Your nemesis fly

Soooo.....
Sitting at the vise the last couple of nights filling a couple of fly boxes I got for Christmas, one for me, one for a friend. I was making the usual caddis, small stones, wulffs, etc.

I decided that I would attempt the one fly that always causes me fits. The Humpy. I can NEVER do this fly right. Either the tail gets caught up in the hump, or the hump slides, or the wings are too long/short or too thick or thin.. The only part I get right is the hackle.

So the upshot is, as usual, the fly looks like someone with half a brain made it (may be something to that as well). And this was after razorblading the first one I tried. I am DONE!! I firmly believe that there are just some flies meant to be bought, and this one is mine. No mas. Never again.

Do you have a nemesis fly? Which one(s)?

Mike

Mike,

I know this thread is on nemesis fly, but perhaps there is some space also for yours.

Many people struggle with Humpies - and by and large the single most frustrating aspect has to do with proportions. Get the proportion wrong at the start, and there is no recovery possible. Get the proportions, in this case the length of tailing material, and shellback/wing material correct, and the pattern becomes very manageable.

Can I suggest you review the video I shot on tying a Humpy? You might find it useful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKw3cKncFg4

Cheers,
Hans W

Charlie Craven has a bit different take on the fly that makes it a lot easier (for me, at least) to get the proportions right:
http://www.charliesflyboxinc.com/fly...m?parentID=143

Tying the wing in first, it comes out right (almost) every time. Again, like Hans states, proportions are critical. Thread control/tension are important, too; push the thread close to the breaking point and you'll get a sturdy fly, don't and you'll have an unintentional "spinner". Try both methods and I think you'll be happy with the results.

Regards,
Scott

My nemesis fly is actually a Kauffman's stone nymph. I can never get the wings/wing cases quite right. The good news is that they don't have to look great to be effective.

The humpy is a hard one for me also, again, luckily, the so-so looking ones still catch fish.

SCG

If you make the tail out of moose main and measure it the length of the hook shank from the eye of the hook and the deer hair from the eye of the hook and slightly shorter than the moose main then you should be able to flip the deer hair without grabbing the moose. Then flip the deer hair and tie off right where you tied in your clump of deer then you should have the right length of deer to form the wings. Watch Hans's video on tying the Humpy, it is a great video and will help you with you proportions. Good luck and let's see a picture when you get one tied up.

Scott

Not a pattern per se but rather a technique. Spinning deer hair. Try as do I have difficulty consistently getting right. I have no problems stacking deer hair though.

I don't tie hair flies or foam hoppers. Easier to just buy them. Why tie a fly you don't LIKE to tie? I would much rather be fishing.

I don't understand it but, I can't tie a foam grasshopper from the supreme cutter set. They always look like bad genetic expirements. Mental block.

I read recently that an imperfect fly presented well will catch a lot more fish than the perfect fly fished poorly.

We've all heard guys say their ties are quick and dirty to catch fish,,,not for show.
Well in most cases I believe them,,,, but in others I think its a guy who'd like to tie better but just never took the time to refine his skills.
Personally, I don't tie a lot of patterns but the ones I do have to meet a certain criteria; they have to catch fish and
they have to look good me,,,,that doesn't mean pattern perfect.

Case in point, The McGinty on small impoundments in southwestern ND.
I've probably caught more nice browns and bows with him in a #10 or 8 than on any other fly.
Most of those fish were caught on McGintys with pretty poor excuses for wings.,,the trout didn't mind but I kinda did.
So you might say the Mc was my nemesis for awhile. Solution? How about using the pinch wrap instead of just reading about it.

BL? Refining one's skills ultimately won't slow you down, on the contrary, and in the end you just might be a more satisfied tyer.
At least that' how it's been working out for me.

Thanks for an interesting thread,,,,. :)

My nemesis fly is the Hairwing Dun. I always screw up the wing. I always produce a wing that rides to low on the body and doesn't produce that nice upswing.

