the "well stocked" fly box.

If you like tying em' and fishing em', and have the materials on hand to tie them, tie and fish away I say.

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

You are not alone.
I'm a huge fan of Catskills dry flies. Often I throw them first, if I get refusals I will trim the underneath hackle down, if I still get refusals then I size down, if I still get refusals then I use a compradun or something else.
95% of the time this series of events will take a picky rising fish, provided it is easy to discern what natural it's taking.

If all that fails I throw a big streamer and take the fish. Most of the time I just throw a big streamer to begin with :lol:

 

[moon1284]

Just a thought here...

For me, its a lot faster to tie a sparkle dun than a catskill style dry. 95% of my fishing on the U Del is using a variation of a sparkle dun, just changing colors or using quill bodies instead of dubbed bodies. If I was a guide I would not spend too much time tying Catskill patterns when I knew I could tie something faster that would work as good.

I think that fly pattern is much less important than most people think, even on a system that has a tough reputation like the U Del.

When I went to Henry's Fork and fished the ranch a couple years back, the first thing I tied on was a size 18 yellow sparkle dun that is my go to on the U Del and I was into fish.

 

[kobalt335]

I have a bunch of traditional flies and I do enjoy tying them. However for me it is easier to tie some form of a deer hair emerger. They also float like a cork and are easy to see in faster water.

 

[foxtrapper1972]

I take more fish on Catskill style dries than any of my other mayflie ties. Traditional Adams is one of my favorite flies. And although I've heard of using all sorts of emergers etc for the Sulfur hatch I have my own Catskill style Sulfur that is my go to fly. The exception for me is the size 18 on down Olives and I often go straight CDC on them. One thing I sometimes will do is trim the hackle to get them lower on the water if I feel the need. i love the way they look in my box and on the water and I enjoy tying them. I was surprised how popular the sparkle dun style is on the Delaware. And it does work for sure.

 

[tomitrout]

It's a tough business, gotta market the latest and greatest don'tchya know.

 

[PennKev]

tomitrout wrote:
It's a tough business, gotta market the latest and greatest don'tchya know.

Parachutes, CDC, and comparaduns have been around for decades.

So what's the "latest and greatest?"

 

[tomitrout]

heh, yeah. well, guess it's easier to sell a 40+yr old design with some synthetics and whatnot (foam!) mixed in than something that's a century plus when your target market hasn't been around long enough to know better...my first edition of Hatches with the comparadun recipes is dated 1975. Catskills, those are so 19th century...perspectives I guess.

 

[Dave_W]

JohnPowers wrote:
I recently read a little article in The American Angler. Interview with six Delaware guides. Not one of them referenced a Catskill style fly. I love to tie them, have more than a few primo necks. Looks like it's quill bodies and CDC and Comparaduns in the here and now. I'm only 69 so I can change. So what's the thought on this. Am I the last to get the word on the passing of the Classic Catskill Fly?

I think there's some bias toward latest gear and methods on the part of many fishing guides (not all).

By all means stick with traditional Catskill dries as they catch fish, as others have mentioned.

Although I'm not a guide, could care less about the latest greatest fly rod, as well as being skeptical of many of the new fads in FFing. . . . strangely enough, I tend to like a lot of the "newer" fly patterns. This stems from my interest in experimenting with fly design and trying new things. I don't carry a lot of Catskill flies.

Again, it's a matter of personal taste and interest.

 

[geebee]

i read that article - i think they were saying what made a difference on tough days, rather than what you can catch on.

when i went up i caught on the mink nymph.

 

[dryflyguy]

I still use only catskill type flies, and can honestly say that they work fine for me - even on the Delaware River.
Maybe part of the reason is because they seem to have fallen out of favor with most people lately - and I'm showing the fish something different.
Whatever the reason for my success though, I would recommend tying and using them.

 

[afishinado]

I believe a big part of why most anglers and tyers shy away from catskill tied flies is cost. A quality dry fly neck costs quite a bit and is a real expense if one bought a top grade neck of size and color to match each traditional pattern.

I tie and fish some catskill type flies, but mostly fish parachutes and comparadun ties, especially on the Delaware.

If one gets pleasure out of fishing traditional tied flies and a boo rod...more power to him. The idea after all is to have fun fly-fishing, whatever or however you choose to fish.

 

[McSneek]

When I was new to tying I tied a lot of Catskill flies and carry plenty of them. They don't get used that much. I've often modified them when I do use them by trimming the bottom hackle off to make them float flush to the surface.

I tie a lot of cdc thorax duns so not sure where that fits - I'm using the trendy cdc but still wrapping a sparse hackle before and after the wing. I then trim the bottom of the hackle to a "V."

I also like a standard deer hair comparadun.

 

[Bamboozle]

Fly fishing is full of stories of flies and theories why those the author spurns aren't as effective.

Most of the theories have some validity in the mind of the believers until the next theory comes along, or that pesky guy who refuses to listen out-fishes the theoretician using a Parmachene Belle.

Since I have tried every fly-de-a that has come along with a level of success, I chalk up the necessity of "new" dry-fly theories as an excuse for inadequacies in technique.

It always amazes me that a trout's IQ magically goes up 150 points when it is feeding on the surface, but the same fish becomes a moron when it decides to feed below the surface and takes my Bead Head Prince Nymph.

Go figure...

 

[JohnPowers]

I disagree with the guides motivations. I look at the guide as the ultimate capitalist at his best. I don't get people into fish, I don't get returns and referrals I'm back in the bluestone quarry. I just found it interesting that six guides, not one Catskill tie.

 

[krayfish2]

John,

Not surprising at all to me. The traditional patterns were developed on the Neversink, Beaverkill and Esopus where heavy riffs / pocket water is common place. The style of tie was needed to keep the bug afloat. Look at patterns developed on the Letort or Henry's Fork....thorax / flush riding patterns. Flatter water was the reason for a more minimalist style of fly.

There's nothing prettier than a traditional Catskill tie. I'll guess that I've got over a thousand flies and probably have less than a dozen traditionally hackled flies. CDC, thorax ties, emergers make up most of my stuff. I DO believe that they provide a more accurate silhouette. I don't have any statistical data to back up that sparsely hackled flies catch more fish than traditional Catskill ties, but I do have confidence in what I use. Use Catskill ties if you like them. Lots of people do with great success.

 

[Chaz]

I use some of the modern stuff, but there's nothing as good as meeting a hatch of Hendricksons in late April on Pine Creek and slamming them on a catskill tie.

 

[JohnPowers]

Hendrickson to be sure. When that long pool below the lower SGL on the WB is rising to hendricksons the comparadun, Catskill red quill and dark hendricksons are the ticket.

 

[krayfish2]

John,
I'd also suspect that the popularity with guides is because they're faster, easier, cheaper to tie modern flies then it is a Catskill pattern.