I substitute things all the time. I haven't noticed any drop in performance of the flies, and sometimes, they seem to be even better.
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I substitute things all the time. I haven't noticed any drop in performance of the flies, and sometimes, they seem to be even better.
Ooooooh.
so then, my hares ear nympys made with a fine, fine combination of dubbign mixxed in the coffee grinder attached to some barred mallard never catch'd fish? Hmmmmm
Go and X-periment and tell us how U DU.
Heck, I have yet to use "natural grey mallard quill" for my dry fly wings and I've managed pretty darn good in my 25 years of tyin'
Hi Clay, You have me confused. You suggest "water birds" for dry flies yet aren't you suggesting goose biots for a wet Prince Nymph?
Hi Ray, I was always taught water birds or water animals for dry flies, wets aren't as particular. Sure you can use water birds for wets, they don't have to float and if you put a bead or lead them in any way, they are going to sink. Drys on the other hand would not float as easily with materials that absorb water easily. Water animals and birds typically provide materials that shed water more easily than other natural products. These days so many of us are using synthetic materials this discussion might not be relavant one day. Sorry, if I didn't make myself very clear on the first post.
For biots, I'm mostly looking at size these days. Using a lot of turkey biots from this spring's hunt. Couple of weeks from now hope to harvest another bunch of great mariboo and other materials from the fall bird.
If it works, I'm in. :cool:
Coughlin
I was taught that the wings on a fly do not float it. Almost any material can be used for wings on both dries and wets.
What material we tie in on the body will effect how it does or does not float.
Again, whatever works for you, go for it. Let the fish be your judge.
Denny
tyvek makes excellent substitution for biots on a prince nymph
I have to substitute a lot. I don't always have the exact thing a recipe calls for. I don't have the room, and certainly not the money to get all the right stuff for a lot of recipes. So yes, if I think I can swing it with what I have...I substitute. If not I put it on my sticky note "to get list". There are some patterns where I luckily enough have all the materials...but it is not that frequent.
Where do you find water chickens for your dry fly hackle? I got to get me some of that.
Sorry...I couldn't resist. In all honesty though, do you have dry fly patterns that call for goose biots (excluding the ones that use biots wrapped around the shank instead of dubbing)?
Greg
Just about every fly angler is familar with the "Zug Bug" fly pattern, but most have never heard of the "Kemp Bug"!
- Hook: Daiichi 1710, sizes 6 - 16.
- Thread: Black or olive.
- Tail: Peacock herl.
- Body: Peacock herl.
- Rib: Oval silver tinsel.
- Hackle: Furnace, sparse, tied beard-style.
- Wingcase: Woodduck flank or turkey quill, clipped short.
There no references of a "Material Listing for the "Kemp Bug", also there are no photos available for the "Zemp Bug", yet I have read (forgotten where and when) but there are only two major differences between the "Zug Bug" and the "Kemp Bug"!
On the "Kemp Bug", the tail is peacock herl tips, I like using the eye of the peacock herl which is more fragile. The other change is tha the "Wingcase is "Teal Duck" flank feather, instead of the "Wood Duck" flank feather. I do not know who Mr (Mrs ?) Kemp was, or where it was created, but from what I have read in passing reference, is that the "Kemp Bug" most likely preceeded the "Zug Bug"! ~Parnelli