Your question is very interesting and logical one. I wonder if you can effectively run those experiments and get any conclusive information due to the variable nature of fishing, the numerous variables affecting your catch rate and the standard deviation in your catch numbers? For example, suppose you fish one day with the complete fly according to the design and you catch 10 fish. Ther next day you try the fly with one part missing and you catch 8 fish. The third day you fish with the fly with 2 parts missing and you catch 15 fish. Can you draw any useful conclusions from this information? Probably not because even though you controlled the number of variables in you fly pattern you could not control the weather, water temperature, river flow rates, food avaialbility, bug hatch rates, and numerous other variables. Thus, it is a very difficult experiement to perform and collect useful data. However, should you not do it? No, I say go for it! That's what make fishing so challenging and interesting. I would be intersted in the results.
Dr Bob
Bob Widmaier
My biggest fear when I die is that my wife will sell my fly fishing gear for what I told her I paid for it!