Realistic flies are they really?

[mcfly 0]

I haven't tied any realistic flies. I'm not sure if I will, maybe someday but for now I tie flies to catch fish.

 

Looking at some of the realistic mayflies I have doubts if they appear "realistic" on the stream. From what I understand dry flies are made to float on the stream with the hackle leaving dimples in the surface film that in turn reflects light making them easy to spot for the fish. Now, if this is the case it appears that many of the realistic dries would sink or float in the surface film creating less of a display for the fish.

 

I know the realistics dries I see on this site appear "real" to me but do they to the fish?

 

 

[fish 0]

This is a good question. I like you tend to use flies that I know catch fish. I did buy some super realistic mayfly nymphs to match hatches once. I used them I think correctly but I can tell you that my success rate was lower than by using a hare's ear nymph or 52 buick. They are beautiful things and it is nice to have a couple in the fly box to show others but they stay pretty dry in my fly box.

[Graham 0]

I think that’s a great question. I’ve definitely tyed adult mayflies that lay on their side and or sink when put on water, but I enjoy the multi faceted challenge of trying to remedy the flies’ poor presentation while also trying to improve the realistic aspects. For me it’s a fun and relaxing way to try and improve my tying. While experimenting with different materials occasionally I find something that can be used to improve the durability or effectiveness of my regular fishing flies, such a clear, printable, tear-proof material for stonefly nymph wing cases.

 

Your question is actually one I’ve asked myself many times, especially since I spend hours tying flies that I know will never be fished. It’s probably similar to wood carvers making intricate duck decoys, that will either never hit the field, or, if used outdoors, could be replaced with a plastic imitation might work just as well or better. I don’t know why so many people around here have 4 wheel drive vehicles because over 90% never go off road. Oh well, maybe some people just do things that don’t seem to make sense because it feels good, or maybe just a way to demonstrate ones skills.

 

Personally, for me, I never studied very hard in school, spent way too much time doodling intricate drawings, and figured someday I’d be an artist… Well, for the past 25 years since high school I’ve been working my butt off, and never spent anytime doing anything remotely artistic. I’ve always loved fishing, and for about the past 12 years have mostly fly fished, which ultimately drew me into fly tying. I’ve tyed more flies than I’ll probably fish with in my lifetime and lately experimentation and artistry has been included and finally, I have an artistic outlet that I find fascinating and immensely enjoyable. In fact lately I’ve spent time trying to focus more on making my flies unusual rather than fishable. I have certainly learned more about aquatic insects since delving deeper into realistic tying, which hopefully will prove beneficial when time is spent on the water. Even more recently I’ve been experimenting trying to make my flies even more pleasing to my eyes than fish eyes. For example, non existent natural color schemes and even covering flies with exotic feathers just for decoration, such as the dragonfly I recently tied for Bud Guidry. When Bud sent me a magnificent fly called Emerald Angel I truly enjoyed having a theme to tye by, trying to make a fly that could be called by the same name, but considered somewhat realistic and completely different than his salmon fly. I was happy the way that fly turned out. Speaking of salmon flies, I have tremendous respect for the tyers and historians who are driven by a passion to create fancy flies as well as fishing flies. Granted, these fancies would likely fish well and catch salmon while some realistics may sink like a rock. But, for now, I am happy and contented to continue experimenting at the vise and I’m so grateful that this forum has allowed me to friend brethren from around the globe who share this desire.

 

Ok, enough rambling on, and I could keep rambling…lol..

 

Cheers,

Graham

 

[Gregg A 0]

I think you got flies that catch fish, and you got flies that catch fishermen. I put most of the realistics in the latter catagory. I dont think I'd ever have the cajones to use any of the realistics we see here (I'd frame them and stick em on the wall), but I bet they would probably work just fine. Even if it didnt act the way the real bug would, what fish would pass up chomping onto one of these babies we see posted here?

[mcfly 0]

I enjoy looking at the posts with many of the realistic flies in them and to be honest I'd bet a lot of the nymphs would probably work as well. I just happened to be messing around with the hackle on a fly I tied that was to sparce and then wondered how the realistics I see on here float.

 

Graham I'm certain if you want to ramble on no one here minds and I'm in no way trying to push that one form of tying is "more" valid than another. At some point in the future I'll move up to realistic flies as art or possibly to fish with, maybe when the kids are moved out and I have time to focus on things I enjoy.

 

After rereading my previous post it sounded as if I didn't believe you could catch fish on realistic flies and that isn't exactly what I was thinking when I opened up this tread. More or less I was curious about how they compared.

 

 

 

[steelie 0]

Good Day,

 

My two cents...

 

"Fishable" realistics have their place and are most likely here to stay. Many of our streams ore fished hard, and this extra effort at the vise can really pay off. It seams that subsurface, terrestrial, caddis and stonefly adult flies of this nature seem, at this point, to fish very well if not better for me. When it comes to mayflies, this is a different story. I am still trying to develop a truely fishable realistic mayfly. Two problems so far are the whirling or helicoptering of the fly while casting, causing tippet to twist and tangle, or they just don't land right most of the time. Sure I can feed line into a lie, but.... In time someone will break the barrier. But nearly every mayfly pattern, including "traditional" patterns, can sometimes suffer the same problems. Rolling, lying on their side, etc. But like life in general, if you have confidence in your approach, then you are 90% there.

 

Steelie

[SullyTM 0]

Do realistic patterns catch fish? Yes! I have had success using fishable realistics. For example, this past summer I tied a realistic blue damselfly and the bass and bluegill all seemed to enjoy it! I've had salmon jump all over my stonefly realistics! I'm not an expert on the habits of fish so I'm not opposed to trying flies that aren't usually associated with a particular fish.

