So ya make an ugly fly.....

[Librarian]

What's everyone do with their first tries, poorly tied flies, or just plain ugly ones?

 

[afishinado]

Keep your first flies, for no other reason than to affirm that you have progressed as a tyer and will continue to improve with experience.

Fish a couple of them too to affirm that flies need not be of museum quality to catch a fish.

 

[MKern]

I gave a lot away to kids and have burnt/cut a lot of the materials off to re-use the hooks.

I still have a container of them around somewhere.

 

[pete41]

If you lack dexterity as I do-tie the 16s and under-and buy the big guys-just kidding but those little ones are easier to beautify.

 

[jayL]

The really ugly ones go on the base of my lamp until I eventually decide to execute them by blade or lighter.

The kind of ugly ones go in my fly box to never get used. Eventually, I pull all of them out and give them the blade as well.

Somehow, I still have lots of ugly flies in my boxes, but it's always getting better.

 

[firandfeather]

I still have my first fly I tied over 30 years ago. It was a leadwing coachman. I keep it in my gun cabinet.
Mike Heck

 

[bam]

Typically, they just take up room in my box. If I really butcher one, I just cut everything off with a razor.

 

[wsender]

I keep a little jar by my bench and just throw the junk ones in there and eventually they get the razor.

If they're not too bad they go in the box. Trout don't care if the wing on your caddis is a little lopsided.

 

[dryflyguy]

When I tie a fly - and it doesn't come out the way I like - I immediatley cut it off, and do it again.
Why keep something that I don't want to use? Or even give away

 

[MKern]

I think beig able to see your mistakes as they happen and re-doing is an invaluable skill when tying.

Never force materials (like dubbing or hackle) because you'll be unpleased with the result. There are many ways to get materials to go what you want them to do. Remember you are the boss.

 

[PatriotFly26]

I have the first Wooly Bugger I tied. I think it's good to keep around for what ever reason you want to come up with.

Good luck, with time you'll get better, and....

DON'T BURN YOURSELF OUT. Don't tie everything all at once, then give up, don't try to fill a whole box in a night.

 

[slimyrock]

Cut - burn - improve! ( don't catch anything on fire, they have a tendency to drip flame!)

 

[tomgamber]

Bluegill box...

 

[David]

Confidence is a a big part of the equation. If you like the fly...you can catch fish with it. When I started tying, I would cut / burn / redo many flies that didn't look "store bought" when they came off my vice. I find my ties are less beautiful now, but I catch more fish.

Imagine yourself on the stream. When the hatch matching the fly you are tying starts to happen, would you be confident tying it on the end of your tippet? If yes, in the box it goes...if no, cut it up and start again!

 

[sandfly]

I keep them for myself and put the good ones in the boxes for customers.

 

[jreichel]

All flies are beautiful! :-D

Perfect or not (and mine are far from perfect) if they look buggie they go in the box.

I try not to discriminate. :roll:

 

[3wt7X]

I wish that I could find it, but I read an article by Charlie Meck once about ugly flies. He was addressing messed up dry fly ties, and he argued that often they are the most effective patterns in his box. He related them to stillborn dry flies that have disproportionate wings and just don't look right. He argued that trout often key into those flies as being vulnerable amongst a group of healthy looking duns. I believe the article was in Mid-Atlantic fly fishing magizine that is often free at fly shops. And if I am not mistaken, one of Dave Weaver's brook trout paintings was on the cover.

 

[MKern]

I don't know about you guys but when I see Meck's or A.K. Best's flies in a magazine I quiver.

They are not very neat have miss proportions, oddly tapered dubbing, and gapped or overlaped wire.

Not saying they won't/don't catch fish, but for publishing in a magazine??????

 

[gfen]

MKern wrote:
I don't know about you guys but when I see Meck's or A.K. Best's flies in a magazine I quiver.

They are not very neat have miss proportions, oddly tapered dubbing, and gapped or overlaped wire.

Not saying they won't/don't catch fish, but for publishing in a magazine??????

I watched Meck give a presentation,t ehn pass around the "30 second flies" he was tying.

They were not pretty. It was an ego boost for my own slop tied to a hook. Its also proof its not about the pattern, its about the presentation of the knowledge you've gained.

Somehow, I'm surprised Best's flies look bad, though.

 

[giantsjim]

3wt, I read that Meck article as well. I found it online a year or two back when I was just searching on FF articles. I think it was titled something like, 'That'll catch fish'.
Warmer weather around the corner boys and girls!!!!