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Greetings!

I'm relatively new to tying salmon flies, got started about a year ago after reading The Feather Thief. I'd grown up tying trout flies and thought salmon flies would be a fun challenge. "C'mon, can't be that hard, right??" Oh how wrong I was. 

I'd been reading this site and found that people were kind enough to offer critiques when asked. I would appreciate any feedback on my work I attached. It's called The Lizzy, which was in Kelson's The Salmon Fly. Recipe as follows: 

Tag: Silver twist
Tail: A topping
Body: Green, yellow, violet, and crimson seal
Ribs: Silver tinsel (oval)
Hackle: Blue from yellow fur
Wings: Tippet strands; gallina, swan dyed light blue, yellow and crimson, mallard, and a topping

I forgot the horns and didn't realize it until too late. Still kicking myself for that. Maybe I should staple the macaw feathers to my forehead so I don't forget next time! 

Thanks in advance for critiques, feedback, and suggestions! 

20220423_140718.jpg

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I'm no expert, but that fly looks great. 

The only critique I have is you didn't tie one for me.  

And I don't understand some of the materials you have listed, like for the tail and the hackle

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I've taken the time to look at this fly a few times in order to fully offer my thoughts/critique.

You obviously have the needed skills to tie classic salmon flies, but there are just a couple of things that should be refined.

First...that is one ugly hook.😁 Your abilities demand that you tie on a good salmon hook, preferably a blind eye with a twisted gut eye. Not absolutely necessary but that does add to the true old time classic fly finish and appearance.

Second...the shape of the wing is not what you see in traditional classic salmon flies. Take the time to Google a specific pattern and use those images as a model for future tying. There are also a number of good pictures right here on this site that will serve as a showcase for your future work.

Always remember...learning to tie these flies is a marathon, not a sprint. Enjoy the process and keep tying!!

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1 hour ago, niveker said:

 

I'm no expert, but that fly looks great. 

The only critique I have is you didn't tie one for me.  

And I don't understand some of the materials you have listed, like for the tail and the hackle

Regarding the material terminology...
"Topping" is used for golden pheasant crest no matter where it is used on the fly.
The "Blue from yellow fur" hackle means the blue feather is tied in at and wound forward from where the yellow fur ends.

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21 minutes ago, SalarMan said:

Regarding the material terminology...

I figured it was golden pheasant crest, I did not know those naming/recipe conventions.  Thank you, SalarMan

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9 minutes ago, niveker said:

I figured it was golden pheasant crest, I did not know those naming/recipe conventions.  Thank you, SalarMan

Old time stuff that took me a while to learn. Never made sense to me at first, but after a bit it just became natural.

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Thanks for the responses, I really appreciate it!

@SalarMan Thank you for the critique.  The hook is a 3/0 Partridge CS26.  I have looked for blind-eye hooks but honestly haven't come across many, and even fewer with price tags I could afford.  Suggestions would be very welcome.  Besides the CS26, I have mostly up-eyed hooks like Mustad SL73, Gamakatsu T10-6H, and recently picked up some Alec Jacksons.  I've watched some videos of tiers/tyers making gut loops or improvising gut loops, and it looks like another interesting challenge.  I had been focusing more on the tying aspect, although understandably, the hook certainly impacts the aesthetics of the finished fly.  The wings, unsurprisingly, have been my most constant challenge tying these flies.  I haven't been able to consistently secure the wings with the shape, length, and angle I intended.  Progress, not perfection.

Question for the group: where do you get your turkey feathers for wings?  You're the first group I've had the chance to ask.

Thanks again!

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On 4/26/2022 at 2:04 PM, Sandan said:

 @Medic3141 ""C'mon, can't be that hard, right??" Oh how wrong I was."  No kidding. I think you did an excellent job. 

Thanks @Sandan  It's been a lot of fun learning a new style of tying, but has certainly presented numerous challenges I had not been expecting.  I appreciate your compliment.

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7 minutes ago, Medic3141 said:

Thanks @Sandan  It's been a lot of fun learning a new style of tying, but has certainly presented numerous challenges I had not been expecting.  I appreciate your compliment.

I haver to agree that it's fun learning, and doing. The challenges and the attempts, some successful, to overcome them have resulted in my becoming a much better(well I think so anyhow) tier.

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