Ever have a night when it is just not working?

Started tying a new hopper pattern this evening. No surprise: the first one had me encountering some problems and didn't look like the pictures. But it looked good enough to fish and showed me the problems I'd need to solve on the second attempt.

The second one had fewer puzzles to solve, I thought, but ended up looking worse than the first.

Shrugging that off, I started my third and got about 75% through it before bringing out the razor blade to salvage the hook.

I could have kept going, but it seemed like I was going downhill. So I just put the tying gear away. I'll probably pull it out again tomorrow evening. Wishing myself better luck then.

Some days you get the bear. Some days the bear gets you.

And I still enjoy this hobby.

Oldfrat; I could have written that. As you say there are days then there are days. Putting it down for a spell often works wonders for me. Have fun. Jax

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Getting Old has it's advantages. It slows you down just enough to get your timing for tightening into a trout Just Right.

I agree completely. There are times when it seems all I'm doing is wasting materials and time. I can usually tell within 5-10 minutes if it is one of "those" days and I just stop tying and go read a book.

Jim Smith

i usually tye a dozen or two flies a night. but some days i just sit there in a daze and wonder what the hell too tye and i usually just mess around whit some experimental pattern that i chop up anyway. jax is right. taking a week or even a day off will help rebuild the urge...

OF, I think this happens to everybody and it seems to especially be true if you have not tied in a while. During fishing season I rarely tie. When I get back into it I start off with something simple. Something like Frank Sawyer style PT nymphs...just wire and pheasant tail barbs.
Even when I have only missed a couple of weeks I start off either making parts, organizing or tying my simplest realistic, a Lady Bug. Before long you are back in the swing of things. I think it helps me if I listen to an audio book while I tie. I do get tired earlier now than when I was young. It is much easier to know when to quit for the night now.

OF:

You are not alone! It happens to me too! I found this happens to me on evenings when I am a little more tired. I find if I put tying aside for a few days, it gives me time to think about the sequence of tying the fly pattern. Then I give it another try, but not in the evening, in the morning like on the weekend when I am fresh and not rushed. It seems to help for me.

I hope this helps.

Dr Bob