I need help criticizing this fly!

[propain_az 0]

Please help! I made this fly and I feel that I have a basis opinion!

[Piker20 0]

Well if you are trying to tie a mayfly you're way off But for a bee its not bad. I would use a stacker for the hair so that all the hair tips are level and you tie the hair butts so the tips all project backwards and it looks a little bit more aesthetic. The chenille body will/may absorb water and isn't the best material for dry flies. The hackle is a good length but I would probably try to add a few more turns to help (try to) float that chenille body. Try to finish a bit before your hook eye so you can tidy up the stray strands of material when you make a thread head.

[flytire 0]

1. try to use the smallest chenille or even ultra chenille

 

2. do not trim the natural tips of the hair wing. tie in the hair wing with the natural tips pointing to the bend of the hook

 

3. i would not have wrapped any chenille up to the eye of the hook. i would have tied it off behind where your hackle is tied in.

 

4. hackle wraps are not that bad

 

check out this example

 

http://hatchesmagazine.com/blogs/Hatches/2010/9/20/the-ray-bergman-collection-19-bee/?utm_source=FTFGuest&utm_medium=web&utm_content=post

[Peterjay 0]

As stated above, there's certainly some room for improvement, but the bluegills will be all over that fly. Good effort.

[propain_az 0]

Thanks for the advice!

[SilverCreek 0]

Looks like you reversed wrapped the chenille.

 

I assume you are right handed and are wrapping the tying thread over the top of the hook away from you. However, the chenille is wrapped over the top toward you. Any material wrapped around the hook should be in the same way as the tying thread.

[natedubay 0]

Any material wrapped around the hook should be in the same way as the tying thread.

 

Agreed, I'm teaching my girlfriend to tie so I just had to explain this a couple days ago.

 

If you wrap the chenille the opposite direction, when you go to tighten the tying thread, it'll actually push the chenille in the opposite direction and loosen it. It happens with some materials worse than others. If you wrap the same direction, the thread will have a tightening effect on the material. Sometimes fly tying techniques are more tradition than anything else, but this one actually has a reason.

[switch10 0]

I agree that you should almost always wrap materials the same way as your thread, although there are a few exceptions. Counter wrapping the rib on a PTN to keep the PT fibers locked into place is one example that comes to mind...

 

To each his own though.

[FrequentTyer 0]

If you find yourself in the situation of needing to tie off a reverse wrapped material,a neat trick it to cross the material with the thread to temporarily reverse the direction of the thread. You can then make a few securing wraps, and cross again to get back to your normal direction.

On the fly, its a good start, but pay attention to the excellent criticisms above and try again. That is the only way to improve.

Mike.

[bad fish rising 0]

bees sit very low in the water so a wet chenille is a good choice.

I think I would have used a pearl midge krystal flash or grey duck slips for the wing instead of yellow deer hair.

I would not use a stacker not only to avoid the paint brush effect but leaving the wing uneven gives it that damaged looked bees will be messed up a little if they are in the water

[the.atmos 0]

Any material wrapped around the hook should be in the same way as the tying thread.

True in most cases. Ribbing is one of the exceptions i can think of. Reverse wrapping wire, mono, tinsel, d-ribbing, etc over the body material makes for a tough fly, i have found.

[SilverCreek 0]

Any material wrapped around the hook should be in the same way as the tying thread.

True in most cases. Ribbing is one of the exceptions i can think of. Reverse wrapping wire, mono, tinsel, d-ribbing, etc over the body material makes for a tough fly, i have found.

 

I would agree with counter wrapping reinforcing materials IF the underbody itself has NOT been reinforced. Some materials can be reinforced so the overwrap is more to enhance the appearance of ribbing than for reinforcement.

 

I use a different reinforcing method for some materials like peacock herl and pheasant tail fibers. I tie the material in and then I wrap the tying thread around the material. Twisting the material converts the fragile material into a chenille rope reinforced with tying thread. Then this material chenille is wrapped around the hook. Then the material dues not have to be counter wrapped.

 

I find that flies like PT nymphs look more realistic if the copper wire is wrapped in the same direction as the body material, rather than counter wrapped. This also allow you to tied down the over wrapped reinforcing material in the sane direction as the tie down thread. For materiald like wire, it really helps maintain the tension in the overwrap.

 

Here are examples I found for standard wrapped and reverse wrapped wire over a PT body.

 

 

Not reverse wrapped:

 

Reverse wrapped:

 

 

 

I like the look of the wire going in the same direction since the wire reinforces the visual impression of ribbing. You can make up your own minds.

 

Does it make a difference to the fish? I don't know. However, I have had not problem with flies coming apart when you first make a material chenille of fragile materials. Consider that a dubbed body is essentially a material chenille and it needs no reinforcement.

 

A variation of this technique can is tip 7 in the article below. You do not have to make a dubbing loop as in the article. I feel the technique I use is durable and much faster.

 

 

http://midcurrent.com/flies/ten-tying-tips-of-the-pros/

[flytire 0]

doesnt hurt to have a belt AND suspenders

 

counter wrapping is merely and accepted tyers preference

[ISUTroutBum 0]

I would ditto most of the comments above. For your first attempt it is a pretty good job. It will catch fish, so have fun w/it!!

[mikechell 0]

Please help! I made this fly and I feel that I have a basis opinion!

Okay ... criticizing this fly.

YOUR FLY'S MOTHER S#*%ED COCKROACHES AT THE SHIP YARD !!!

THIS FLY COULDN'T FIND A FLOWER TO POLLINATE WITH THREE PAIRS OF GLASSES, A BLOOD HOUND AND A SMART BOMB !!!

THE ONLY FISH THAT EVEN THINK ABOUT EATING THAT FLY IS ... well, I can't think of a reason a fish wouldn't go after that fly ... A YELLOW BELLIED SAP-SUCKING CATFISH !!!

 

How's that? Think you can criticize your next fly without help?