Texture

[JohnScott]

Thanks mostly to Sandy ( Pittendrigh ), I've become much more aware of the importance of texture in fly tying lately. In the overall scheme of things, I guess I would add it to my priorities which are size, silhouette, action, texture, and color, in that order of importance.

Some recent experiences fishing with a couple of flies that seem to me to have the best texture of any that I have designed, tied, and fished, just reinforce to me what Sandy has been saying.

First, the "straight pin" salmonflies are mostly soft materials, foam, antron, rubber legs, and deer hair, surrounding a 3/4 inch "spine" on which the fly is tied. For the time I was fishing those flies, probably the most pronounced effect was how the fishies would frequently take them several feet down without spitting them out, and often only gave the fly up when it was pulled away from them.



Second, the FEB drake I have been fishing the past couple weeks is tied on a very small hook ( 2X short size 14 ) and the rest of it is pretty much fluff, as in antron, moose body hair, dubbing, and hackle.



While the drake pattern has been really attractive to the trouts, as in it has been fished over an interesting variety of water with really good results and I have yet to see a refusal of this fly, the most remarkable thing about it is the hooking to landing ratio, which is 90% plus.

The solid hooking and landing ratios suggest to me that the fishies are willing to keep chomping on the fly because the texture is agreeable to them, allowing plenty of time to get a good hook up. Another, although less frequent indicator of the effect of the texture of the fly, is that more fish take it deeper than most other flies I fish.

Just something to keep in mind when you go about tying flies, at least for trout in moving water. The less hard stuff and the more soft stuff the better, or so it seems to me ( and, I think, without speaking for him, Sandy ).

John

[billhouk]

John:
I have to agree with you, texture is critical. I was fishing last eveming on a pond in a park near by. The bluegills were hitting the soft hackle flies like crazy. However, an elk hair fly threw them off. I think the stiff elk hair hit their noses and away they went. Back to a soft hair and the fun continued. (Nothing worth taking pictures of but, about a dozen 3 to 5 inches... Can't expect much from a city park.)
Bill Houk

[AlanB]

Two points. Yes texture is important, it encourages trout to hold onto the fly longer. There is nothing hard about the naturals.

Also you are using a short shank hook. Giving the fish less shank to leaver against. The style is one I employ on smaller flies. Most of the dressing is on the top of the hook shank keeping the gap of the hook open. Hence better hooking.

Cheers,
A.

[pittendrigh]

Thanks for crediting me John. I try to do that too. But I don't always remember.

I have some vague memory of posting the following Twinkie link before. But I did a search for it and couldn't find it here.
These are the two soft bodied, soft texture things I've written. I never could get the Twinkies piece published. The Marshmallow Nymphs piece (which I know I've post numerous times before) was published in Fly Fisherman.

Your observations about your Duck's Green Drake are interesting. There is a minimum size threshold where soft texture effect doesn't really do much. Or at least I've always assumed as much. I have used soft texture bodies for stoneflies (adults and nymphs) and for minnows. But I think I thought it wouldn't matter much for big mayflies. You've convinced me otherwise.

http://montana-riverboats.com/index.php?fpage=Fly-Tying/Sandy-Pittendrigh/Twinkie.htm

http://montana-riverboats.com/index....llow-Nymph.htm

[JohnScott]

...Your observations about your Duck's Green Drake are interesting. There is a minimum size threshold where soft texture effect doesn't really do much. Or at least I've always assumed as much. ...

... it is a question of proportion - how much hard stuff there is compared to the soft stuff ?? The bend of the hook is the only readily detectable hard stuff in the drake pattern, the short shank is pretty well buried between the FEB and the wing and hackle, and there is a fair amount of soft stuff for a fishy to chew on.

This is not science, obviously. At best, my experiences with these two flies is anecdotal evidence. But I'm a believer in anecdotal evidence when it all seems to point in the same direction, to the same conclusion.

Just came off the fly tying bench with another experimental fly, which I will post shortly. It was "inspired" by Alan's comments, to some extent, particularly the issue of the hook shank length and leverage.

Stay tuned.

John

P.S. I've read the articles from your archives, Sandy. I'm not inclined to go the way you have gone with the materials you use, but I certainly am looking for alternatives using methods and techniques that I am familiar with and have been successful for me. That should be obvious when you see the next post.