three material-related questions
This is just in the interest of getting to know people a little better.
I want to know what is your favorite material to tie with? What material do you wish you had more experience using? And what is your least favorite? AND, have you found something to substitute for certain materials that you don't enjoy tying with?
My favorite material is probably feathers, since there are so many types, colors, etc. Or rabbit zonkers because their actions is superb.
I wish I had more experience in using brightly colored feathers for wet flies, like to make married wings but I haven't been able to find and good feathers for that sort of thing. So, anyone knows where I can get relatively cheap bright matched feather sets please let me know! I am not picky about type of feather, I just want different colors. :-)
I don't like using mylar, because I am not any good at it, and substitute wrapping tinsel all along the shank of the hook.
I also get really irritated with rubber legs. But I haven't found any good substitute for those yet.
Your turn!
Karli-Rae
I only tie flies to fish ...
... and I only fish simple flies.
While this has been a rather different year from years past when I tied and fished a number of different patterns, it may be the precedent for the coming years.
So my favorite tying materials are thread for thread midges; non lead weight, chenile and rubber legs for all manner of stonefly nymphs; and antron, foam, deer hair and rubber legs for skwala adults, salmonfly adults, golden stone adults, hoppers, and October caddis. Those s.e.d.g.e. ( simple, effective, durable, good enough ) flies got me through this year just fine.
Throw in some pine squirrel zonker for the occasional day fishing sculpin / baitfish streamers and I'm good to go.
Spinning deer hair would be my least favorite exercise, and one that I have avoided and will continue to avoid, period.
John
P.S. I do have quite an inventory of materials required to tie flies for a wide range of hatches through the Rocky Mountain States. On occasion, I will do a match the hatch thing, at which point I really like CDL and CDC as the basis for mayfly and caddis emerger and adult patterns.