They are popular there - particularly amongst the guides
Here's the story:
Generally or somewhat representative patterns work best on rivers with little fishing pressure. As I said, at the end of the perspective, famous tier George Grant once said that in "the old days" on great Western rivers, "it would be hard to find a fly that didn't work".
Unfortunately, today some of those rivers get hammered day after day by fishermen and by guided fishermen. The trout become conditioned to "hopper/droppers", etc. They become skidish and more selective in their feeding.
On really technical rivers, Rene has developed some more realistic patterns which take advantage of newer materials (not new, but "re-discovered" in the last 10-20 years - CDC, etc.)
The concept is that such flies which closely resemble the various stages of insects with materials that allow the imitation to "behave" like the real insects are more effective on such rivers or sections of such rivers receiving the most fishing pressure.
Now, you are certainly free to dismiss this belief. However, I would like to meet anyone here on the Ranch of the Henry's Fork in the last two weeks of September. I will use patterns designed by Rene for that water and you use standard catskill patterns and we will have a little contest?
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