flytire 0 Report post Posted January 1, 2022 1 hour ago, Poopdeck said: Those flies should float. It has to be your leader and/or fly line sinking and pulling the fly under. Is your line cracked and waterlogged. in a glass? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chugbug27 0 Report post Posted January 1, 2022 A high floating Catskill style fly can be tied with 2x gap hackle, spider style, back away from the eye to balance the fly on the hackle without the rest of the fly touching the water (theoretically), but your flies are more bushy style. They'll float longer but sit lower. (Theoretically) The spider style Catskill dry has few materials other than the hackle to weigh it down, too. No deer hair or calf hair on top, short body, wispy tail, no meaty hook or meaty dubbing. Here's a nice example that a well regarded fly tying legend posted on Troutnut, tied by Mary Dette: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rusty Shackleford 0 Report post Posted January 1, 2022 2 minutes ago, chugbug27 said: A high floating Catskill style fly can be tied with 2x gap hackle, spider style, back away from the eye to balance the fly on the hackle without the rest of the fly touching the water (theoretically), but your flies are more bushy style hackle. They'll float longer but sit lower. (Theoretically) The spider style Catskill dry has few materials other than the hackle to weigh it down, too. No deer hair or calf hair on top, short body, wispy tail, no meaty hook or meaty dubbing. Here's a nice example that a well regarded fly tying legend posted on Troutnut, tied by Mary Dette: Makes sense, I've only been tying for a year or so now and this is my first real attempt at tying up some dries that utilize hackle for flotation. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SilverCreek 0 Report post Posted January 1, 2022 1 hour ago, Rusty Shackleford said: I've been using the various dry fly hooks from Allen, they say standard wire on the package but flyhooks.org has them listed as 1xf and they sure seem like a light hook to me. Maybe I should try a pack of the more expensive hooks for my dries and see if it makes a difference... I figured maybe I'd be good since Charlie Craven's go to dry fly hook is a TMC 100sp-bl which is a 1x heavy hook. Maybe for heavily hackled flies but for the Adams it is the TMC 100 1XF hook I referred you to: https://charliesflyboxinc.com/portfolio-items/fly-box-template-33/ Materials Needed: Hook: TMC 100 #10-20 Thread: 70-denier black Tail: Moose Hock Wings: Grizzly Hen Hackle Tips Body: Gray Beaver Dubbing Hackle: Brown and Grizzly Rooster Hackle Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chugbug27 0 Report post Posted January 1, 2022 Your tying is absolutely not causing a floatation problem, and your material selection is consistent with whatever standards there still are for these flies. All three look great, especially the Stimulator. And they are all three floating flies you can hang droppers off if you want. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Poopdeck 0 Report post Posted January 1, 2022 Okay okay, I give up. I only read the title and looked at the pictures. Now that I read it I think we can rule out leader and fly line. It has to be your glass of water since the hook does not look unusually thick to me. Do you have soft water? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WWKimba 0 Report post Posted January 1, 2022 Was this a water glass or was it vodka??😁 Kim Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
upnorthtier 0 Report post Posted January 1, 2022 I don't think the hooks are the problem, I rarely use dry fly hooks for dries. You're flies look great buck bug tied on tmc 3761, nymph hook, 2x heavy royal wulff tied on tmc 2302, standard wire stimulator tied on tmc 200r, standard wire dropped in a glass of water, floating just fine 10 minutes later, the stimulator is on the bottom, probably the wire ribbing and the dubbing soaking up water I like how the hackle trapped some air bubbles on this pic Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rusty Shackleford 0 Report post Posted January 1, 2022 1 minute ago, upnorthtier said: I don't think the hooks are the problem, I rarely use dry fly hooks for dries. You're flies look great buck bug tied on tmc 3761, nymph hook, 2x heavy royal wulff tied on tmc 2302, standard wire stimulator tied on tmc 200r, standard wire dropped in a glass of water, floating just fine 10 minutes later, the stimulator is on the bottom, probably the wire ribbing and the dubbing soaking up water I like how the hackle trapped some air bubbles on this pic So they shouldn't float higher than that? I guess I just had my expectations too high, most of mine seem to float about like those except for my Royal Wulffs which tend to want to break through the surface at the tail and really starts to swamp the fly quick, maybe a thicker or longer tail on those? or maybe deer hair instead of elk body? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SilverCreek 0 Report post Posted January 1, 2022 The rules of physics= Heavier hooks = more mass. More Mass = flies sink lower in the film or flies penetrate the film and sink. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
upnorthtier 0 Report post Posted January 1, 2022 That's how a dry fly looks floating on the water. the tail on you're royal wulff looks fine, trying using a hackle 1 size smaller and see if it makes a difference, might balance better. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SilverCreek 0 Report post Posted January 1, 2022 Use high quality stiff dry fly hackle wrapped closely on the fly. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jaydub 0 Report post Posted January 1, 2022 10 minutes ago, SilverCreek said: Use high quality stiff dry fly hackle wrapped closely on the fly. I am 99% sure that picture is faked. Like the old picture of the Royal Wulff on the cover of Dan Bailey's catalog, which I believe was taken with the fly on a thin layer of liquid on a mirror. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rusty Shackleford 0 Report post Posted January 1, 2022 29 minutes ago, Jaydub said: I am 99% sure that picture is faked. Like the old picture of the Royal Wulff on the cover of Dan Bailey's catalog, which I believe was taken with the fly on a thin layer of liquid on a mirror. Sure does set the bar awful high, doesn't it? lol Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
redietz 0 Report post Posted January 2, 2022 10 hours ago, Jaydub said: I am 99% sure that picture is faked. Like the old picture of the Royal Wulff on the cover of Dan Bailey's catalog, which I believe was taken with the fly on a thin layer of liquid on a mirror. I agree. That fly is sitting on a hard surface. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites