First Dry Fly Attempt - PLEASE Critique!

[JTutak 0]

This is my first real attempt at a dry fly. At this point I'm basing my knowledge off what I can find online. If you guys could critique and be honest on how to improve I'd appreciate it!

 

For the tail I used fox squirrel tail hair, the wings are from a pheasant tail and the rest is just brown hackle.

 

Tight lines!

 

Jake

[Bryon Anderson 0]

4 suggestions -

 

1. Work on proportions. The wing and tail on your fly are much too long for the size hook they're tied to. When tying dry flies, you want to use the hook shank as your "ruler". The shank is defined as the distance from the rear of the hook eye to the beginning of the bend. The tail of the fly (on most patterns) should be tied in at the bend (the point at which the hook begins to bend) and should extend one shank-length from that point. Wings such as the one on this fly, which is formed from a single bundle of fibers (be they natural or synthetic or whatever) and tied in to slant back over the body, are generally tied in somewhere forward of the midpoint of the shank (depending on the particular pattern), and should extend roughly to the rear of the bend. Upright wings, such as you see on mayfly imitations, should be no longer than the length of the shank.

 

2. Size your hackle according to the hook you're using. On dry flies that have a "collar hackle" (hackle that is wound around the hook shank so that the fibers stand out perpendicularly to the shank), the general rule is that the length of the hackle fibers should be no more than 1 1/2 times the hook gap (the gap is the distance from the shank to the hook point). One way to size your hackle is to take a single hackle feather and double the shaft of the feather over the hook shank and just eyeball it - if the fibers extend more than 1 1/2 times the gap, that hackle is for a larger hook. If its less than 1 1/2 times the gap, it is for a smaller hook. The EASIEST (and, I think, more reliable) way to size hackle is with a hackle gauge. This is a little rectangle of plastic with a small post in one corner to double your hackle feather over, and lines marked out to measure the hackle fibers and tell you what hook size they correspond to. They sell for $2-3 I think, or you can probably find instructions online to make your own.

 

3. Try to use hackle that is intended for tying dry flies. This hackle can be expensive, but the fibers are stiff and will support your dry fly upright on the surface of the water. The hackle on your fly looks like it's a softer hackle, which is excellent for other types of flies (soft-hackles and other wet flies), but it's not great for dries.

 

4. Find a copy of Fly Tying Made Clear & Simple by Skip Morris. It is (in my opinion and many others) the best begining fly tying book out there. The internet is all well and good, but there's no substitute for a good book that you can take anywhere and that you can have lying on the table next to you to refer to while you're tying.

 

You're off to a good start -- HAVE FUN and keep tying!

[SilverCreek 0]

+100 to the above.

 

Proportion is key.

 

Materials are way too big and long for the hook. What part of the fly is the fish going to take? It has to have a huge mouth to take the entire fly in; and if it does, the relatively small hook has a smaller chance of actually hooking the fish because of its relatively small size compared to the fly.

 

Secondly follow a fly recipe for an established pattern. A recipe will tell you what hook size, what materials and in what order they are assembled. It will come with a photo so you know what the fly should look like.

 

If you want to become a chef, you first learn to follow a recipe so you learn what works. And if you don't have the ingredients to make the recipe, you get them. You don't start throwing food into a bowl and hope that it ends up being a good meal.

 

My intent is not to be harsh, but to be truthful. The best fly tiers are disciplined in that every material they choose has a purpose and is placed on the hook in a very specific manner in a specific location. They become disciplined by practicing the correct fly tying methods with the correct materials.

[mikechell 0]

Both of the above responses are good critiques of your fly. Both have good information if you want to tie perfect replicas of established patterns. And there's some good info on why proportions usually mean more than just pretty flies (putting the hook in the fishes mouth).

All of that aside ... if you throw that buggy looking fly at a bluegill or bass ... you'll catch a fish !!!

[JTutak 0]

Thanks for the feedback!

[notenuftoys 0]

How much have you tied before? Are you starting with dry flies as your first fly?

 

I ask that because there are easier patterns to learn with. I've been tying for 5 years, and there's only a few dry patterns I'll bother to tie. They just aren't that easy, especially when you try to get the wings and hackle all placed right, not twisted, and properly proportioned. Also, dry fly hackle isn't cheap.

