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MikeQ716

New to tying dry flys, First few Light Cahills

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Hey everybody, just recently started my adventures tying into dry flys. Wanted to post a couple of pics and get some crits on my first few light cahills.

 

Thanks in advance, Mike

 

 

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I like them.

 

Hackle is a tad too long, more so on the first fly. Looks more like twice the hook gap rather than 1.5 times the hook gap. My suggestion is to measure the tail fibers agaisnt the hook length before tying them in.

 

I like the abdomen to thorax ratio better on the second fly. I also like the body taper on the second fly better than the first.

 

I would say they are great for a first attempt.

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To this day I still tie with hackle fibers a tad too long, sometime intentionally, especially on caddis flies where they have a fairly wide foot print on the water.. But when I do that I cut a split on the bottom, a V that clears the hook point. I go straight in from the front with scissors clipping those bottom most fibers.

 

Your flies look great, keep at it ! It's already been pointed out the plus and minus factors of your first fly, as well as the improvement in the second..I will be silent but for my statement above.

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The second set of photos shows the flies from above and now it is apparent the the tail fibers are clumped together and not splayed. You want the fibers splayed (spread or split apart) so they act as pontoons that are seperated and have a larger "footprint" on the water to better support the heavy hook bend on the back of the fly.

 

Youn can use the dubbing ball method to splay the fibers or a loop of tying thread on each side of the hook pulled forward spitting the tails. There are several methods. The FAOL article below shows several methods.

 

http://flyanglersonline.com/flytying/beginners/part16.php

 

 

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About the tails being splayed, in the future I will deffinately work on that, but for the time, do you think these would fish?

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Absolutely they will fish. Everyone likes to make perfect when tying, but perfect isn't necessary to catch fish. Perfect is for the fisherman, what you have tied is for the fish and if presented in the proper fashion, your work will indeed catch fish. You did a nice job, now go out, use them and catch some fish.

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I agree. Those flies will catch fish. My suggestions were how to improve on flies that are very serviceable.

 

I suggest that you keep at least the very first fly you tied of the bunch and NOT fish it. You should keep it as an example of how you have improved. I wish I still had the first fly I tied.

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About the tails being splayed, in the future I will deffinately work on that, but for the time, do you think these would fish?

 

I don't think I've seen a classic Light Cahill tied with splayed tails. So yes they will work. A splayed or split tail is just a more accurate representation of a mayfly, and may help them to float upright.

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Not bad at all google dry fly porportions and there you will find some nice pictures of how long the tail/hackle should be.

 

Here is one of mine. I love catskill style flies.

 

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Not the best but maybe they can help you out a bit.

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