This old style fly has a couple great things going for it:
- Always lands correctly; and
- The hackle is off to the sides (sort of more like the insect)
Byron,
Nicely tied.
I like the look of the Water Walker style of fly, and tie the odd one in Terry’s memory, but by and large I think they are a solution looking for a problem.
Cheers,
Hans W
Here’s a little article about the fly written by Al and Gretchen Beatty:
http://www.flytyer.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1486&Itemid=90
Byron, thanks for that link. I somehow got the Water Walker linked to Terry Hellekson, but it would appear my memory has played tricks on me. The article by Al and Gretchen, and they should know, ties the pattern to Frank Johnson.
Cheers,
Hans W
Hans,
Terry Hellekson, in his book “Popular Fly Patterns” written in 1976, includes the Water Walker style fly and also credits it to Frank Johnson, whom he refers to as “Mr. Waterwalker”. I believe Johnson originally used the double hackle method on his extended body flies.
It is just one of hundreds of patterns discussed in his fine book.
I’ve watched Harley Reno from the Idaho Falls area tie the Water Walker several times. I always got a headache watching him. But they are a neat fly, and Harley wouldn’t bother with them if they didn’t catch the trouts.
Nicely done, Bryon. If you want to send some along I’ll do some field testing ASAP. :roll:
John
If the issue is landing upright all the time, then I wonder if paraloop style flies would be a better option. Plus, a heck of a lot easier to tie. I can’t say I’ve tried the comparison, and with parachutes not being my favorite, tying two per fly would drive me crazy.
Tim -
My recollection of Harley’s priorities were “footprint” of the double parachute and its floatation on rough water.
Harley is a Ph.D. in Fisheries Science. He is one of the most complete, all around anglers I’ve had the pleasure of knowing.
If you hustle on down to Idaho Falls to be there by 10:00 a.m. on December 22, maybe he will tie a water walker for you.
http://jimmysflyshop.com/fly-tying-demos/
If you get there a week earlier, you can watch Mike Lawson. Bet he ties his “no hackle”, along with some other very interesting flies. The book signing is probably “Spring Creeks.”
I really miss those winter Saturday morning fly tying demos at Jimmy’s. 
John
John, don’t tempt me so 
Good point on the footprint aspect. I guess I was thinking the paraloop would present a similar hackle footprint as the Water Walker with the added benefit of the body itself riding lower in the water.
I would love to see those guys tie! I just heard our ‘local’ shop is closing. The closest now will be 75mi away 
Tim
Moscow,
Here’s a paraloop from this morning in the same general color scheme. I do tie and fish paraloops quite a bit. I do feel more confident with upright, divided wings though when the fish are picky.
Byron, Byon… let me get this straight. You are imitating a mayfly, which sails along with the wings together, like a single upright sail, and you feel more confident using an imitation which has divided wings on “picky fish”?
Tell me more… 
Hans W
running&ducking
Huummm…
I feel trapped here - trying to defend hundreds of years of dry fly dressing all by myself.
When I fish, I try to get a float so that my fly is floating “eye first” toward the target fish. Most of the underwater photography of an approaching mayfly I have seen shows two wing tips as the first thing entering the trout’s window. Then more of the divided wings, and then(in separate location) part of the insect body, and, finally, the joined parts.
My mind suggests, for example, your countrymen Clarke and Goddard’s book. Should check before citing it, but I think they cover the trout’s vision in relation to insects and imitations.
Now, I haven’t personally done such research, but I do tend to notice that they have two wings as their wings seem to me, particularly, from the front, to offer two separate wing tips.
An upright, divided wing pair, from the side will appear as a single wing unless the trout jumps out to get a better look? Remember, the trout are under water and don’t view things from above as we do?
I will continue to believe in the ignorance of my ancestors in fly tying. LOL.?? Or, am I missing something?
Of course, who are we kidding? Perhaps the best all-around dry fly is the comparadun/sparkle dun. Now, what sillouhette does it produce from the side??? And what sillouhette from the front? A 180 degree fan represents a mayfly’s paired wings?
Who knows?
Looking for help here!!!
… if you are willing to accept that some recently emerged BWOs sitting on very flat water ( on a little backwater on the Henry’s Fork several years ago ) …
… and some spinners resting on my back window ( PMDs, as I recall without double checking my logs, from Lolo Creek ) …
… would take a “divided wings” position on moving water ??
Most of the pix I have of mayflies do show them at rest with their wings very close together, and that is the impression that I have if I just try to recollect what they usually look like from the times I’ve seen them on the water.
BUT, things ain’t always so, either way. :roll:
John
John,
I was only yanking Byron’s chain. I will and do readily concede that mayfly duns, on the water, can have both wings together and wings separate 8)
Cheers,
Hans W
Chain Pulled.LOL
Hans,
Here is a small excerpt from the 1980 Clarke and Goddard book “The Trout and the Fly - What the Trout Sees”. I’m sure they would not mind. It is a great book and well worn. It influenced my thinking quite a bit. I would highly recommend it. It is the book which brought about, amongst other things, their famous (for the time) USD pattern. The Up Side Down pattern. (which included two wings)…
so we’re apparently worried about “picky” trout caring that the wings of our dry flies are divided, while the actual insect’s wings are nearly transparent and may or may not be held in contact with one another… all the while our dry flies have a giant steel hook curving around under the abdomen, a round loop hook eye at the front, and a leader attached to it.
Divided wings, undivided wings, or NO wings on a dry fly only matter to the fishermen.
So many chains, so little time… 
Hans, have you ever tied a Royal Coachman? Have you ever fished a Royal Coachman? Have you ever seen a hatch of Royal Coachmen?
(One supposes they went extinct without any Royal Coachwomen…)
I offer warm and cheerful holiday regards to all.
Ed, Swamp Witch Betty’s jovial toad