So, I confess. I tie more flies than I ever use. When preparing for a trip (or simply using that as an excuse for tying), I fill fly boxes with all manner of flies. But, when I arrive at my fishing destination, I usually only use a handful of those flies. This is particularly true if some of the hatches I prepared for do not happen for one reason or another.
For example, I recently was fortunate enough to spend 6 days in the Patagonia Region of Chile. We fished a variety of water; and, yet, we only used about 6 common patterns. The most productive pattern on nearly all the water was a “hopper/dropper” set-up with a bead head as the dropper.
If you fish the Madison (and there is no hatch going on), you will most likely fish a similar set-up.
Probably the most often used dropper on the Madison in recent years is the simple Shop-vac.
There is an excellent, short video of tying this proven producer on Youtube done by Arrick of Arrick’s Fly Shop in West Yellowstone, Montana. at the link provided below. He is a really excellent, no nonsense fly tier (in my opinion).
So, tie away, but be sure to tie some of the high producing flies for your area of fishing as they might be the few flies you will actually use…LOL
Use to tie small beadheads at Arrick’s right after they opened up across from Buds,
There use to be a fellow from NYC that worked there and during one summer his boy around 10yo
befriended my young one , they hit it off and tied in the shop nearly every day for a week,
Good memories, and yes I am guilty as well…
sorry to go off in another direction, if I can find a photo I’ll post it just for fun , Arrick’s fly and guild shop West Yellowstone great place
Steve,
Good story.
Arrick is so down-to-earth. That’s something I really like about him.
Several years ago, I was in his shop and bemoaned the fact that I couldn’t find any Matuka patterns. I said I couldn’t find them in any of the shops in West, but we had used them, almost exclusively in the past for streamers in the area.
He agreed and said he has thought about fishing the “old” patterns, exclusively, for an entire season.
While I do not suffer from COT (compulsive over tying) I am lucky enough to have a nephew who does.
He only took up FF and FT a year ago and he is immersed in it. And he is good. He follows recipes and turns out fine flies.
I benefit from his COT as he is now tying for me.
I received a dozen little furry nymphs he calls Killer Bugs and a tee-shirt he bought for me from Fly Tiers Anonymous. He also bought one for his son who ties and of course for himself.
When I started fly fishing I could keep every fly I owned in 2 fly boxes, now I carry 4 boxes and keep the rest of my flies in big plastic compartment boxes at home!
Ha…I think there are many of us here who wish we had the time to spend on “over tying”. I certainly wouldn’t consider it a bad thing at all, because one day having lots more time to tie might lead me to get into tying some of those beauty Salmon and Spey flies that I’ve seen from some of the great tyers on this site.
