Tying by the seat of your pants

[JVenezia]

Anyone ever just pick a hook out and go with the flow and tie what looks good to them and resembles no real pattern.

 

[sniperfreak223]

all the time. sometimes I even just grab a bunch of scraps out of the garb bag and see what I can whip up.

 

[nfrechet]

yup!

 

[lv2nymph]

Yes sir, creativity at the vise is what it's all about.

 

[eunanhendron]

this one time, i did this....

all other times i've had an idea of what i wanted to tie, without formulating a pattern ahead of time.

 

[J55tyger88]

Love to do this. It's like I'm in search for the secret fly that fish just can't resist. Take it out to the stream and realize it's like Freddy Kruger to the fish and cut it all off...

 

[sandfly]

Look at my last few post on here, all new flies of sorts. some are proven patterns and some I still have to fish.. But all new ideas.

 

[afishinado]

I think it's fun, and sometimes very productive to forget about fly patterns and focus on the flies (bugs). Examine the bug pic or better yet an actual specimen and try to imitate the size, shape and color and maybe even the movement of the actual insect and come up with a fly to imitate it.

 

[BrookieChaser]

My go-to brookie fly is one of my own creation.

 

[FrequentTyer]

For trout flies, never. Creativity involves either working on variations of established patterns, or trying to better imitate the bugs as Afish suggests. Just throwing material on a hook is a waste of time and material if you don't have some underlying goal in mind. I think differently about warm water, steelhead, or salmon patterns as I think there are no "rules" when it comes to attractors.
Just my opinion obviously. You need to tie what you want. But beginners should get a good grounding in proportion and technique before yet ng to invent a pattern that will out perform those proven to work.

 

[FrequentTyer]

eunanhendron wrote:
this one time, i did this...

So that's what it looks like when you cut loose ;-)

 

[SBecker]

This one time I did this...

 

[sniperfreak223]

so you hackled a green weenie?

 

[KeithS]

SHGW. I can say I was there when history was made.

 

[SBecker]

sniperfreak223 wrote:
so you hackled a green weenie?

Notice tails as well.

 

[Volksnurse]

KeithS wrote:
SHGW. I can say I was there when history was made.

Sigh. I remember it like it was just last weekend... :lol: :lol:

 

[mario66pens]

That's how I made my favorite brookie fly

 

[Leteras]

I tie like this all the time. I base most of my flies off the materials I have at hand or come across. I never know what the fly will come out like until I start throwing materials on the hook. I have a general idea but work it out as I am tying.

 

[sniperfreak223]

just combining bits and pieces of materials I had laying around the bench, I finally came up with a bluegill imitation I really like...the soft hackles from tying poppers, the Lazer dub from tying sculpins and gar flies, and the lead eyes and bucktail from tying Clousers...thank you, stocking a fly box for Presque Isle Bay...