What is traditional??

[redietz 0]

You think the Humpy, Stimulator, Lefty's Deceiver, Irresistible, Griffith's Gnat, Hare's Ear, and Pheasant Tail are immoral? <just kidding>

 

No, just traditional-lite.

 

 

Hmmm. Words are the medium. G.K. Chesterton once said if we can't debate words, we can't debate anything. Immortal is a bit of a stretch for me from traditional. Just my opinion, the flys mentioned have been repeatedly offered by local fly shops, guides, friends, etc etc for MUCH longer than many of the other "types" I previously alluded to. And again, just an opinion, they will continue to be, as THEY CATCH FISH..... Subjective.... now there's another word that may fit......

 

Tight Lines,

 

Um, he said immoral, not immortal. Not that I think that either mortality or morality have any bearing on the thread.

 

FWIW, all the flies he mentioned were just after the introduction of nylon; he's making a point about the arbitrariness of any cutoff point for being "classic".

[Old Hat 0]

Has the Thing-a-ma-bobber made the yarn indicator a traditional method? :whistle:

[Eusebius 0]

Hornberg's, Mickey Finns, Adams, Quill Gordon, Royal Coachman et al have all stood the test of time. Personally I believe such fly's as the Humpy, Stimulator, Lefty's Deceiver, Irresistable, Griffith's Gnat, Hare's Ear, Pheasant Tail and others are destined for immorality with future generations of fly fishers.

 

 

I really stepped in it on that one..... Gentlemen, thank you for the correction and please accept my apology for my hasty response. Hopefully the point of my opinion made it across.

 

"The bearing on the thread..." would that be "nylon" thread or horsehair?

 

Tight Lines...

[Silver Doctor 0]

An interesting post and subject.

I started tying in the early 60's. Unlike a lot of kids at that time I didn't have a paper route I tied for the local sporting goods. Back then there was not a lot of places you could learn to tie. I learned from my Dad and Grandfather. After tying for 5 years in hand (yes without a vice, you should try it) I bought a vice and bobbin (mail order from Field and Stream magazine). That Universal vice was scorned by my Grandfather as breaking tradition by not tying in hand. He tied the most beautiful Atlantic Salmon flies this way.

 

We gathered our own materials, the bulk of them came from fall hunting expositions for deer, duck and upland birds and buying chickens for capes (bet very few of you had to deal with a live chicken or rooster to get capes). There where three categories of flies. Dry flies, Wet flies and Streamers.

 

Now talk to me to me about tradition.