Old Dogs Still Hunt?

[narcodog]

Narc,
If you were right, I believe the fly shops out west would primarily offer the "old standard patterns". Being an avid tier who hangs out a lot in the big fly shops in the West - around Yellowstone Park, I can tell you, you will not find a lot of the "old standard patterns". Believe me, if there wasn't much change between now and 40 yrs ago, everyone would be using Sandy Mites, Wulfs, and Catskill style dries. You won't find any of these offered in the fly shops out there today. I know, as I have looked.

I'm not disputing that the newer patterns don't work at the same time I'm saying that the old patterns are still effective as they once were. Another aspect is that today the media plays a big part in what folks fish with. Every year new and improved patterns are introduced, do they catch more fish, I really don't think so. I also hang around the shops in the west and the availability of the older patterns is not there, because, I think the shops are pushing there newest and improved. For instance Blue Ribbon Flies comes out with a couple of new patterns every year and for the most part they just add some new material which is fine. The advertise them, video them and that has folks buying them.

But for the new patterns to out fish the older patterns I don't think that is valid. If you go into the shops of south central PA or the shops of the Catskill's you will find a multitude of the old patterns being sold and used.

If Walt Dette or some of the old tyers were still alive and tying I'm sure they would adapt some new materials to there flies. For instance the Dette's Coffin flies went from white wool to poly for a body so that is one advancement in his use of a newer material.

There is another thing is that if you go into BRF's you will see that they are stocking more old pattern s/h's then they have in the past.

The purple flies you tyed a few weeks ago is another example. Purple has been used for a hundred years in s/h's so it has been adapted for todays times.

You mentioned the Sandy Mite, they are not offered any more as they are a very complicated and time consuming fly to tie. I watched Frnk johnson tye some at last years FFF get together, that is not a flie that can just be knocked out in a few minuets.