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Looking at an old edition of the Orvis Pattern Index, it looks like a lot of their flies #20 and smaller don't have upright wings.
At what point do you stop tying in the upright wings on dry flies?
For that matter, what is the smallest that you tie dries to vs. buying them?
Also, when do you start using thread to make the body of a dry vs. a dubbed body? What size thread do you use?
I tie BWO patterns down to size 24 (26 on a real good day) Smaller than that I don't see well enough to tie, so I buy them.
I used to omit th wings on the 20-24, but I am now convinced that they are a critical strike trigger. I can tie an upright wing made from hackle points in those sizes, but I have trouble finding really good material that small. I sometimes substitite mallard flank.
Recently I have started using synthetic yarn such as Hi-Vis for upright wings. I pick out the yarn fiber until I have an appropriate size bundle, then lash the yarn across the hook in figure 8 wraps, like I was going to tie a spent wing trico. Then I gather the two loose ends and pull up, wrapping the base to form a single upright post. I then put a drop of head cement on the tie in point and let the glue set up a bit. When the glue is fairly tacky I squeeze the base of the post with tweezers and fan the wing into a flat profile. With a few snips I trim the flattened wing into a mayfly upright wing profile. This produces a single upright wing that looks like a mayfly at rest.
For the small flies I have been using UTC 70 denier or Gudebroad 8/0. If I want a very thin profile I use thread alone for the body on anything under size 18. I sometimes add a very small wisp of dubbing for a thorax.
I stopped putting wings on hackled dries about twenty years ago. Didn't think it made enough difference in the catching to justify the extra time and effort in tying.
I gave up hackled dries about 7 or 8 years ago, tie almost all my mayflies with CDC wings and no hackles now. I do that with midges too, down to 24 (which is where I give up altogether).
I honestly don't think most fish care if your flies have wings or not. Presentation!
Dennis
I like to use Turkey Flats or T-Base for my wings.
At size 18 or larger, I'll tie on the flats, then split wing them like wood duck or mallard. At size 20, I'll leave it as a single post. 22 or smaller don't get wings.
I go to a thread only body at a size 22 as well.
On traditional hackled flies, no wings smaller than size 14.
Thread bodies on dries from 16 down (I buy sewing thread and waterproof the whole spool).
I don't fish dries smaller than 22, and I don't buy flies.
Good Luck!
Buddy
As a new fly tyer I was wondering about that. I've noticed that my wings get lost, visually, in the hackle. I was wondering if maybe I'm putting too much hackle on my flies. But then I see pictures of flies with lots of hackle and wings that are buried in there.Quote:
I stopped putting wings on hackled dries about twenty years ago. Didn't think it made enough difference in the catching to justify the extra time and effort in tying.
I'm wondering what others think. Do you agree that wings on a dry fly get lost in the hackle, or do you think that's only a problem if the fly is too heavily hackled?
Cheers.
Greg
I have no idea what a fish sees or doesnt see but I do know my flys with wings seem to work better. Even on my parachutes I try to match the color of the wing of the insect I am trying to imitate.Quote:
Originally Posted by DruLeeParsec