New to Tying - A Lucky Pattern?

[wingding]

I still consider myself really new to tying, I probably only have about 50 flies under my belt for experience.

Just thought I'd share though...

In trying to tie copper johns, I came up with this kinda ugly mess. The fish can't get enough of them though. Are they stupid stockies? decent flies, or just dumb luck?

I fished similar with a walt's worm trailer on the Loyalhanna DHALO section today in Westmoreland county and caught two on these and one on the walt's. Two weeks ago I was catching more than I could count on Elk creek in Erie (to be fair, it was the day after a stocking though). Pretty much that day I followed it with anything with a soft hackle. I've been tying these in size 10 - 14.

Just thought that this was weird. I'm not real good at finding good combo flies, but maybe I finally found something that works for me.

Hopefully the fun keeps going and maybe someone else could try something like this to see if they have luck.

 

[tulenkot]

Sometimes ugly flies work better. If it looks buggy and floats towards a trout mouth, you have got a chance!

 

[dc410]

I'm a firm believer that something a little different can prove to be very productive. Particularly in an area that gets fished fairly hard. You can't go wrong with a bit of flash and plenty of movement. This is what makes fly tying fun, use your imagination. Keep up the good work!

 

[lv2nymph]

Experimenting at the vise is fun and a good thing. If you ask me if the trout give it the nod it's a beautiful fly. If people don't like it but the trout do, the opinion that matters most is in. I have a fly just like that, when I show it to somebody they look at it and go hmmm then look away. Which I find hilarious cause the trout love it, year round, on all types of streams. Something to think about to help answer your question, how many different kinds of streams have you fished it, what kind of trout stockies, wild, natives? It really doesn't matter if it works on one and not others you've still got a good working fly, but on the other hand if it works on all types you've got a great working pattern. Have fun finding out. And please if you like let us know how it goes.

 

[barbless]

The basics are there. I think they'll work well. If they don't, try trimming the longer tail fibers down to about half of the length. But try them the way they are first. The fish might want a bug that looks as if it has a trailing shuck.

That one in the middle looks like a Copper John soft hackle. A new invention, at least new to me. I wish I had some of those. My bet is that wild fish would like them just fine.

Almost all wet flies and nymphs look ugly after they've been in the water for a while. The ones that don't are usually lousy at catching fish.

 

[PennKev]

Copper Johns are death to stocked bows.

If you want to improve the look of your flies, use a larger bead and a heavier gauge of wire. Both are undersized for the hook you are tying on.

 

[wingding]

Thanks for the tip. I will try larger beads and I don't have larger gauge wire, but I can get that pretty easily.

Funny you mention about the bows...I bet 80% of the fish I have caught on this pattern are rainbows. To me this pattern kinda looks like the little green flies that bug the crap out of you during cookouts.

I have so much to learn! When I started fly fishing I didn't realize that certain species prefer certain things. It's not just flicking buggy looking things down a stream

I need to start keeping a notebook or something. Glad I joined this site, there is really helpful info here. Thanks All

 

[barbless]

It's not just flicking buggy looking things down a stream

Hey, that's a perfectly legitimate way to fish! It's called "swinging soft hackles."

The middle fly in the photo would work great like that. Soft hackles are typically very sparsely tied.

 

[osprey]

The fact that YOU have confidence in that fly probably has as much to do with your success as anything. Someone else said "it meets all the basic requirements" and it does but the fact that you have confidence in it means A TON!!!! VERY GOOD LUCK 2 YA!!!!!

 

[perrycountypappy]

Osprey hit it on the head, confidence in a fly is some times the only difference in catching and not catching. Ugly works at times and I don't think anyone has ever caught a fish on any fly and after the fish whacking it the fly remained pretty. I have caught a lot of fish after the prettiness of the fly had been worn off by current, rocks or other fish.

Of course as you tie your goal should be to tie the fly in the right proportions, such as length of tail, beadhead, wire size and so on. That takes time at least it has for me and even after many years I some times have a evening when I am done tying and think "man their pretty ugly". I don't care I they still go in the fly box.

Have fun!