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Fly Tying
Darth_Wader

Dry Flies

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Hey Gang:

 

I was wondering. i want to get some dry flies tied looking ahead to April/May. If there was one to start with... where would you start? Is there a simple attractor pattern out there?

 

Thanks,

 

Alex

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well, if you are not used to tying dry flys i would suggest elk hair caddis, X caddis, renegade, maybe a trude it all depends most mayflies are going to require wings if you are a beginer than this will be challeging. but most any mayfly you can change it up and tie it parachute style.it is really easier and you dont really have to size the hackle.if you dont have any hackle bought yet then my suggestion is one grizzly and one brown cape or saddle, spend the money on the hackle so you wont regret it.

 

angler by choice...

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Alex,

 

Rob does a trout class at Grindstone in the New Year. I did it last year as one of my first classes and it was well worth it. Call John and see when it is and sign up, you won't regret it.

 

Ian

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When I have someone in a tying lesson who has never tied I start with Usual, BWO (Flick), and Poly Spinner. This gives them a good start at techniques and materials.

 

Joe Fox

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If you want something easy, tye up a few dozen of Flick's Variant in various (natural) colours and sizes. (The smaller ones are excellent midge imitations.) If I could only tye one pattern for next year's fishing it would be a parachute in various (natural) colours and sizes. (That would include the Adams, March Brown, BWO,...)

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Just thinking of my own introduction to fly tying this summer. I would start with elk hair caddis. It will add a couple new techniques to your skill set and you can usually get away with tying on a bit larger hooks than a lot of mayflies. Take those skills and work on a few stimulators. I found the stimulator really helped me begin to develop my ability to "see" how the fly was being built i.e. building back with various materials and then building back foward toward the eye. Then move on to more complex patterns. As a side note just because dry flies are fun to catch fish on doesn't mean you shouldn't tie and use nymphs in summer. I would suggest tying something up like the RS II. It will help refine your dubbing technique that you can later use on the fine tapered bodies of mayfly's. I've been working on this myself lately.

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For caddisflies Elk Hair Caddis is the best, though not the easiest fly.

 

For mayflies I would recommend some of the CDC patterns. CDC is easier to tie with than rooster hackle, plus you can get it considerably cheaper than the genetic hackles.

 

I bet you will find the patterns based on CDC spun in loop surprisingly easy :) Not to mention effective and very cool looking :lol2:

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Parachute Adams. Great fly. Imitates probably more mayfly hatches than any fly. Works as an emerger and a dry. Then either X-caddis or EHC. Never leave home with out these.

 

Jeremy

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Thanks guys for all of the recommendations. I'm looking forward to a long winter of tying. Hmmmm... never thought that I'd hear myself say that.

 

Alex

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I'm with Scud, parachute dry flies. Parachute adams, parachute BWO etc. Parachutes are easier to tie, they catch fish. When I dry fly fish 60% is done with a parachute fly. The other majority is done with a hopper. I very rarely fish with a traditional winged dry. I carry three traditional winged dry flies Humpy, Royal Wulff & H&l Variant.

 

 

carlp

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