I had a go at the Silver Ranger. It also has many flaws but I am learning each time I tie one of these. Here, the veil is too long and the cheeks slipped down.
There are many other flaws but I will let you pick them out.
Steve, I don’t tie salmon flies but I think your fly is wonderfully done. If you found all of your flies to be perfect, you wouldn’t have set your goals high enough. I enjoyed looking at the fly that you shared with us and liked hearing your comments on your own creation.
I tied up some parachutes and was showing a few boys at the local TU meeting. One man made a comment that the posts were too tall which had me thinking about that. I then compared them to many published parachute pictures to get another reference which confirmed that the length of the post was exactly where I wanted them. My comments reflect the fact that when you look at your own flies you want to see something specific and when others look at your flies they might have a different set of standards in their head. Just be careful who you want to listen to. Not so much about very stylistic flies like salmon flies but other flies I have been TRYING to put more focus on the bug than other flies. In other words instead of trying to copy another man’s fly, I have been trying to use the insect as a source of inspiration instead of the flies as inspirations. When it is all said and done, insects vary like people do to a point so while we as perfectionists have specific goals in mind while tying the fish are probably looking for different key features than a smooth whip fishinish if you know what I mean.
Looks like you are having fun with your tying. Thanks for sharing and sorry that I took a little strange twist with the response this morning.
Rick
Good looking from here… is that tied on one of the hooks I sent to you??
Steve
Clay, thanks for the kind words and encouragement. I know I will never have the ability to tie these flies like I would like to but you are so right about it being fun. I do learn something new each time I try to tie one and that in itself is hope for a better fly.
By the way, I don’t think you took a left turn at all and completely understand where you are coming from.
Hi Steve.
Thanks for the thumbs up. I have miles and miles to go. I am afraid my shoes might wear out before I can reach the end of the journey but I am going to keep trying.
I did receive the hooks but alas, these are from a different batch. Thanks for the hooks.
Rookie, my frieind, why such a small picture? Hard to pick your fly apart when it’s so small and my eyes are so bad. Just curious, don’t the horns normally go outside the topping? The topping has a lovely fall to it. You picked that plume well.
REE
Thank you Ron,
You are so right. I don’t know how to make the picture bigger and your right about the horns but I didn’t’ have any McCaw feathers so I screwed up big time and just didn’t put any on. that’s the bad thing about changing your tying likes in mid-stream. You have to go out and buy all new fly tying material. (He He)
let me look thru my stuff. seems like i have some macaw i don’t use and can give you, my sis gave it to me. if i find it i’ll let ya know.
That’s very kind of you Wes. Thanks