New flies

[Randi 0]

OK so here it goes has anyone sat down at the vice not having a clue what you are gonna tie and just invented a pattern only to find out that the fly you created catches fish

[mikechell 0]

Yes ... many times. I've also found out that most of the patterns I truly invented myself already have a counterpart in the "somebody already did that" department.

[Piker20 0]

Same here. I tied a fly and found it did well, then a year or two later saw an almost identical pattern in a really old book.

We're being influenced all the time from articles we read and websites like this one; with only a limited material list to work from there will never be a truly original fly

[Kentuckysteve 0]

I have also.Sometimes you just throw some stuff on a hook and come up with a frankenstein fly that is just too ugly or too embarrassing to show to the public but the fish love them.I have quite a few of these.Some look like a 4yr old tied them.Just goes to show that fish like the ugly flies too.I can't imagine what the fish think they are.

[flyguy613 0]

I do mostly other people's patterns that I like

 

It's tough to make a truly unique fly, definitely easier if you have say a new or uncommon material you can incorporate.

[fishinguy 0]

I've done this, but it's usually trying to incorporate pieces of 2 or more different flies into one usable one. The one I was most proud of and had good success with, I found someone had tied just about the identical thing a few years prior. No name, pattern info, or sbs though.

[flytire 0]

with a 35 year tying background, anything i think i may have created is most likely a variation of something i've seen in a book, magazine, on-line website etc

 

changing a color doesn't constitute a new

[NohackleHS 0]

Many years ago when I got back from a trip to Manzanita lake I open the trunk of my car and found 20 or 30 dead black flying ants scattered around the trunk liner. Evidently these ants like to find crevices to crawl into and the trunk of my car looked inviting to them. The next day I took one of the ants and put in on my fly tying table. I then proceeded to tie up a fly to imitate it. I realize that this is a bit different from just sitting down and tying something up since I had a natural to pattern my fly after, but it was a truly enjoyable, creative process. It turned out that my Manzanita ant was very effective at the lake; the first trip I used it I nailed an 19 inch rainbow. Since then I also had great success with the fly at many other locations.

[rstaight 0]

I used to run the fly tying nights for our local fly fishing club. One night I thought it would be fun to do what I called "round robin" flies.

 

One person would start the thread on a hook, what ever color thread and hook they wanted. They then passed the vise with the thread attached to the next person. They would add one material and pass the vise to the next person. They would add something else and pass it on. This went on till we had a completed fly.

 

We tied 4 or 5 flies that night. Damn they were uuuugly. Be it was different and everyone had fun. Now I would bet they were original.

[djtrout 0]

Sure have, but really, even if I don't consult a pattern at all, insects, baitfish, terrestrials, crustaceans, all inspire whatever I tie; the upshot of that is, no matter what I do it will bear uncanny resemblance to some named pattern out there somewhere.

There's lots of room for creativity, especially in exploring new materials that folks discover or manufacture all the time. As we say in business when someone has a great idea for a startup, it may be a good idea, but chances are someone somewhere has tried it before.

Makes for a wonderful world. I still marvel at all the twists fly tyers can come up with (how many ways can you tie a BWO? well, how do you relate to the concept of infinity? ...)

I love this gig!

[Crackaig 0]

Yes I've done that, but now I usually start with a idea. Then work out how to get what I want. More often than not this comes from observation on the water. Perhaps the pattern I have isn't fishing in the way I want it to. More often than not I have something distinct in mind when I start out. What is essential to do this is a good understanding of the properties of materials. If you are going to create a useful fly, you have to be able to use materials that will work as you want them to.

 

Then comes the question. At what point does a new pattern become a success? One fish? A dozen fish? A significant % of your season's bag? When others start paying you for them? I've seen fish taking catkins that had fallen off overhanging willows, Now I don't carry an imitation of a catkin, nor am I likely to design one. I usually just cover them with the largest Griffith's Gnat I have with me. It works quite well. It is, though, a rare occurrence. I've only seen it twice. If I did tie a catkin imitation how many times do I have to catch on it before I can start to shout about my new pattern? It is likely to be 20+ years before it has had a minimal test.

 

Yes it does happen that we sometimes go off on a flight of fancy and come up with something that picks up the odd fish. Does it solve a problem that existing patterns don't? If not, then what progress have you made? Even so playing around at the vice can be fun, and that is worth indulging in sometimes.

 

Cheers,

C.

[retrocarp 0]

A very good point Crackaig..........I now feel utterly worthless.......lmao

[Adam Saarinen 0]

rstaight! That round robin thing sounds like a real lot of fun!

[Poopdeck 0]

There are only so many ways to dress a hook. Personally, I really do not strictly adhere to any pattern and I find myself substituting materials with stuff I have on hand. Am I creating a new fly? Nope just coming close to something that's already out there.

[nick2011 0]

for me if i catch 1 fish on a fly i tied its a success because that is 1 more fish in the memory box i didnt have before.