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Post Info TOPIC: For flytiers-how many unsuccessful new ties for each success?


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For flytiers-how many unsuccessful new ties for each success?
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New to this board and a question for those that tie...I will admit a fail-success ratio of about 6-1,  as evidenced by the boxes of unusable flies in my tying desk.  This is for trout flies only.

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 I'd say thats about right where im at on trying to develop new patterns sometimes they work great right off the bat, and other times not so much. But you'll have a higher success rate if you target planted fish, those guys take damn near everything most of the time.

- Nic

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JT


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I usually do some research when trying to develop new flies for specific insects.  Those flies almost always work.  The flies that I tie when I'm just messing around aren't quite so successful, though.  Some of them are just plain ugly.  I have a ton of mistakes stuck in a piece of foam on my desk.   

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Wait...I thought your previous thread put it so simply, "Tie the fly. Drift the fly. Catch the trout. Repeat".  Where's the problem?  Isn't this too easy?smile

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Dozens. Some I'll never figure out. I'm never done with the ones I claim to have finished. It's amusing to see something I gave someone two years ago as a "finished product" and it doesn't look as good as what I have now.

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there is an area called "Fly Tying and Fly discussions" where this should be posted at.

i just started tying myself and i stick with the easy flies to tie. well for the most part. it takes time and practice. if you ever get to see jts box his flies are great. time patience and time and patience and practice. with tying you either have it or you dont right out of the gate, if you dont, you just have to keep on plugging away, maybe take a class. i have been wanting to take one from dave sloan at american fly fishing on fair oaks in sac, its 70 bucks per person and we need about 5-7 people to do it. anyone down.

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Fishing isnt about catching fish, its not about who caught the most, or who caught the biggest, its about the experience that you have on the water, and the life long bonds you make with others on the journey to becoming a better person inside.



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The more time at the vise the better tier you become. In the beginning it's tough to figure out exactly how much material you need on the hook. As a beginner you will most likely use too much material. Stick with basic patterns to start with as you build up your skills, Hares Ears, Pheasant Tails, Buggers, all easy for a starter. Dry flies, forget about it for a while. You tube has lots of videos that are helpful. Check this out too, it was very helpful when I got into it:

http://www.troutflies.com/tutorials/


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You really only need four flies for Putah. Micro Mayfly, black midge, hares ear and a fox poohpah. All are easy to tie. Now if you want to experiment use these patterns as your base.

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chris


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I apologize in advance if I posted this in the wrong forum. I have to say I do not tie flies in an imitative manner and I am not a pro flytier. However my flies catch good fish. I find for Putah frequently there is so little material on the hook the greatest challenge is finding materials that show a good contrast between each other when wet. Even if your fly is only made up of 3 materials those materials (forme) work best when they contrast with each other rather than blending and looking like a wet turd.
Otter-I think there is genius in your approach. I find best success with my own patterns, but they are really not much diff than any of those. I think its funny too that sometimes showing them something different when they have been pressured hard in some holes can be a trigger. I remember about ten years ago fishing in the first hole below the bridge pre spawn but low flow and watching the 4-5 guys struggle to hook up with fish there. I had on a size 14 gold wire copper John I tied and I hooked up great for about forty minutes. I don't know why but I think it was so different from what those poor fish were used to seeingt hat it made a big difference.
JT- you have a piece of foam with your mistakes-for mine it would be the size of a nerf football. For me a great deal of the fun in flyfishing is trying new things-it can be surprising what works!
Tie the fly. Drift the fly. Catch the trout. Repeat.

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Otter tied me a few crazy creations .I let my friend be the ginny pig and low and be hold he was out fishing me till I took my fly back...Now its in a tree...

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mx19


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Packrat, it looks as though you have made the assumption that I am a beginner. JMO, too easy? sure, but it took a lot of failures to achieve a modicum of success.
The most effective flies I have tied are suggestive rather than imitative. Would anyone disagree that a hare's ear or p.t. for example is suggestive? I think certain parts of a given bug's anatomy become triggers for trout to feed. You have to find the trigger qualities in your patterns you tie. I have found several triggers in my patterns for Putah. I don't extensively flyfish a large variety of waters and I would never be dumb enough to assume what works in Putah is universal. I do not claim to be an expert flytier and I will always say presentation is more important than pattern.
Tying flies is an integral part of the experience of flyfishing. I began at age 14 (I paid someone to teach me basics) and I must say it is satisfying to this day to be able to sit down before fishing...Tie a couple flies and go catch fish.
My post about mistakes/ineffective flies I imagine has to hold true for 98% of flytiers. I cannot imagine someone so in tune with all of it that every fly they tie is effective...The cool thing is the feeling you get when you capture lightning in a bottle...or in this case...on a hook.

Tie the fly. Drift the fly. Catch the trout. Repeat.

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Hey MX 19 which one of those crazy flies was catching the fish. I will bring you a few more if you work on my bikes some more!! I am thinking during the flows you were fishing it was the size 8 soft hackle. That fly works everywhere!

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chris


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Hey Otter.
It was that ugly, black , fury thing...
mx19

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mx19
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