Wonder if anyone has had much experience fishing the Hatchmaster style fly. This is probably not a very good example, but along these lines.
Would like to hear from those who fish it.
Fish the Hatchmatcher?
Wonder if anyone has had much experience fishing the Hatchmaster style fly. This is probably not a very good example, but along these lines.
Would like to hear from those who fish it.
Last edited by Byron haugh; 03-22-2017 at 11:38 PM.
I dabbled with it a bit years ago. But never found it very practical from a fishing or tying point of view. It takes a bit a bit more effort to tie, doesn't float well, isn't very durable, and didn't produce any better than my staple dry mayflies -- poly post parachutes, Harrop hair wing duns, and Sparkle Duns.
I'm with John, although I did recently tie a half dozen or so extended body flies, the additional time and steps didn't seem worth the result. They looked okay but I'm doubtful I could ever get them to sit on the water and look like they do in the vise. So I spent a lot of time tying parachutes, .....because they work. Nice looking tie though Byron.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y__9Bqyoyx4 this is an interesting take on the concept
Very nice looking fly, Byron.
I've never tied or used one myself, but would wonder how durable they'd be, or how difficultt to cast, particularly in the windy conditions conditions that we often encounter in the west.
Tried them out a few times
--from the "old book".
They seem a bit for the large hatches in particular areas and times.
Otherwise they scare fish..
The 'Hatchmatcher' was, at least according to the information I've read and learned, the creation of Harry Darbee. Several authors wrote about the virtues of the style including Al McLane, who may have first used the name Hatchmatcher. Harry Darbee used the name 'Two Feather Fly'.
"never found it very practical from a fishing or tying point of view. It takes a bit a bit more effort to tie, doesn't float well, isn't very durable."
Actually, I found the fly very easy to tie, floats very well, is as durable as almost every other dry fly, and catches trout. Those 4 attributes hold true when it is tied with the right materials and according to the correct techniques. Also, the original intended purpose was to represent a large mayfly with a very light immitation so it will float accurately and longer. I've found that it does that. You can tie this style in any color and with feathers from numerous birds. However, and this is the only drawback, it generally represents large mayflies. Smaller bugs need not apply!
Allan
Allan,
What I have been able to find about the origin of this pattern also ascribe it to Darbee.
I believe it was more recently popularized as a good fly to be fished on Silver Creek in Idaho. Apparently, a local tier there by the name of Dick Alfs popularized the fly there and tied and sold many by taking orders from fishermen fishing Silver Creek. I saw a fairly recent video by a tier who demonstrated his wife's version. Apparently, she passed away, but her husband who demonstrated indicated she had tied the fly for many, many who fish there after Mr Alfs passed and no longer was tying them. I got the impression it was quite productive there.
Will see if I can post a link of the tying video.
There are other videos of the fly by McPhail and others. One version, as I recall, ties a Wally Wing version.
This is the link to the video I mentioned above, by the surviving husband:
https://youtu.be/wESjdI5ha0o
Last edited by Byron haugh; 04-30-2017 at 09:27 PM.
I'm in the process of moving and all my reference books are packed so I'm making this comment from memory:
To add to my previous post, in their respective books, H. Darbee (Catskill Fly Tier) describes the 'Hatchmaster' style and tying method. He writes about using spade hackle for the tail, body and wing. I'm sure he used other feathers as well. Years ago I spoke with Judy Darbee and other than her comment about her father creating it, I don't recall any other specifics of that conversation. In another book (The Dettes) E. Leiser describes W. Dette's method for tying his original 'Riffle Dun' which is similar to the Hatchmatcher but uniquely different at the thorax and hackle.
Dave McPhail has a good video of the original Hatchmatcher. As far as the video you provide a link to, JMHO and probably the trout don't care, but I don't particularly like a trimmed wing as in that video.
Last edited by Allan; 05-01-2017 at 12:33 AM.
I don't tie mine with a clipped wing either.
I thought the video was quite interesting as to the popularity of the fly on Silver Creek.....a difficult fishery.
I believe the gentleman in the video begins by mentioning that he thinks Darbee was probably the originator. Not really a question as to origination, but rather, the potential effectiveness?
Last edited by Byron haugh; 05-01-2017 at 01:52 AM.
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