 

I agree with Graham...I enjoy the challenge of tying realsitics AND traditional flies. I find that both categories produce flies I would never fish with!

 

Later. SullyTM

[Joe Hard 0]

I think with the advent of new materials all of our patterns are becoming more realistic. If we could come up with a realistic mayfly that would have a realistic footprint on the water, man couldnt we catch those fusy fish. The foot print dun tied more realisticly would be a killer on slow moving deep and still waters.

[Alex C. 0]

I think there are different levels of realism concerning fishing flys. Some flys are tied to look exactly like the real thing, but on the water they'll sink like a rock, and on the water won't have the natural movements of the real insect. The next step down would be realistic fishing flys, these look much more like the real thing than a standard pattern would, and fish half way descent, then there are regular flys such as an adams, they work well even though when held next to the natural don't have a whole lot in common, other than color and size.

 

I don't want to sound like I have discovered or am pioneering anything that hasn't been done, or is being done already, so please don't take what I'm about to try to say as such

 

When I started tying, all of the flys I tied were tied to imitate the picture of that particular fly from whatever resource I got the recipe and not the actual bug it was supposed to represent. I finally got the confidence to tie a realistic. I realized that the proprtion of the fly was the most important thing and also found out that for many of the more popular hatches that the standard proportions of fishing flys weren't always right. I was also playing around with catching the real thing and studying how they move in their natural enviroment. Then I realized that although they worked, many of the nymphs I was tying at the time were dead looking compared to the natural. I had this idea in my head on how I wanted my flys to look/act in the water but couldn't put it into words. Then I bought Shane Stalcup's book, Mayflies Top to Bottom. It was when I was reading the introduction that he said what I was thinking and I'll quote it.

 

" When it comes to creating new patterns some tiers take the approach of imitation and others, including myself, go the way of realism. To make the fly look real does not mean tying in individual legs, eyes and mouth. The lifelike features come from the carefully chosen materials for various parts of the fly. For example, the body of any mayfly nymph is segmented which is why I use a lot of goose biots and micro tubing for this body part. These materials are far more realstic than a body dubbed with muskrat fur. The choice of materials can only come however when one first knows what the fly looks like."

 

I like to think I have my own style of tying now, but really when I think about it and get off my high horse, my tying is kind of a cornicopia of styles from tyers like Stalcup, David Martin, Paul Whillock, Kelley Galloup, Frank Mercer, and many of the guys on this forum. Although my tying is meak in comparison to the poeple I just mentioned, the flys I tie now almost always revolve around things I've taken from what they've written. I absolutley love tying with marabou, cdc, micro foam, deer hair, partridge, and some thin foam stuff I have no clue what to call it.

 

I guess what I'm trying to say is you don't have to tie perfect replications of flys to consider them realistic, what I think is most important is that the fly acts like the natural, and when it floats over a trout, needs to have the proper characteristics that normally come into it's focus first

[fishyfranky 0]

Of course, a realistic fly should appear realistic to the fish yet one wonders just how selective they are given the numerous patterns that exist for any one insect.

 

Whether a fly is realistic or impressionistic, if it is good at catching fish then it can become bad if it is overexposed. I've yet to come across a pattern that can repeatedly catch the same group of fish over and over again.

 

A realistic pattern may do well initially if other anglers are using impressionistic patterns or a realistic that is not similar. But I'll hazard to guess that the primary reason for success is the novelty. Many times I've switched to a bigger, more impressionistic pattern and done well, better than the anglers who have switched to smaller, realistic immitations.

 

[British mike 0]

I have to agree with Graham, I have been tying flies for a long time and like Graham have never been what I acll artisic, that was until I tied flies of my own design. I tie hundreds of flies that I know will catch fish and then will have days when I just want to tie a realistic, true to life insect just for the hell of it and to "be artistic"

I am the same with classic salmon flies I find nothing gives me more pleasure at the vise than building a classic fully dressed salmon fly from my own design, wether it ends up on the end of a leader of in a frame on my wall is imaterial to me.

Mike...........The Brit has spoken......

[Graham 0]

Hi British Mike,

 

I get a lot of enjoyment playing with the artistic aspect of fly tying. I'm making a sizable display for my tying area, here's a very small section, where you might get a feeling for how much fun I have.

 

 

Cheers,

Graham

[British mike 0]

That looks awesome Graham.........have to make sure they are kept in an aquarium....you dont want them running over the house do you?

As soon as i have finished building this damn house I will get back to the bench and hope to post some pics.

[redkid 0]

When it comes to mayflies, this is a different story. I am still trying to develop a truely fishable realistic mayfly. Two problems so far are the whirling or helicoptering of the fly while casting, causing tippet to twist and tangle, or they just don't land right most of the time. Sure I can feed line into a lie, but.... In time someone will break the barrier. But nearly every mayfly pattern, including "traditional" patterns, can sometimes suffer the same problems. Rolling, lying on their side, etc.

 

I dont know if it helps.. but I had the same problem.. Searched a long time for a mayfly pattern,and finaly developped it myself.. I'm prety pleased...

 

 

 

[Alex C. 0]

As far as realistic mayflies go for fishing, I really like the looks of the PH Mayfly. There was a step by step on it in Fly Tyer a couple issues ago, not really hard to tie and is much more realistic than a normal dry. I still haven't tied it well enough that I would take a ic and post it but hopefully soon.