Microfibbet options?

[rstaight 0]

I recently read a post on this forum telling about a gentleman in the Smokies that when tying on a new fly would throw it on the ground and stomp on it. His reasoning to paraphrase, nothing is perfect in nature.

[Flicted 0]

True. Also, it is the less than perfect insect, fish, or other prey that makes it stand out as catchable prey. Trailing nymphal shuck, cased caddis, midge clusters such as the Griffith's Gnat are good examples. Plus, when you tie your own flies, that theory provides a ready excuse for mistakes or incorrect proportions.

[tjm 0]

Or a "stillborn"?

Back many snows ago when I first started using feathers for bait, there were a dozen or so men that I'd see often on the same waters and all were "middle aged" or in the case of "ol Mike" somewhere beyond middle age; I watched these old men carefully because them and Joe Brooks' book were all I had to learn from. Ol' mike complained his eyes were too bad to tie his own flies anymore and always bought very nice dry flies, which he would tie to his leader, spit on and throw it on the ground, then step on it and twist his foot a few times. He'd then hold it up against the sky and examine it,sometimes he'd repeat the spitting and stomping. When I asked, his answer was that most people tie the fly too perfect and trout preferred the cripples. He advised me to tie some imbalance or roughness into the flies or make the bodies rough some how. Mike caught lots of fish.

 

On the subject of tails, micro fibbits should be taken from a latex/acrylic-paint brush to be the synthetic material that resists water, oil-paint brushes are of natural hair like camel hair or pig bristle and may collect some water. The shaving brush is also natural hair, I have no idea what the cosmetic brushes are made of. All work for tails but ...like anything else in life try this and try that and chose what you prefer for the presentation you want.

My tails are most often feather fibers stripped from the quill, because its quick and easy and has been known to catch fish, these fibers also can match the rest the fly in color and texture.

I don't want a solid clump that looks like a body extension, but a more translucent presentation that may be achieved by dividing the tail or making a fantail. As mentioned, the tail is as much for balance on the water as for looking exactly like any insect, at least that is my belief. I like quills from cock hackle for long splayed tails, they are tapered, may be variegated if taken from a bared feather and are somewhat water resistant, come in many sizes and can be used by the each as in two tails or three tails. At some point I have used monofilament and combed out synthetic yarns. Poly-whatchits rope fibers etc. Trouble with many synthetics is (they are plastic by another name) they are monochrome and may be of a an unattractive color and are more opaque than i like.

[bighornbuster 0]

I use samples of different color makeup brushes one sample oackage from your wifes favorite makeup counter at the department store. Very much like artist paint brushes but free

[Mark Knapp 0]

You see, many people think that when they see my flies that are, more time than not, lopsided, they think it's by mistake. It's really not, it's an intentional error meant to make the fly look like a natural cripple.

 

In the future, when you see glaring errors in my flies, (and you will) please point them out if you like (I might learn from it) but remember it's intentional.

[Edward Snowden 0]

What hook size do you consider "large flies"?

[brooknut 0]

Harry Darby in Catskill Flytier (pg. 56) describes an interesting alternative. Find an appropriate colored hackle feather with fibers about the length you want about 1/4" below the tip. Cut off the tip at the shaft at that point. Clip that with your hackle pliers, and stroke most of the fibers back, leaving 2 or 3 on the top for the tail. Bend back or cut off the other fibers, leaving about 1/16" attached to the stem. He used these to make a very light tail and body for his small Two-Feather Fly.

[Sandan 0]

Whiskers from a hare's mask could work