Proposed 2006 FTOTY Categories

[Guest]

Here is my first draft of categories for the 2006 FTOTY Contest and I would like to hear some feedback. As I said I would do I have condensed the categories but I have set them up so that you can still enter the same number of flies. For example last year panfish was broken down into three categories; nymph, streamer and topwater. This is there is just one main panfish category but you will have the opportunity to submit up to three flies for that category, 1 nymph, 1 topwater and 1 streamer. Hope that makes sense.

 

Anyway here is the proposed list of categories and nothing is set in stone so this is your opportunity to voice your opinion. I will be out of town until Sunday so I'm hoping to hear some of your thoughts.

 

BTW..this has nothing to do with Brent's or Utkin's flies, they are just used as an example.

 

Pattern Challenge

Coldwater Species(pattern to be determined)

Salmon(pattern to be determined)

Warmwater Species(pattern to be determined)

 

Classic Flies

Streamer

Wet fly

 

Trout

Dry

Nymph

Streamer

Terrestrial

Emerger

 

 

Bass

Topwater(deerhair)

Topwater(all other)

Streamer

Can enter each category with both a largemouth and smallmouth pattern. Up to six flies can be entered(1 fly for each category for both largemouth and smallmouth).

 

Panfish

Can enter up to three flies; 1 nymph, 1 streamer and 1 topwater. Multiple flies for the same style is not permitted(two streamers for example).

 

 

Steelhead & Salmon

Hairwing

Spey and Dee

Classic

Free Style

 

Great Lakes Steelhead & Salmon

Nymphs

Eggs

 

 

Pike

Can enter up to two flies; 1 streamer and 1 topwater. Multiple flies for the same style is not permitted(two streamers for example).

 

Saltwater

Can enter up to two flies; 1 streamer and 1 topwater. Multiple flies for the same style is not permitted(two streamers for example).

 

Special Categories

Most Creative Fly

Participants may submit one fly for "Most Creative Fly". Submissions are only limited by your own imagination and creativity. Flies do not have to be designed to be fished with and can be made using ANY type of material. The only rule is the fly must be tied on a hook; any style or size.

 

Rookie of the Year

Any participant who has been tying for less than one year may submit their fly for "Rookie of the Year" consideration, in addition to any other category their fly is already entered into.

 

 

Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Award

This category is open to any style or pattern that is tied on a size 20 hook or smaller. Hook size will be displayed during voting.

 

Most Realistic

Award for the best realistic fly. No limitations for style, size or imitation, but it must be tied on a hook.

[Redwings1 0]

Looks good to me Will. Are you going to retain the authority to move flies to the correct category if necessary, or will it simply be as entered?

[arska 0]

How about tubefly and dryfly in the Salmon&Steelhead category?

[steelie 0]

Good Day,

 

Agree with all, icluding the prior post about salmon flies.

 

With the popularity of realistic flies really surging, perhaps two categories may be worth considering here as well. Either fishable realistic and display or nymph and dry.

 

Steelie

[Guest]

Mike,

 

That is something I am giving alot of thought to but I havent come up with a decision yet. On one hand I can see where other participants would feel it is unfair to have a realistic fly in amongst their "fishing" flies. On the other hand it does create some problems. Take the bumblebee for example, it was entered in the "Trout - Dry" category and the case can be made that it was not a "real" dry fly because it was so realistic. Now take a look at Brent's(wickedcarpenter) flies that he entered into the "Trout - Nymph" and "Smallmouth - Nymph" categories. Now those flies were very realistic and I am sure they took many hours to tie but in all honesty I would say that they could easily be fished. Should they be moved because they look realistic? I cant pick half of the realistics and move them to a different category and then keep the other half where they are. Won't the guys in the other nymph categories be pissed if I didnt move Brent's flies but I moved flies out of another category? Wouldn't the guy who tied the bumblebee be pissed if I moved his flies but not Brent's? If I did move Brent's wouldn't he be pissed because he can make the point that they are fishable? Could the bumblebee be doped up with alot of floatant and actually fished as a dry? I dunno..maybe. Maybe they fish similar tied flies like that in Russia....I dunno.

 

It sounds like an easy fix but the more thought that goes into it the more problems I see. It would be alot of pressure on me to and I can just see it coming back to bite me in some way. Like I said, I haven't decided yet and am giving it alot of thought.

 

 

[Redwings1 0]

I'll have the next few days to beat you up over it...

