Most Difficult Fly

All about flies Fly Tying
1

I am sure that I am not alone in this. There always seems to be one fly pattern that is more difficult for an individual than any other. I have seen tiers steer away from a number of different patterns.

For me, the Rat Faced McDougall is one that I really wish had never been dreamed up. I think it was Darbee who came up with this concoction and, for me, it has been my nemesis ever since first tying one. You often hear that it is easy, if you use a razor blade, or if you do this, but it has always been a pattern I have avoided.

What is the one pattern you avoid tying?

2

Humpys are fun too. Not really difficult to tie, but to get the right
proportions is very tricky.
Sweetstreams

3

The infamous No-Hackle Dun as written about by Swisher and Richards, originally called the Double-wing Sidewinder, and made famous by Mike Lawson. I can’t tie them worth a dang.:

4

Funny the Rat Faced McDougall gets ya… The Goddard Caddis is one of my absolute favorite flies both to use and to tie… Small spun hair bodies on dries should be easy as there is so little there…

When trimming them I shove all of the hair up by shoving the body down between my thumb and forefinger and I make three cuts… One flat along the top and then knock the two corners off. All three cuts turn down when approaching the tail.

Then I turn it upside down and repeat. Very little trimming is needed after that. The body tends to be slightly wider than tall which I think is both an advantage for floating and looks better.

I am struggling with getting the huge articulated flies we use here to swim better…

5

I can think of many but the one stands out for me is the Muddler Minnow.

Allan

6

So…you consider the Muddler Minnow to be a fly??

7

Royal Wulff in small sizes like a 16 or 18. They are buggers to tie.

8

For me, just about anything with quill wings including the original S&R no hackle mentioned above but also all of those classic quill winged wet flies.

9

RFMcD with a Western Flair.

Agree with the No Hackle as well. Have two nemeisis’: Rat Faced McDougall/Irristible and the Lawson popularized No Hackle.

10

Just now the one I wish I could avoid tying is the Daddy Long Legs with pheasant tail legs. Not because it is difficult, but I need several hundred double knotted pheasant tail fibers (6 per fly) for the several dozen I have on order.

It goes with any fly when I have to tie up more than about 4 dozen at once.

Cheers,
A.

11

AlanB,
I only asked for one Western Green Drake…

12

Yes! I view the Muddler Minnow as an ‘impression’ of a grasshopper which, the last time I checked, is an insect. Now, uhhhhhh, never mind.

13

No Hackle dun for me too… I never tie them any more, the wings are difficult to get just right.

14

The Muddler “hopper”? How well do your streamer/hoppers float?

15

Doug,
Are you back home now? What is the latest you have fished in the Yellowstone Area?

16

Yes Byron, I am home now. The latest I have fished YNP was till the end of September.

17

Serdendipity and quill winged flies.
Glad so many other flies work.

Rick

18

Byron,

This version, of that fly…

[](http://s305.photobucket.com/user/planettrout/media/ANGELO AND HERO/RATFACEDMcDOUGAL-1-_zps88325e86.jpg.html)

Was one of the first dries I ever used. I got it here…

[](http://s305.photobucket.com/user/planettrout/media/ANGELO AND HERO/CHUCKFOTHERGILLSASPEN-1-_zps3029f2b7.jpg.html)

…in that shop on the corner, in Aspen, CO…that was owned by the author of this book…

[](http://s305.photobucket.com/user/planettrout/media/ANGELO AND HERO/CHUCKFOTHERGILLCOANGGUIDE-1-_zps55b599c6.jpg.html)

I had to force myself to learn how to tie it since it was not available in any Fly Shops in CA. That pattern killed on the Roaring Fork and Frying Pan. These days, if I need a tying challenge, all I have to do is open this book…

http://www.amazon.com/Mayflies-Top-Bottom-Shane-Stalcup/dp/1571882421

PT/TB :wink:

19

The Turks Tarantula…^%#$%#^#&*$&$#!!!

20

Interesting. So, when you are fishing hoppers, you tie on a Muddler Minnow?