flyDology

I've been away from my fly tying desk the past couple of years and away from the forums. Thats a bad practice that I must alleviate at once, I hope I am forgiven for my neglect. Fly tying is therapy and art and good for your soul, if not a gateway to fly fishing fulfillment. It's good karma to share art. Recently, I have decided to assemble a collection of the twelve most influential and popular steelhead patterns for the West Coast to motivate my fly tying sessions. You can read more about the Essential Twelve Classics on my website. I am sure we all have our own list of what the most influential, classic and essential steelhead fly patterns are, I am sharing my list of what I have collected over my lifetime of fly tying. I am sure you have your list - we all do. #1 on the list is the General Practitioner as developed by Esmond Drury as an Atlantic Salmon Fly. This fly has been popularized by West Coast steelheaders and has undergone many transformations as creative as steelhead fly tiers are. I once tied this fly commercially to be sold in Portland Oregons fly shops. Bill McMillan had commissioned me to tie these on heavy 3/0 salmon irons for use with the dry line technique in vogue before spey rods marched onto the scene back in 1995. I now tie them as close to what I can find are the original dressing as noted by Esmond Drury -- Mainly from memory and mainly by my own fly tying style. I caught my first Pacific Salmon and Steelhead on a 2/0 General Practitioner and thats why it has earned a spot in the Essential twelve. Hook: Partridge Salar #3 Thread: Orange Tag: Medium gold oval french tinsel Tail: Dyed hot orange polar bear with a topping of golden pheasant tippets and golden pheasant flank feather. Tag: Medium gold oval french tinsel Rib: Medium gold oval french tinsel Body: Hot Orange Seal fear tied in two sections. In the middle section a golden pheasant tippet feather and flank feather tied flat on top. Hackle: Orange saddle hackle palmered through both sections. Wing: Golden pheasant tippet feather and flank feather tied flat on top.

A new addition to the fly pattern database has been submitted by floydiology: Drunella Emerger

Cool Video, I am a big Rush fan and these style of flies work VERY WELL, thanks for sharing Have you seen this tutorial? Maol Roid Tutorial Cheers!

Hi, the recipe is found in the database here. recipe The wing is an insulating paper - like a fiberglass paper found in construction sites. Don't know he exact name of it, had a friend give me a huge amount of it. Its a lot like web wing, which I suppose would make a suitable substitute.

I like the concept of the contest, I enter lots of them, but I like to tie classic style dry flies and don't do the realistic style. I don't want to enter my classics if they are going to be judged against a realistic, or semi-realistic pattern. Its like entering a horse in a cat show. Perhaps the classic dry fly should be s category in itself. Anyway, I'm just not on the ball with it this year, so entering is out of the question.

this is exactly why I wont enter this contest.

I offer a partridge skin rescue service. Any and all partridge skins full of plumage are welcome to retire at my place where they will be treated with utmost respect and fulfill a destiny adorning a soft hackle of pure silk floss and cast upon a proper trout stream.

Its the ONLY way to go, its the adrenaline rush equivalent of B.A.S.E. jumping. BTW,spinning deer hair is not that hard, Spinning Tutorial

yes, it does both very well

Dale, the antennae is Wapsi flexi-floss. I think I'm going to experiment with this material more, perhaps knotted and added as legs.

A new addition to the fly pattern database has been submitted by floydiology: Chihulli Glass Pupa

Way cool mok...CONGRATS!!! :headbang: :yahoo:

you guys keep saying that this fly "should" be effective. I wouldn't post a fly that wasn't at the least VERY effective. :headbang:

I have been having a lot of fun the past month with the L. dicosmeocus caddis The VM October Caddis Its a variation of the Voljk - Moser Caddis Hook: Daiichi #285 Size 10 Body: Dubbed golden brown deer hair - spun in dubbing loop and trimmed to shape Wing: Dee's wing mottled brown webwing Hackle: Brown saddle Antennae: Stripped hackle stems

Ive got a dozen in my working steelhead box. I will be using them in a few more weeks. Nice tie BTW

most importantly, if you have established that the fish your fishery have a taste for orange rubber legs, by all means use it!

I fish with a golden roughly 60% of the time while search fishing and have developed several of my own pet patterns, a few have made it to the market too. If I had to choose, I'd go with the middle and shorten that rabbit tail to the point it don't exist for the sake of catching and add one more set of wing buds. Golden stones are not swimmer but they are very active predators, incorporating active legs is better than a swimming tail. I do fish HARD pressured water and the fish have seen everything, using the dyna floss in lieu of the rubber legs is a good idea that I have incorporated into the commercial version of my golden stone. So, combine the far right with the middle without the orange rubber and you got a fish catchin winner.

I have lots of vices, gave a few up to like smoking..but enjoy the others too much. ohh...those kind of vices....sheet brudda....I love my dyna-king!

This is likely the most difficult dry fly to master and to tie well. You are certainly on the right track and tying some respectable fishing flies. I tie 1 hackle completely behind the wing and one in front of the wing, instead of both tied behind the wing and wrapped all the way forward past the wing. This way I get a nice clean full hackle. There is a good example of the full hackle found here Good luck and keep at it John

I knew my lil sister was fast! Gotta love it, thanks for making me smile with this shot!

I hope everything is ok for you Jamie.

I really like this fly, Im sure Rich will be happy to see it too. The American Lace capes are really nice to work with and you have detailed the feathers nicely on this dressing. John

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I would like to share share a few dry flys that were just awarded blue ribbons in a local tying contest. I know I have posted these before, I was excited to win with them. H&L Variant Royal Stimulator

i dunno?