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?