Critique these two flies please

[YosemiteSam 0]

Where I fish in SW Colorado, I use two flies only probably 80% of the time. I catch fish after fish with these, so I never have used much else other than maybe a few terrestrials here and there. So after not tying flies for nearly ten years I've gotten back into tying and decided to really master these two patterns. After building confidence with these two patterns I want to branch out and get to tying others (especially for the salmonflies, golden stones, and green drakes I find on the Rio Grande). Anyway, tell me what you think about these; the Royal Coachman (or Quack Coachman as I suppose it is called) and the Rio Grande King Trude.

 

I'm pretty sure these will catch fish, but when I take a fly box full of a couple dozen each up in the mountain creeks I want all my soldiers to look alike and look properly made. I also want to tie up some boxes full for family members too, who will be fishing at the same cabin. I guess tying flies is perfect for anal folks like myself wherein everything has to be just so......know what I mean?

 

Thanks for your help. This forum is awesome.

[utyer 0]

First of all, there are no hard and fast rules, and your flies should both be fine. I would do mine a little differently, but that's just me.

 

I like the Trude fine. It has a nicely tapered yet thin body, the tail shows both black bars on the Tippets. The tail and hackles are good lengths. I don't see any reason to change that one.

 

The Coachman could use a bit longer tail, equal to the body or hook shank. I like to have both bars showing on these tails. The body is thicker than I like, and the segments are not equal. I don't use floss on mine, but when I do, I try and get it smooth and flat. I also like each of the body segments to be the same size.

 

The last thing I am is anal about my flies, I don't mind a little variation in my patterns. Those I tie for others I would try to make them uniform and closer to what is the "norm" as I see it. Everyone has their own style, and preference in their tying. If it works then keep on doing it that way.

[YosemiteSam 0]

Thanks utyer.

I will try to get the tail a little longer on the Coachman and I can see now what you mean about the body portions, too.

At first I was using chenille for the King Trude and something didn't look right. Almost like it tapered the wrong way, and when I would correct it the body ended up being too thick. Thanks for the tips!

 

YS.

[André Ribeiro 0]

I also liked both, and I tie both a little different too.

For the Coachman (I call it Royal Wulff), I like to use moose hair for the tail (or elk hair or deer hair in the same size of the shank), because it floats better and don't soak. Proportions are very critical to dry flies, I use to tie the calft tail fibers about 75% of the shank, the three segments peacock-floss-peacock should be 1/3 of the size between the wing and the hook bend. I also like to use ultra wire over these three segments to add some flash and reinforce too. For the hackle, three turns behind the wing and two in front, reserve a little more space for the head.

For the King Trude, I use half dubbing and half hackle (and a small space for the head). The tail should shows the two bars of the pheasant tail fibers.

Try to draw the fly that you will tie and make some notes, it helps to pay attention to some details.

Overall I guess your hackle could be a little longer (between 1.5 and 2 times the hook gap). And be carefull with the fibbers twist on the tail, it seems they are a little in the far side of the hook.

Big Hug

[YosemiteSam 0]

Great stuff, thanks Andre

[ditz2 0]

They look good to me. I am sure the gills in my small streams would love them so I will take your overflow of throw aways.

[Davidpensfan87 0]

First of all, both flies are excellently tied. Here are a few things I noticed. In the Coachman, the tail fibers are not even, not a big deal at all. Also in the coachman, there should be more hackle and the hackle fibers should be between 90 and 80 degrees to the hook shank, like you did in the trude. Again, excellent job!