Foam bugs that will stay floating.....

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TyroneFly

My nemesis fly is the Hairwing Dun. I always screw up the wing. I always produce a wing that rides to low on the body and doesn't produce that nice upswing.

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Harry Mason has a great tutorial; worth checking out:

http://www.troutflies.com/tutorials/...ng/index.shtml


Regards,
Scott

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ScottP

Harry Mason has a great tutorial; worth checking out:

http://www.troutflies.com/tutorials/...ng/index.shtml


Regards,
Scott

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Harry was the one who introduced me to the fly and how to tie it. Even Harry laughed at the difficulty I had with it. :smile:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TyroneFly

Harry was the one who introduced me to the fly and how to tie it. Even Harry laughed at the difficulty I had with it. :smile:

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I am curious about the specifics of the difficulty. Can you explain in a bit more detail?

Fwiw - here is the video I did on the pattern:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHKZn91eduU

Cheers,
Hans W

I had been tying the Hairwing for years and loved it but could never get the wing to turn out consistently, until I saw Hans' CDC & Elk video; that seemed to fix it for me.

Regards,
Scott

The Harrop hairwing dun looks very different. His are tied less like an elk hair with more upright wing, I think?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Byron haugh

The Harrop hairwing dun looks very different. His are tied less like an elk hair with more upright wing, I think?

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Byron,

To the best of my knowledge there are significant differences between Rene's Hairwing Dun and Al's EHC. The Hairwing Dun has split tail, has hackle only on the front half of the body, has the hackle trimmed flush underneath and indeed, a more upright wing.

Cheers,
Hans W

That's what I was trying to point out Hans
Thanks for that though
Someone referenced your Caddis pattern as being a good video to use in aligning hair for a hair wing dun....,,

Hans, The video was great. Thank you and Best Regards....

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Byron haugh

That's what I was trying to point out Hans
Thanks for that though
Someone referenced your Caddis pattern as being a good video to use in aligning hair for a hair wing dun....,,

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That's right; I did say the technique I use for winging the CDC & Elk, that I learned from Hans' video works for me when I tie the Hairwing Dun - 1 1/2 soft loops around the butts, steady tension pulling up on the bobbin, another 1/2 loop then one through the front of the butts and one under the front. I get consistent results and the fish like the fly.

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j1...n/IMG_9225.jpg

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j1...n/IMG_8807.jpg

Gotcha. It's just that I thought the hairwing dun has a more upward or steeper angle of the deer hair as opposed to the Caddis angle.

http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/...ps03893beb.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Byron haugh

Gotcha. It's just that I thought the hairwing dun has a more upward or steeper angle of the deer hair as opposed to the Caddis angle.

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Almost there, Byron. Now clip the hackle below the body :cool:
It is meant to be a flush-in-film pattern.

Cheers,
Hans W

I have to say, we spend so much time looking at great flies tied well, it's refreshing to me to find out that other, better tyers, have flies that they don't like very much.

I only have problems with flies that include feathers or hair or dubbing. I'm a wizard at wrapping wire however.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by tailingloop

Not a pattern per se but rather a technique. Spinning deer hair. Try as do I have difficulty consistently getting right. I have no problems stacking deer hair though.

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This. Almost any pattern that has spun deerhair, I just buy it.

Anything with wings, I just can't get them right. Either too long, short, fat, or skinny, when they do come out the right size, then they're off at an angle about 45?.

For the most part, I tie wingless flies (upright wings). Unless I am tying Royal Wulffs, I don't tie wings much any more...and I only tie RW for my Father In Law.

Upright wings have gotten easier, I just dont see the necessity...they aren't much taller than the hackle, so the fish (in my mind) have to see the hackle almost as soon

No hackles bury me.

My stoneflies look like alien mutants. I have given up on those. I could read a book in the time it takes me to get one looking half right.