The wonderful thing about fly fishing, fly tying, and more importantly fly buying, is that it is such a personal thing. There are so many possibilities and combinations of gear. I choose to buy what I can afford. Sometimes I have a little extra cash and buy better stuff. Sometimes I blow the dust off the cheap shelf and make do. The only thing that matters is that your stuff is used as often as possible. Fishing catches fish (hopefully) not your stuff.
I tied a fly today
I chose the material with care
There was fur and feathers and hair
Placed on the hook just the right way
All chosen to mimic the fish's prey
I tried to tie the perfect fly
None of hook was left bare
And everything showed great care
But tomorrow I'll sigh
And hope the fish has a kinder eye
I can think of few acts more selfish than refusing a vaccination.
As Lou said above fly fishing and tying is a personal thing. I take it personally when a tree reaches out and grabs one of my flies, especially it has been working. A few years ago Orvis came out with a little item that caught my eye, but the idea of spending about $12 with shipping and handling did not appeal to me. So I took my redneck engineering skills and made up several for me and my friends.
To make it work, insert your rod tip in the while cylinder, unwind the line and leave the white foam attached (you will need that when the hook drops in the water); place the hook over the limb that grabbed your fly. Carefully apply tension. Grasp the limb, remove the hook you intentionally put on the limb and the hook you accidentally put on the limb. The rest is up to you, you can stand there and hold the limb or go fishing.
Go get it.jpg
Last edited by Uncle Jesse; 02-04-2012 at 02:39 PM.
Want to hear God laugh? Tell him Your plans!!!
Terrific! Clever and funny!!!
This is a great thread. Some years ago I was buying my flies from an older gentleman who was selling his hand-tied flies at a flea market up in the mountains. I paid a couple of dollars apiece for them. Over the course of time his eyesight began to fail and his flies were messier and rougher. The Elk Hair Caddis didn't look anything like those I had from a store. I still remember casting that fly and seeing two trout jump for it. I caught the first fish and released it. Cast again, caught the second, and and released that one too. The fly is now in my box and will stay there. In spite of its chaotic appearance it became a priceless work of art once I saw what it could do.
"I often do not start fishing until the cool of the evening..."
Norman Maclean: A River Runs Through It
Board:
This is a great thread with a lot of input. This is what I set out to do when I posted this. To get people involved. People did. I love it and all the various opions on this topic. Look at all the responses and hits. So why do this? good question. You see I have seen a few other sites with a lot of arguing the wrong way and want to just talk fishing and what one believes. Winter doldrums are here and it is tying and a little longing for streams. So I decided to spin positive energy instead of getting down or having negative energy.
Amen Sir! The level of civility on this site is the reason I love it.
That, and these people know more than I ever will and they share it freely.
A right emblem it may be, of the uncertain things of this world; that when men have sold them selves for them, they vanish into smoke. ~ William Bradford
I finally realized that Life is a metaphor for Fly Fishing.
I guess it is part of the civility, but the people who know more, do not try to make those of us who know less feel like a DA because we don't know as much as them. I enjoy the good nature "banter" as much as anyone, but never did enjoy being talked down to. There is very little of that here.Originally Posted by PA Dave
Want to hear God laugh? Tell him Your plans!!!
The way I read it, if I am NOT tying each fly to the best of my ability, then I must not be doing it to your standards. I do very little to the best of my ability, because very little requires me to do so. It's just fly tying (or fishing), after all. I CAN spend an hour making a "perfect" fly, or I can spend two minutes making one that does what it is supposed to do, which FOR ME is to catch fish. And then I can spend the next 58 minutes tying a couple dozen more. I don't count the wraps, I don't worry if the wing is a bit lopsided, I don't worry if the space between the wire wraps is not even, I don't feel bad if I have to substitute a material here and there, and so on, because it is not necessary. The fish do not require perfection. No two insects are identical, after all.DG please read my post again, I said the following "when a fly tyer ties a fly, He tyes to the best of his ability. That is what I believe. It does not matter the level of the tyer. If you placed your best effort in it then that is what I am talking about.". Unless I miss read your post, it sounds like you are taking me the wrong way.
We can only apply standards to ourselves, not to others.
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