Really...bad form...

[planettrout]

As I have already said elsewhere today, all fly recipes on my web-site are free to anybody. I do not believe anyone can own a fly pattern, anymore than somebody can copyright human DNA. Anyone who wants to use any pictures is welcome, although it is nice and polite to give acknowledgement.

A few years ago, I saw an article in a well know US fly fishing magazine in which a fly, using a body of peacock herl, a brown hen hackle and brown thread claimed this to be his new wonder fly. I don't think he was actually copyrighting it, but he was certainly setting himself up for a lot of abuse. Had he never heard of Sylvester Nemes, James Leisenring, Pritt and centuries of North Country Trout flies.
He and they are not unique to the US, this one stuck in my mind because of the simplicity of the recipe. We are no better over here.

Donald,
I happen to agree that one probably may not be able to "own" a fly pattern. What fried my bacon, was another person presenting this particular pattern as their own original design and SELLING it as such. Whenever I post a pattern on my BLOG, I do my utmost to credit the original designer - if known. I indicated in my final message, to Dave Hise, the owner/operator of the Casters Fly Shop, to "just spell my name right." The sister program of of my main program, AA - teaches me when to say "NO" - it's about boundaries. For me, THAT was a boundary crossed...

Best my friend !!!

PT/TB