The pursuit of simplicity !!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Utah David
... I'm too busy perfecting my tying of "classic" patterns to come up with anything of my own. ...---David
David -
I did the same thing for years ( and never did perfect my tying of anything ) before I started closely observing the things trout eat and attempting to design my own original patterns. I think it is necessary and desirable to tie a lot of established patterns with a lot of different materials when you are starting out, so when you do make the leap you know what materials will work and how to incorporate them into your design.
My "stuff" is really, really simple. Partly because I don't much like fly tying, and partly because I am not very good at it, but mostly because I'd rather spend time fishing than at the vice.
John
P.S. I don't count as "originals" the millions of named flies you see in the catalogs or on websites that are basically variations on established patterns with a minor change of material or color. Somewhere behind all those flies are originals - most likely tied by someone who wanted to go fishing, not make a buck coming up with something "new" to put a name on and sell. That is not to disparage folks who make a living coming up with new flies for the market. If you watch Scott Sanchez or Kelly Galloup, for example, you have to come away with a great deal of admiration for what they do, their art and craft, whether you have any interest in tying / fishing any of their patterns or not.
Truly successful originals ...
Quote:
Originally Posted by
redietz
...If you look at flies from any given decade over the last century or so, how many survived (or will survive) for, say, fifty years or more. Those that did were truly successful originals. ....
... the way I see it, are those that give the originator a great deal of satisfaction, reward, cheer, joy, and a bucketful of smiles when they attract and hook up fishies. And when others who are "gifted" those originals report back having a good time fishing them.
As an example, my FEB salmonfly is only three years old. Between yesterday and Saturday it accounted for over 70 wild and native West Slope cutthroat. Not atypical for it and its golden stone, hopper, October caddis, and skwala siblings.
It matters not at all to me if those flies last fifty years, or one day beyond my ability to fish with them. It matters not at all to me if others ever see or fish them, although most people who have used them consider them very effective, durable flies. It matters not at all to me whether some other pattern would have caught as many or bigger fish. It matters not at all to me that others' biases and opinions differ from mine - they will find, hopefully, flies that will help them be truly successful, however they define that term, on the water.
I suspect that Sandy, Ralph, Phil, Byron and a good number of others share my take on what is truly successful and what is not.
John