Brotherhood of the Flymph

[Jim Slattery]

Has anyone heard of this "club" ?
Does anyone know a member?
Does it still exist?
If not would anyone like to start it up again?
Even casually?
Interested?
This could be a neat thing Soft Hackle enthusiasts.The legacy of Leisenring and Hidy should be celebrated.
Take Care.
Jim Slattery

[This message has been edited by Jim Slattery (edited 10 July 2005).]

[Jim Slattery]

For those of you who may be unaware the International Brotherhood of the Flymph is alive and kicking. [url=http://www.flymph.com:00ea7]www.flymph.com[/url:00ea7]
There will be a lot of great shared info on the "hoods'" site as it evolves.
Take care, Jim

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[url=http://www.Jimsflyco.com:00ea7]www.Jimsflyco.com[/url:00ea7]

[Jeremy]

I don't know about the majority of the folk here but after reading this piece once before when it first came out and now in re-reading it, I realize how much I've forgotten!

Thanks for including it again. Jim (both of ya's) this will be a fun trip!

Jeremy.

[Gary Miller]

So, is any Soft Hackle/Spider/etc. considered a Flymph?

- Gary

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"Catch 'em all ~ Put 'em back!"

Visit [url=http://www.warmwaterangler.net/forum:07ac9]Warmwater Angler[/url:07ac9].

[Jim Slattery]

Gary,
Great question.
To quote Pete Hidy who coined the phrase,from the Revised Art of Tying the Wet Fly pg 126 : "Flymph- A wingless artificial fly with a soft, translucent body of fur or wool which blends with the under color of the tying silk when wet, utilizing soft hackle fibers easily activated by the currents to give the effect of an insect alive in the water, and strategically cast diagonally upstream or across for the trout to take just below or within a few inches of the surface film."
To further broaden the "Flymph" equation , I'll add this "Definition" to the mix again from "The Art of Tying the Wet Fly & Fishing the Flymph" By Leisenring and Hidy pg 126 paragraph 2,
"Flymph Fishing is that technique which, by comparison to the "chuck-and- chance-it" use of the winged wet fly, or the hard bodied or weighted nymph fished deep, strives to simulate the hatching nymphs of the mayfly,caddis as they struggle up toward the surface or drift momentarily in or just under the surface film. In suspense, visual excitment, and pleasure, flymph fishing equals or excels dry-fly fishing because the strike is usually visible and the fly must be placed upstream from the trout with considerable accuracy and skill."

I think that you can add diving caddis to the definition as well.
Flymph is a mecurical word that describe lots of aspects yet hard to put your finger on exactly.Yet somehow there is no Doubt to what it is.
Long Live the Flymph!*
*and all it's cousins!
Jim


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[url=http://www.Jimsflyco.com:aef27]www.Jimsflyco.com[/url:aef27]

[Jim Slattery]

O.K. gang,
I will announce the MAJOR COO now. Lance Hidy, V.S."Pete" Hidy's son, is going to share with us his father's collection. This is of great historical significance. V.S. Hidy was a well respected author and angler and had correspondence with many of the great anglers of the 20th century such as,G.E.M. Skues, Jim Leisenring, Art Cross,Harry Darbee just to name a few, perhaps we will get a glimpse of what these great angling minds had to say . Needless to say there is a wealth of information to be learned and digested.
There is also talk of perhaps putting all of Pete's writings into one book. For sure the articles that Hidy wrote for the Creel will be put together. I hope you all are as excited about this MAJOR developement as I am. The fishing gods are looking down upon us with smiles upon their faces.
Thank you Lance Hidy.

Jim




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[url=http://www.Jimsflyco.com:23ece]www.Jimsflyco.com[/url:23ece]

[Royal Wulff]

Jim Slattery, RW here,

Read my profile line on this post.

Later, RW

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"We fish for pleasure; I for mine, you for yours." -James Leisenring on fishing the wet fly-

[Jim Slattery]

O.K. RW,
I've been waiting for you to respond.It would only seem natural that a person who uses a Leisenring quote for his signature would gladly join the "Brotherhood", would it not?
Besides we could use your sage wisdom .
Jim


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[url=http://www.Jimsflyco.com:94f2d]www.Jimsflyco.com[/url:94f2d]

[Jim Slattery]

For anyone who might be interested. A scarce open letter by Pete Hidy has been put on the [url=http://WWW.FLYMPH.COM:c3462]WWW.FLYMPH.COM[/url:c3462] site. Also the first installment from the Hidy collection as well.
Take care,
Jim

[DrRob]

?So, is any Soft Hackle/Spider/etc. considered a Flymph??
Yes!!! A Flymph is no more that a fly dressed in the same manner as a traditional North Country Trout fly! Whatever name you care to put on this style it is up to you. It is my belief that many of the noted American anglers mentioned in many posts and who have written on the subject of Flymphs, Soft Hackles or whatever is the in vogue term nowadays are merely self publicists wishing to re-invent the wheel, and because they have found this so called new nirvana of trout flies they choose to rename them to suit there own egos and commercial opportunities.
Let?s say for instance I came to the States and took some Catskill patterns and kept the style but changed body colour and substituted a hackle for something similar but not quite the same, everyone would immediately say that?s a Catskill fly but I?m not sure which particular one. Now lets us suppose I can over to the States with some Yorkshire patterns and made some subtle changes to them and started to call Flymphs or Soft Hackles how many American anglers would now any wiser? Practically none! Here in Yorkshire we know when somebody is trying to sell us something we all ready own ! The great note American angler Theodore Gordon took Halford?s English dry fly patterns and changed them so radically as to invent the classic American Catskill fly. Hiddy, Leisenring and Nemes haven?t really made any outstanding changes to the North Country Flies apart from naming them Flymphs !