Because if the first one works and it mangled in the process, I’ll have a backup. I tied these as an experimental dry fly for bass.
Joe, I bet those will work! I always tie 3… because I tend to get hung up on something.
We’ll see Zac. We’ll see.
I’m with Zac on this one. Whenever I try out a new pattern, I always tie at least two for fear of the pattern working great and me losing the only one I have.
Jim Smith
For some reason I tend to tie trout flies in dozens and salmon flies in tens. I don’t have any idea why!
Cheers,
A.
Tie one and you’re guaranteed to lose it just as the fish go crazy (for that fly). Two is good, three even better, because you’ll lose one, the backup will get chewed but you’ll still have the third to use as an example when you get back to the vise that night. Tie any more than that for a test drive and you’ll taste skunk; the fishing gods have rules and are very touchy about this.
Regards,
Scott
I guess I would tie at least 6. One would remain at the fly tying table in a fly box to be used as an example for tying up more. The other 5 would be with me to replace lost flies and I always like to have extra in case I want to give one away to another fisherman.
Agree with WarrenP, although I take it even further. A new pattern deserves at least a half dozen, perhaps an even dozen, and I like to test it for the season. Just because a fly does not produce on the first outing, does not mean it will not produce later, and the waters I fish vary enough that it is going to get a proper chance in multiple situations. If it does not perform, it goes in the donation box which after a couple of seasons, will easily be a few hundred unused flies.
Two ?? Started to do 13’s, the worst one goes into my box and the dozen toward the order…have to kick a gross to get a dozen. At my prices, I couldn’t afford my own work otherwise.