hairwing

Hadn't seen this fly myself but could be a solution to your problem. Lot's going on with this long hackled dry fly that doesn't fit the normal thoughts associated with the "dry fly" technique.

100 spools are worth something ! What colors you got ? Any variegated ?

Here is the report from my window screen this morning 11am 3/6/2016, a female baetis, measuring 8mm....sz#16. Let the season be officially underway !!!

Lefty's take....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoC9cDva8Fw ...and not to many flies make it to the postage stamp level.

A "looper"....

Cree hackle and John Atherton are synonymous to me. Check out his book "The Fly and the Fish" (1951). https://books.google.com/books?id=g1SJCwAAQBAJ&pg=PT46&dq=the+fly+and+the+fish&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwifppap54vLAhXjr4MKHVLDBjEQ6AEIRTAD#v=onepage&q=the%20fly%20and%20the%20fish&f=false Personally I think the cree hackle is a lot of hokus pokus like so many other things in fly ting but you can be the judge. The cree hackle does tie a nice looking fly if you are into the artsy side of the craft.

John Barr is the originator of the Copper John and you will find some very good incite in his book "Barr Flies: How to Tie and Fish the Copper John .......". SBS of the original Copper John is included in Chapter 1, giving detail as to how it's done. https://books.google.com/books?id=sP8e25Vh050C&printsec=frontcover&dq=john+barr&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjr2vv214vLAhVKvYMKHUlgAzMQ6AEIKzAA#v=onepage&q=john%20barr&f=false

Some of the thread you show is rod winding thread and to a rod re-finisher, in search of the perfect match, a matching thread is worth a premium. There is a shop close by to me which has thread for sale and it is sold by the "foot" for refinishing old rods ! Mind you this thread is older than most, antique or vintage comes to mind, and holds up fine when used for the refurbishing of rods in need. Nymo and monocord are large diam threads and used to tie Big Nymphs and streamers. They were popular threads in the 50/ 60's and 70's. I don't see much 00 rod winding thread for sale in the shops nowadays, mostly size A. I wrapped my first rod with 00 because of the recommendation of a shop hand who explained that the finer rods in his line up used the 00. You have the right idea with the flies you have tied; and do look into using some of the silk for nymphs since it has a way of changing colors when wet.

Actually I thought about this "cupping" and did not see it as a problem but a solution....http://www.flytyingforum.com/index.php?showtopic=79290&hl=%2Bbent+%2Bhackle+%2Btips YMMV

Neither one would be a fishing fly for me, both are works of art and would have a prime spot in a fly shadow box. Continue....

I don't know the name of the fly....do you? What's your guess?

.....Thoreau. Stephen Hawking has been in the news lately, check out his lapel.

Two world record trout were caught on the "Grizzly Shrimp" in the '70's, one by Del Canty (originator of the fly pattern) and the other by Joe Butler, a friend of Canty's. I don't think the recipe is all that sacred, it's the shape and form that's important. Fur with guard hairs for a tail, squirrel, badger, rabbit etc......, I used fox. A grizzly hackle for a palmer rib and a chenille body (I used med. olive). Extra guard hairs and fur are tied in tips first before the body and hackle and are humped over the body and tied at the head of the fly. Feel free to tie a big head with thread. Think crayfish when you put it together. Del Canty was an Ichthyologist and knew his quarry and the habits of the fish he caught plus the workings of the particular ecosystem he fished intimately. He was a fearless fisherman, fishing in extreme weather and conditions; and the trout he caught were truly big trophy's. Here is a quote from a site concerning something I thought was important....Females carrying eggs or hatchlings are highly susceptible to predators, because they cannot use their normal tail-flipping escape response. - See more at: http://www.thefishsite.com/articles/832/crawfish-biology/#sthash.unTiw24K.dpuf . Be like Del and look into the crawfish in your area and find their habits and you will be ahead of the game.

Ah !!! lots of splits in that cape.....but just think, when you repair most of them you will have become an "expert" on JC eye repair. You'll be able to do a vid .