 

Start with a pheasant tail, or hares ear, or copper john. Common patterns that probably work in your trout water, but are a little easier to work with. Wooly bugger is the number 1 fly for beginners, so try that if you haven't already.

[shoebop 0]

OK... On the plus side...You made a fly! You tied everything in presumably in order. You learned how to apply the various materials to the hook. It will probably catch a fish.

 

Now on the critique...

 

Let me start with a question. What insect (or pattern) did you have in mind when you started? My point here is you should have an end in mind when you start. Don't just start applying materials to a hook and surprise yourself with the result which is what this fly looks like. You have elements of a lot of different flies mixed together in one fly and they don't necessarily go together.

 

MATERIALS- Just about everything you used was traditionally a bad choice for a dry fly. I know you probably have a very limited selection of materials and you used what you had. I get that! We all do it. But, there are limits on what is appropriate. Squirrel is not a good choice for tailing material. hackle fibers, deer, elk, moose,micro fibbits, duck, pheasant, grouse, partridge are all better choices. Anything that will hold its stiffness when wet.

The hackle is too long. Get a hackle guage to accurately judge the appropriate sizing.

 

TECHNIQUE- The tailing is too bulky and too long. Less is best! At least for that type of pattern. Hackle is too sparse. Again, for that pattern. The tail should be about the hook length and the hackle should be about 1 to 1 1/2 times the hook gap. The wing is also too long and generally pheasant is not the best over winging material.

 

Keep at it. You'll do just fine.

[Sundance 0]

The comments above on proportions and materials are right on... so there is no point in repeating. An additional suggestion:

 

Go out and buy a professionally tied fly. Then get the exact materials it was tied with. Now when you tie, keep the professionally tied pattern right in front of you and compare your work to it step by step. Tie in your tail. Compare it to the tail on the model. Is yours the same length? The same thickness or spread? Next to the same with each element until you can tie an exact duplicate of the model.

 

Do that for every new pattern you want to tie. That way you can become your own critic.

[pop-n-bug 0]

I agree with what Sundance said. I did the same thing with the first flies I tied for bream and bass. The fist few were pretty bad but each one improved a little over the one before. YouTube helped alot also. Keep at it and don't get discouraged. Over time you will be surprised how much your tying will improve. Good luck.

 

PS I agree with what mikechell said. A bass or a bream will tear that thing up.

[fisherousdotcom 0]

I would strongly suggest the advice of Sundance. Having a fly in front of you and trying to mimic that same fly is a great way to learn proportions and tying better quality flies. If you don't have an actual fly, print out images of flies. Having something as a guide can be a huge benefit.

[ohio rookie 0]

I would fish with that fly! I am a beginner as well and just tied my first fly in a class the other night. The reason I am replying is that I concur with the advice of Bryon Anderson; Skip Morris' book is great. I have several books on tying that I have been studying, but Skip's book was issued as part of the class and it is far more helpful than any I have read. I hope you reply to this post and let us know what you caught with it.

[djtrout 0]

Your fly will kill on bluegills, and I imagine smallmouth would take it too. Good suggestions above. When I started, mimicry was the key. I got a good book on tying (good suggestions above but there are boatloads) will give you patterns and materials, plus helpful tips. There are also great videos on u-tube, if you have internet access. Just google on Adams fly pattern, pheasant tail fly pattern, blue wing olive pattern ... you get the idea. Really, there are pro videos excellently done that are worth looking at. Book - videos - practice. Also, can't hurt to befriend a local fly shop and get their take. If you can afford tying class (many fly shops run tying classes, and also - check your local chapter of Trout Unlimited, they often will have tying seminars or classes, sometimes the first 1/2 hour before a monthly meeting will be dedicated to a fly tying demo/instruction).

Good luck and welcome to the endless insanity and joy of tying!

[spinsheet 0]

I also must concur with the two that brought up Skip Morris' book 'Fly Tying Clear and Simple'. It's well worth the money. I also like his 'Clear and Simple II' for more advanced techniques.

 

If you're going to tie dry flies there is no getting around using the more expensive dry fly hackle. The initial investment is a bit steep (I paid about $60 for a cape) but it will tie hundreds of flies.