Problem: Skinny Flies

[Zuner 0]

Hi all,

 

My name is Luis. I've been fly fishing for a couple of years and last month got as a birthday gift a new fly tying vise and here I am. Great forum by the way, incredible useful and helpful.

 

I am using Charlie Craven's book which is excellent (and if you donwload the flybench app it is even more helpful. Somone should make a pack and sell it)

 

Having said this I think I have got a problem... I have become obsessed with the idea that us begginers trend to "overdub" big time. The thing is that I think that because of that all my flies look a bit skinny. So here is the question... Please take a look at my flies. What do you think? Do they have the right proportions? any tricks for the correct dubbing proportion? (I don't buy the "take half and then half again" ;-) )

 

Thanks a lot,

 

Luis

 

 

[Fletchfishes 0]

I don't think they look too skinny. Perhaps the chronomid / zebra midge pattern could use a little taper to the body - which could be handled by more thread wraps rather than dubbing. From my perspective the RS2 and PT look fine (although I'm no expert.)

[Piker20 0]

I agree, for me I think they look fine. Are you tying flies that are not the ones you have been fishing with to this point? I find that once you catch fish on a sparse fly that looks nothing special, you soon gain confidence in that look.

[rockworm 0]

Some flies, like the naturals they represent, need to be beefier. For example stonefly nymphs, some scuds,... But your flies look good to me.

[flytire 0]

(I don't buy the "take half and then half again)

i believe in that statement as i would rather add a pinch more dubbing and go over the thin area than to take of a glob of dubbing from the thread or fly.

 

 

i would add a tad more dubbing in the thorax area of the rs2

 

see here

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=rs2+fly&rlz=1G1TSNACENUS400&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=MRtgUqWTHrSz4AOFzIHYAw&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1204&bih=590

 

for future reference (bookmark this one)

 

dubbing techniques

 

http://ukflydressing.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=sbs&action=display&thread=4046

[utyer 0]

Visit this page of Charlie Cravens flies on Dancia.com. Then browse as many of the other pages as you care to. You will see hundreds of fine examples of midges, mayfly, caddis fly, and stone fly nymphs. Some are thicker, and some are quite slim, and they all have their time and place.

 

You will see several of his very thin midges. In my opinion (and I am sure in his,) these are done just right. Most of his midges have maybe 2 passes of thread (one down and one back up,) and then 2 to 4 more layers of thread for the build up at the head and thorax. On larger chironmids (size 10 or 12) patterns you could use 4 passes of thread for the abdomen and then 4 more passes at the head. I prefer a thinner wire on my midges, I use 38 gauge on all of mine.

 

Charlie's RS2 is a great example as well.

 

If anything, your thorax, head area is too thick. In my experience, all the midge larvae I have examined, show a more worm like appearance. The thorax and head area on the naturals is not that pronounced.

 

The hares ear is fine just the way it is. A fur nymph like the hares ear and imitate many different types of nymphs. So you can tie them thick or thin. Mayfly nymphs come if several general types some are clinger, some are burrowers, and some are swimmers. The clingers look thick, but they are quite flat. Swimmers are more round and quite slim.

 

When your adding dubbing to the thread, you want to be able to see the thread through your dubbing. On a size 10 or 12 mayfly nymph, I would want to keep the abdomen about 1/16" and the thorax just about 1/3 thicker than the abdomen.

 

On midges and mayflies, my preference is to make as thin a body as I can get in most cases. If I want a thicker looking nymph, I will fuzz it up a little. Its the gills that make many nymphs appear thicker. The largest mayfly nymphs are the burrowing and crawling nymphs found mostly is slower moving water. These can be tied thicker than the swimming nymphs.

 

Stone flies and caddis flies are generally thicker than mayflies. Larger stonefly nymphs can be almost 1/4" in the abdomen when mature. Caddis pupae more like an eighth of an inch for the larger ones.

 

The patterns you show, look just fine. I don't think its possible to make a midge that is too thin. Most of the tiny midge larvae are thinner than the hooks we are tying on.

[DavidHE 0]

utyer- The photos on Danica can provide hours of viewing pleasure and plenty of inspiration

 

flytire- Thanks for posting the dubbing techniques link. Very comprehensive. Definitely worth a bookmark.

[Crackaig 0]

To my mind the "take half and half it again" guide line (can't call it a "rule") applies to the rate at which you apply dubbing not the overall amount. It is a lot more difficult to take dubbing off than it is to apply more. It is better then, to take the pinch of dubbing you think you will need, apply 1/4 of it, wind it and look at the fly. If it needs more apply more.

 

When I am tying up a batch of flies with dubbed bodies I will tie the first body the way I want them all. Then undo it. Tale a slip of card and mark the length of the dubbing on the card (I also mark tail length, body length, wing height, and hackle size on the same slip of card) Write the pattern and hook size on the card. Then next time I tie that fly I can tie it fairly near the same as I did previously. Over time you will build quite a collection of these cards. I keep them in small bulldog clips hung at the back of my bench. One each for dries, each kind of fly, though now I am close to needing a second for dries.

 

Cheers,

C.

[Bryon Anderson 0]

Those flies all look just fine to me. I had the same problem when I started tying -- first making them too fat, then overcorrecting and making them look anorexic. It looks like you've found the desirable middle ground.

[Zuner 0]

Thank you very much gentlemen. Great advice!

Indeed I haven't fished them yet, so Piker, you are right. I'll give them a try.

 

Once again, all wonderful information. I'll keep working on it this weekend, thanks a million.

 

Cheers,

 

 

PS. I understand better the "half and half again", and I agree. I guess I was too worried on making too many thread wraps and that shouldn't be my biggest concern.