Poll - do you "trim" the bottom hackle on your dry fly's?

[Northeast Brookie]

Curious to know who out there trims their dry fly's. I spoke with a pretty reputable fly tyer recently who stated that "without a doubt" he recommends triming the bottom hackle on the dry's he ties - making A "V" shaped cut in the hackle in order to let the fly sit better on the water (p.s. this is in reference to the Catskill type dry fly's). I can see how this might help, but I was always under the assumption that you wanted the fly to stand up on as many hackle points as possible! Yes, there are benefits to having a lower sitting fly, but there's just as much benefit to having a higher sitting fly as well.
Tell me what you think!

[Royal Wulff]

RW here,

Is this a trick question? I don't remember any book I have (alot) that recommends triming the bottom hackle on A Catskill dry, unless my "sometimers" is turning into something more serious.

RW

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"We fish for pleasure; I for mine, you for yours." -James Leisenring on fishing the wet fly-

[RonMT]

On Catskill style flies there should be no need to if they are tied right.
On other flies I do trim some of them. Just depends on what they are and how I want them to set. Ron

Northeast,

On Catskill dries you do not trim the hackle. Period! Now there are other styles in which you do: Marinaro thorax dries and Al Caucci's spinner patterns. On these he trims top and bottom.

Allan

ever so rarely.
thorax duns ala marinaro are the exception.

mgj

[ashbourn]

There is only one catskill dry that does have cut hackle is the coffin spinner with feather tip wings and tied spent. Also most caddis are also cut, but in the catskill style it is a cut level with the point.

Joe Fox

[billknepp]

Theres a time and place for doing all kinds of things to flies.....even mowing off hackle...especially caddis flies...if the bugs are sitting right in the film..you gotta do what you gotta do...or you can always go fishless...

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"I've often wondered why it is that so many anglers spend so much money on,and pay so much attention to.the details on the wrong end of the fly line.If they took as much care in selecting or tying their flies as they did in the selection of the reel and rod,They might be able to gain the real extra edge that makes it possible to fool a fish that has,in fact,seen it all before" A.K.Best

"Wish ya great fishing"

Bill

[Benjo]

If I were going to fish a catskill fly, which is rarely because I get a better result with a parachute or a comparadun or something, I would definately cut the hackle flush on the bottom. Fish like things that look like easy meals. They like things that sit low in the surface film. I can't think of a single time when I was like "man, I wish I had a quill gordon" more like man, I wish I had a quigley cripple. Of course I still have a place for an EHC or a stimmy, but really not much use for a catskill. I guess they're allright on streams full of dumb cutties that will eat anything. Put that in your pipe and smoke it!

As far as cutting that "V", I have seen it suggested somewhere, maybe an Orvis book? I have no comment on weather that makes it ride any better or not, but I suppose it probably doesn't matter.

[Bamboozle]

I do if I'm too lazy to tie my thorax flies the RIGHT way like Marinaro did using two hackles tied in an X pattern. The Marinaro method doesn't require trimming, (see Modern Dry Fly Code).

But before trimming I give them the drop test on the bench and if they land right, (not doing a headstand), I leave them alone. The widely splayed tails keep them upright most of the time.

The OLD Orvis 3 ring fly patteren book they sold in the 70's-80's did recommend trimming the bottom hackles on thorax flies tied their way.

[Steven]

Bamboozle has it right. Before JC goes "nuts," the Marinaro Thorax Dun had two hackles wrapped in an X. The hackles weren't trimmed.

The Lawson Thorax Dun (the one you see most often today) has the hackles trimmed.

While RonMT points out correctly that a properly tied Catskill should land correctly, even Datus Proper pointed out (in "What the Trout Said") that the traditional winged dry fly can have problems with "cocking."