My First Fly

[Rick58 0]

On 1/10/2025 at 6:30 AM, flytire said:

watch charlie

https://youtu.be/4-Injqr45YE?feature=shared

Yes, his was where I got the instruction. I like Charlies videos.

Here was today's, a Pheasant Tail, but the video was Ventures Fly Co.

 

[niveker 0]

37 minutes ago, Rick58 said:

Here was today's, a Pheasant Tail

👍

[Rick58 0]

My first try at an Elk Hair Caddis.

[Sandan 0]

Not bad at all.  I've heard it said that elk/ deer hair wings with broken tips are a turn off for the fish. Just kidding. It's hard to tell from the picture but it looks like there's some wild hackle towards the bend. How far back did you tie it in?  Before the bend, at the bend or further back? The only other critique I'd add is that I like how you wrapped through the head,  but either too many wraps or cord the thread up or make sure those wraps are one on top of the other. IMHO, 2 wraps through the head are plenty. Then whip finish in front of the head. I'm thinking that you might have whipped on those through wraps. Anyhow free advice is worth what you pay for it. 

[SilverCreek 0]

I agree wit Sandan. I have several suggestions.

1. The fly would look better if you used a hair stacker and so the deer/elk hair for the wings taper naturally and are tied to the correct length on the fly rather than clipped to length.

2. Try to taper the dubbing so that it is thicker at the front and thinner at the rear. A natural has a tapered body.

3. Forget the wire, It is not needed and it binds down the hackle.

4. The hackle projecting from the bottom of the fly will makr the fly ride high on top of the film. This imitates a fluttering caddis but is a poor imitation for a caddis that is floating FLAT on the film. To imitate a caddis that is not fluttering, clip the hackle flat off the bottom of the fly.

 

 

[Rick58 0]

On 1/22/2025 at 8:42 PM, Sandan said:

 It's hard to tell from the picture but it looks like there's some wild hackle towards the bend. How far back did you tie it in?  Before the bend, at the bend or further back? The only other critique I'd add is that I like how you wrapped through the head,  but either too many wraps or cord the thread up or make sure those wraps are one on top of the other. IMHO, 2 wraps through the head are plenty. Then whip finish in front of the head. I'm thinking that you might have whipped on those through wraps. Anyhow free advice is worth what you pay for it. 

I think I got a wrap too much on the hackle, I ended it at the wire just before the bend. The finish was a five turn, as you said the two would have been fine.

[Rick58 0]

4 hours ago, SilverCreek said:

I agree wit Sandan. I have several suggestions.

1. The fly would look better if you used a hair stacker and so the deer/elk hair for the wings taper naturally and are tied to the correct length on the fly rather than clipped to length.

2. Try to taper the dubbing so that it is thicker at the front and thinner at the rear. A natural has a tapered body.

3. Forget the wire, It is not needed and it binds down the hackle.

4. The hackle projecting from the bottom of the fly will makr the fly ride high on top of the film. This imitates a fluttering caddis but is a poor imitation for a caddis that is floating FLAT on the film. To imitate a caddis that is not fluttering, clip the hackle flat off the bottom of the fly.

 

 

I value the critique.

1. I hate to say it, but I tried a new stacker I'd just got the same day I did this one, it was horrible trying to stack with it, I gave up on the stacker and tried to even the end as good as possible. 

 2. I'll pay more attention to the taper. Likewise, I was having trouble getting it wrapped tight. I've thought about maybe a dubbing loop?

 3. I'll give that a try.

 4. I'll fix that. 

[niveker 0]

That's a good attempt.  Good advise from those above, especially #4 from Silvercreek.  For smaller hooks I'll leave the hackle off altogether.  

1 hour ago, Rick58 said:

I tried a new stacker I'd just got the same day I did this one, it was horrible trying to stack with it

Are you cleaning as much of the underfur from the hair before stacking?  That can get in the way of a good stack job.

1 hour ago, Rick58 said:

I was having trouble getting it wrapped tight

Sometimes to get a tightly wrapped/dubbed body, I make a thinner dubbing noodle and make 2 or 3 passes up and down the shank.  Its easier to get a satisfactory taper and makes the body a little more durable.  

[Rick58 0]

20 hours ago, niveker said:

That's a good attempt.  Good advise from those above, especially #4 from Silvercreek.  For smaller hooks I'll leave the hackle off altogether.  

Are you cleaning as much of the underfur from the hair before stacking?  That can get in the way of a good stack job.

Sometimes to get a tightly wrapped/dubbed body, I make a thinner dubbing noodle and make 2 or 3 passes up and down the shank.  Its easier to get a satisfactory taper and makes the body a little more durable.  

Yes, I removed as much as possible. I think that stacker was too large. I think on the wrap I was applying the dub backward, being left-handed I think I was wrapping counterclockwise.

[Sandan 0]

I'm a lefty also. Wrap away from you over the top of the hook shank. I think that's clockwise. For us lefties, wrapping eye to bend uncords(flattens) the thread. Bend to eye just the opposite. Keep up the good work and don't be ashamed to use that razor blade of you aren't satisfied. At each stage of the fly you can always go back to the previous stage if you're not happy with it. Sometimes when I'm experimenting with a new pattern I'll half hitch at the end of each stage so I can go back if I'm not satisfied without resorting to the razor. I hope that makes sense. There's also the theory that working on a particular technique until you're comfortable with it is a good practice before tying the complete fly. Anyhow, like I said,  free advice is worth what you pay for it. 

[Rick58 0]

Yes Sandan, it makes sense, good advice. I did this one this evening.

[Sandan 0]

I like that one much better. Good job. The head is really good. Still it looks like you're starting the hackle too far back. Try tying the hackle in above the barb and leave a small amount of bare stem between where you tie it in and the first barbules.  The wing looks much better in terms of being nice and even. I still say those "blunt" hairs have to go. Of course the fish don't care, or do they?  What I also like is that you aren't switching patterns willy nilly but rather working on that EHC to get it down. Don't quit now. 

[Rick58 0]

Thanks Sandan, I'll keep that in mind about the hackle. I need to watch those broken tips.

I switched today back to a Pheasant Tail, by Ventures Fly Co. I wanted to do a few more in #14 and then back to the EHC.

[Rick58 0]

Today's tied w/o wire wrap. Savage Flies video. #16 hook.

[Gene L 0]

Looks a lot better.  You can clip the palmered hackle on top of the body to flatten it out.