gift flies

I'll be seeing a couple of relatives this Christmas who fly fish once or twice a year. I'm putting together a few flies for their stockings. I usually try to include only very durable flies in such sets but they are not always the flies I would use myself or hand them if they were fishing with me. I sometimes wonder if I shouldn't go with the best pattern for catching fish and if the wing shreds after a couple of fish, so what! How do you do this kind of thing?

I think I need to send you my stocking. :-D

I'm sure they will appreciate any pattern you give them. They may not select a particular pattern of yours on a particular trip, that's just how things go. I'm sure your patterns won't fall apart without having caught a few fish first, and then your relatives will be begging for more! I think its absolutely acceptable to give them patterns YOU think they should try, or experimental patterns that just LOOK great!

I'm sure they'll appreciate the thoughtful consideration you made in choosing what patterns to tie for them. Its a great gift!

I would tie specialty flies that work for the area they fish. Something not readily available at Cabelas etc. If they use the "fish catchers", they may fish more than once or twice a year.

I've gone to using either hair or a synthetic, like Hi-Viz, for most of my wings. Those materials are much more durable than quill.

Ed

Nice gift idea. Go with something that works, something YOU would fish and are confident works as well as patterns local to their area. The goal of jamming somebody's fly box is to put them on flies that catch fish!

Thanks guys. I went with pretty much what I had originally planned, modified versions of the patterns I fish. That meant artificial wings and parachute posts instead of feathers, wire nymph ribs instead of tinsel and thin foam instead of deer hair for the humpy back. I included a muddler minnow even though the wings do shred easily because it just plain catches fish.