Catskill dry fly proportions ?

[J]

Hello, Does anyone tie thier Catskill Dry flies with the proportions that Ruben Cross, the Dette's and other famous catskill tyers of that time used. Thier wings and tails being equal to the length of the hook and hackle 2 hook gaps long. Much buggier than the stubby proportions of today. When tied this way the fly rests on it's hackle collar tips and tail, with the bend of the hook just barely not touching the surface. (" atleast on my tying desk")Very nice looking flies when tied with these proportions.
Thanks, Jim

[hcmiller]

I pretty much do.....I keep a glass of water nearby and test the first couple of flies. I also like to trim just the bottom of the hackle to get the fly lower in the water, it also seems to cast better that way. Bud

[Hans Weilenmann]

Jim,

When tied this way the fly rests on it's hackle collar tips and tail, with the bend of the hook just barely not touching the surface. (" at least on my tying desk")

On your hard surface tying desk this will indeed be the position.

On a (moving) water surface, with the fly attached to a tippet and at the end of a delivery cast, the fly's position will be very different. The perpendicular hackle collar will have penetrated the film, and more often than not the fly will have its body in the film.

Is this your experience as well?

Cheers,
Hans W

[J]

Hans, I think it depends on the water type and whether the fly is tied on a standard or light wire hook. A fresh dry fly will obviously ride higher than a fly that has been fished for a bit but never as high as it rides on my tying bench. I agree that in a short time the fly will settle into the surface film. I would say there is a difference between a dry fly tied on a Mustad 94840 (standard wire)and a dry fly tied on a Mustad 94833 (light wire). Obviously the light wire hook will ride higher longer. Water quality also has much to do with this. Water of less quality will float a fly better than very clean water. I live in the east but spent a few months in Oregon. My dries did not float as well out there. But in the end I do not believe that a Catskill dry fly with these proportions will sit on the water the same way that they sit on my tying desk. With my question I was just wondering if there were many tyers out there that still tied there Catskill dries with these proportions. Todays proportions just seem a bit stubby to me. Atleast from a visual perspective. Not in the way they take fish.
Later, Jim

[Buddy Sanders]

J,

Just a question.

With those porportions, do you ever have any trouble with the flies flipping onto their noses and riding tail up?

Thanks,

Buddy

[J]

Buddy, No I do not have that problem. Just make sure you keep the wings far enough back from the eye of the hook so the fly is not to heavy at the front. If you leave that little bit of traditional bare hook between the hook eye and finished thread head this forces you to keep those wings farther back on the shank.

Jim

[Royal Wulff]

J, RW here,

I tie them as close to Catskill dimensions as I can, but I'm not a fanatic about it. I too, use the Mustad 94833 fine wire. I always have and have no trouble getting my dries to float. Hackle quality, floatant, water type, clean line, also all have an effect on a floating fly. Hans probably came up with the best all around answer.

Later, RW