[Dave Carne 0]

Sorry to sound like the Kelson Police but can I ask that 'Classic' Salmon be required to be based on a specific NAMED pattern of the tyer's choice... One of the core disciplines of 'good tying' within this category hinges on how accurately the original pattern is reproduced (this ISN'T a call for everyone to be using crow and chatterer BTW - subs are fine in my eyes)... Unfortunately most entries seemed to be 'classic looking' rather than true classics and as such were really 'creative' patterns of a classic style.

 

I'd also be inclined to agree with Arska in his suggestion that a Tube Fly category be included (not hot on dries though) as it is a very specific discipline, and in many ways a properly tied Templedog is MUCH harder to tie than any Spey or Dee pattern I've come across.

 

All that said the competition last year drew some tremendous entries and was a great pleasure to see.

 

Dave

[conehead 0]

Will,

 

I'm showing my age, but here goes. . .

 

"Here come de Judge""

(Laugh In 1969)

 

Perhaps it might be better to give a description for the categories.

 

Example: Trout; dry fly: This would be a fishable fly that would float on the surface with the use of floatant only, and appeal to the trout species. Please remember when voting that there are categories for realistics, and midges. This is a fly that is tied to be fished.

 

Even though I voted for a realistic dry fly, I really should not have voted for that fly in the trout category. I know it's a difficult issue, but let’s face it; I have only begun fishing realistics subsurface, but entered my realistic nymph in the realistic category. Most people would vote for a realistic that was entered in with all the other nymphs because it was so convincing.

 

And how do you judge a realistic display fly from a realistic fishing fly. I have spent up to 4 hours on a realistic and could not resist the temptation to fish it (now it’s stuck under a rock mid-stream). This is just as difficult as verifying a rookie, if you tied two flies while in high school and just started tying 8 months ago at age 40, are you still a rookie?

 

Call in the Supreme Court to judge this one. Please don't read any attitude in this post; it is almost impossible to judge fairly. I had no problem with last years contest, after all it was up to those who are members to cast their vote, and beauty is in the eye of the beholder. You did a great job Will, thanks again.

 

Conehead

 

[steelie 0]

Good Day,

 

I agree with conehead on the realistic vs fishable definition concept for the next contest. Perhaps the definition needs to be more firmly established so that the "propper" flies are entered in the truly propper category.

 

Steelie

[Spanky 0]

:baby:

 

First things first. As a newbie to tying (tied my first flies in November) I have to say that the contest and this forum are well run and a tremendous amount of fun. There were some truly awesome flies submitted and I, for one, learned a lot just by going through the voting process. That said, I think all of the proposed ideas about categories are great and deserve consideration. I do believe that the realistics definitely deserve a separate category. Some of those critters are literally works of art and most of them would get squashed without a moments hesitation if they were on the counter when my wife walked in. Whatever the decision, let's keep it fun and I am definitely gonna give it another go this year. Thanks again Will for all the hard work.

 

Spanky

[arska 0]

can I ask that 'Classic' Salmon be required to be based on a specific NAMED pattern of the tyer's choice...

 

Or let say that the pattern in the Classic Salmonfly category is Blue Doctor or similar with no Cites stuff (or has materials easy to substitute.) We could have poll to choose the pattern. The hook could be named too.

I think it would be nice to see different tying styles in this competition and named pattern and hook is the best way to see those.

 

Arska

[Irish 0]

Smallie,

 

the catagories look good to me. Especially the challange fly. I like the deerhair seperate from the others in the bass catagory.

 

Can I enter a Hair bug for Lagremouth and for smallmouth??? more chances to win but harder to come up with a new one that is different than past years. Now i will need 2

 

:baby: :bugeyes:

perhaps a intermediate round to determine the bestoverall fly in Bass by having the catagory winners go into a round for overall winner in Bass. And do it for trout Saltwater etc where possilbe.

 

Irish Dave

[Guest]

Yes Dave, the way I am thinking of doing it is you can enter two flies for the same category; one for smallmouth and one for largemouth.

[Joe Hard 0]

Looks good Will, I do like the idea of a top water/dry for steelhead/salmon. The designated pattern challenge sounds good.

I was also wondering if you announce the contest sooner, and members had more time to tie. Would there be more parcipitation?

[billtiesflies 0]

I love fly tying contests, but I have always had a dream of a contest that just gave the tyers a catagory of fly patterns such as dry fly or salmon fly etc. Then gave the tyers alist of materials to tie said pattern. No formal pattern used, just a hook type and a list of various materials used to crerate the fly, create being the important word here. What does everyone think of that idea.