Newbie / Rookie Fly Tier's Swap

[lv2nymph]

Very nice tie Jim!

 

[J55tyger88]

Thank you guys, i learn from the best!

 

[djs12354]

tyger

That's another great looking tie!

Just home from Ohio and will have to get my head together tomorrow and decide on another pattern!

While out there, the grand-kids asked about tying flies and I was able to have them tie a couple of their versions of a San Juan worm. All black, all chartreuse and one black and chartreuse. Their gandmother commented on how serious they were while tying.

 

[J55tyger88]

DJS,
That's great. I too had a little one, my nephew, over and he wanted to tie his own "bugs" for fishing. Its cool to see little ones so into things we would think they wouldn't be. So much video games, TV, internet goes on in his life, when he gets to visit, all that goes out the window. "Can we please go outside uncle Jimmy?"

 

[PAgeologist]

Here is my Tan Elk Hair Caddis. Any suggestions for improvement are welcome.

The recipe:
Hook: Size 14
Thread: Tan
Body: Tan Dry Fly Dubbing
Hackle: Ginger - Palmered
Wing: Elk Hair

 

[GenCon]

PAgeologist, fly is pretty good. The main thing I would change is your hackle length. It is too long. If I add hackle to a EHC I under size it and cut off the bottom hackles. It can sit flat in the water that way. So if it is a size 10 fly use a size 14 hackle. At least that's what I do.

GC

 

[marcq]

Or instead of hackle use cdc under the wing. Flys look good guys.

 

[PAgeologist]

Thank you for the advice.

@gencon - I always thought that the hackle was supposed to be roughly 1 1/2 times the hook gap. I see what you are saying though to get it to lay flatter on the water.

I normally tie my caddis hackle as a collar in front of the wing rather than palmered throughout the body because I like to skitter them across the surface.

@marcq - I may get some cdc and try that. I am assuming you mean tie in the cdc as an underwing?

 

[GenCon]

PAgeologist wrote:
Thank you for the advice.

@gencon - I always thought that the hackle was supposed to be roughly 1 1/2 times the hook gap. I see what you are saying though to get it to lay flatter on the water.

I normally tie my caddis hackle as a collar in front of the wing rather than palmered throughout the body because I like to skitter them across the surface.

@marcq - I may get some cdc and try that. I am assuming you mean tie in the cdc as an underwing?

PAgeoligist, you are correct about hackle length of 1 1/2 to 2 times hook gap. I prefer about 1 1/2 myself. But that is for standard type dry flies IE catskill style. But on a ELC it is a different story, there you are palmering a hackle onto the body which is below the wing. Using a smaller hackle will help your fly sit correctly with the wing up.
Larger hackle will make fly roll over. Even then I would trim the bottom to make flat.

GC

 

[mic]

I think i'll be tieing this olive wet fly,and some sort of a larva. the body is olive turkey biot,thorax is pecock,and hackle is partridge.

 

[J55tyger88]

Nice dude. Those look sweet! Trouties beware

 

[marcq]

yea there is two ways to do it. first one it to tie it in like the elk hair the second which ive just been messing around with is tie it in like hackle and wrap it up. like this. I dub my body a little and trim the cdc up a bit but its great fly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUhArhmV5LE

 

[GenCon]

J55tyger88 wrote:
Nice dude. Those look sweet! Trouties beware

Tyger, you said trouties? LOL

GC

 

[J55tyger88]

Haha. Gallagherisms. Love those.

 

[PAgeologist]

@GenCon - Do you trim the bottom hackle tight against the body or equal to the hook gap or some other length?

 

[PAgeologist]

Here is my Tan Elk Hair Caddis - with bottom hackle trimmed off.

 

[PAgeologist]

Here is my Flashback Pheasant Tail:
Any suggestions for improvement will be appreciated.

Recipe:
Hook - Size 14
Tail - Pheasant Tail Fibers
Abdomen - Pheasant Tail Fibers
Thorax - Peacock herl
Flashback - Flashabou - either tied in the entire length of the body or just as the wingcase
Legs - Pheasant Tail Fibers

 

[GenCon]

Yep, like that. There is many ways to do an EHC. To be honest with you. I rarely even add a hackle. But I feel if you do. Trim the bottom.

GC

PAgeologist wrote:
Here is my Tan Elk Hair Caddis - with bottom hackle trimmed off.

 

[J55tyger88]

Nice ties PAGeo

 

[PAgeologist]

@J55tyger88 - Thank you. Sorry for the lousy pictures. I dont have a good camera or a steady hand for photos.

@GenCon - I always wondered why some of my Caddis' with palmered hackle didnt sit straight on the water. Never thought of trimming the hackle though. I will from now on.