What is your “ nemesis” fly?

[Trouttramp 0]

Question for all you fly tyers out there.

What fly, or technique  has been a thorn in your side? 
The fly that you never seem happy with when finished?

For me, I tie very utilitarian stuff, the thing that I’ve tried and failed miserably at is upright quill wings. 
Yes I’ve watched all the YouTube videos, and still, no go…..

 

Cmon, let’s hear it, could be interesting.

[Philly 0]

When I took a couple of fly tying years ago they showed us how to do upright and split wings.  I never mastered the method, so all my dry flies just have wrapped hackle for "wings".  The trout don't seem to care.  I've never been able to do a whip finish either with a tool or my fingers.  The solution I came up with for small flies is to coat the thread with a bit of super glue and make a couple of wraps, then trim the tag end with a razor blade.  For larger flies and warm water flies, which is pretty much all I tie these days,  I place a floss threader on the head and make three or four wraps over it then pull the tag end under the wraps and trim with a razor blade.  Somewhere I have a container full of flies I haven't been happy with but they cover the spectrum of flies I've tied over the years.  Sometimes I go through them and strip the fly if it's tied on a style of hook I'm short of.   The only thing I'm finicky about these days is making sure the legs that go through the body on some of my poppers are level when I pull them through the body.

[flytire 0]

full dressed salmon flies

deer hair flies. i can spin hair around a hook shank but i prefer not to

now with my fading eyesight, size 20 and smaller. i never got the infatuation regarding tying a size 32. is it a macho thing?

i can tie woven flies bit they're no pretty (ugly flies do catch fish)

however, if i really put my mind to it and study a technique, i think i can do it

i'm not into saltwater flies or pike and musky flies. theyre not for me

 

 

[RickZieger 0]

Spinning deer hair and stimulator flies.

Rick

[DarrellP 0]

I am getting where smaller than a 16 is hard to see.  I am not good with dries.  I cannot marry wings.

[Heff2 0]

I can’t tie small, 16 and under might as well be brain surgery.  
 

the no-hackle dry is also one I can’t seem to get right tho I’ve not spent too much time trying to nail it down 

[Bryon Anderson 0]

The only fly that I've attempted and that I still struggle with on a regular basis is Jack Dennis's Parawulff, which has a hair wing with the bottom half of the wing being a parachute post, and the top half divided into two separate wings. I get maybe one out of every 4 I attempt to come out looking halfway right, especially if the hook is a 16 or smaller. 

I used to struggle mightily with the Humpy, until I finally gave up on trying to use the same bunch of hair to make both the shell back and the wings. Now I usually just tie the foam-backed version (wings tied separately) and call it a day.

[DFoster 0]

I tie trout flies size #10  to #26 and streamers for trout, land locked Salmon and smallmouth from size #10 to #4. The reality for trout fishermen is that there are times when really small flies are the only way to catch them.  For me size 18 classic dries and winged wets are a challenge.  A powerful head band magnifier helps a lot but anyway you cut it tiny flies are tough.  I can do it but it's always a struggle.

[DrLogik 0]

Flies smaller than 16 are a no-go unless it's a Griffith's Gnat.  Those I can still handle.  It's the eyes, not the hands.  I keep putting it off but I need to get a pair of those wear-on-the-head magnifiers.

[SalarMan 0]

For me, I've never managed to get the hang of the criss/cross "X" hackle of the Marino dry flies. This despite sitting in his home all those years ago and watching...still a no go.

Plus...I HATE to spin deer hair. It is a pain in the butt and to get to the finished fly creates an awful mess!!

[Bryon Anderson 0]

On 5/8/2024 at 12:04 PM, DrLogik said:

I keep putting it off but I need to get a pair of those wear-on-the-head magnifiers.

I got one of these from Amazon for pyrography and wood carving, and found it such a game-changer that I ordered a second one for my fly tying bench. 

https://a.co/d/7vLUKAk

[SalarMan 0]

I remember sitting at my tying desk a number of years ago thinking these flies are supposed to be fuzzy...BUT NOT THAT FUZZY. A pair of readers solved the problem.

Leave the ego at the desk and go get some readers. If you thing you need 1.5's, buy 2.0's. Trust me on that!! 😁

[Poopdeck 0]

I only tie simple flies that I like to fish so I really don’t have a “nemesis” fly but when fly tying my nemesis is time and patience. I can’t sit at the vise and tie more than two simple flies at a time. In fact it’s more usual for me to tie one fly and a couple hours later tie another. I just get bored at the vise because I’m not really a fly tier, I’m just a guy who likes to fish and tying flies is just a small extension of that. 

[Sandan 0]

On 5/8/2024 at 10:44 AM, SalarMan said:

For me, I've never managed to get the hang of the criss/cross "X" hackle of the Marino dry flies. This despite sitting in his home all those years ago and watching...still a no go.

 

I'd have loved an opportunity like that. I struggle with that "X" wrap too. Also with his technique for turning a collar hackle into spinner wings.  You just have to be so delicate. And now George, you just gave me a new "project" to work on.