Hardest "easy fly"...
My earlier difficulties with tying the Pheasant Tail Nymph prompted this train of thought.
I have been tying for a while now but never really attempted the PTN as a beginner. Despite being featured as a beginners fly in virtually every tying book out there, I found it challenging as a beginner to manipulate the feather barbs etc. Even when completed it was a fragile fly that did not last long enough to justify the effort. To me, flies like the hairs ear etc looked better, lasted longer, were easier to tie by a long way and caught just as many fish, so I never really missed the PTN.
Lately I have been trying to tie some for a friend and I realise again how hard this damned fly is to tie and get right, and I can no longer claim "beginner status." OK I am getting them done, and have developed a nice little pattern with pheasant tail abdo ribbed with copper, same wing case, ostrich herl body and brown feather barb tail and beard. It looks great so I don't need any help or tying advise, but I still claim this is one difficult fly to tie! I can tie size 30 midges way easier that this little sucker in a #14.
Another one I have trouble with is the Humpy - boy I get frustrated tying this "simple" fly, in getting the proportions right. When I do get it looking good it seems to fall apart as soon as I fish it... I am almost resorting to using plastics on this pattern which I hate to do.
Hence my question, and just for fun, - what other "simple" flies are out there that are driving other tyers insane????
Which one do you hate to tie but can't get away with not having?
"We do not inherit the earth; we borrow it from our children."