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niveker

Fran Betters: The Usual

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Playing with Fran Betters' Usual pattern with different colored threads, trying to get proportions looking good.  . 

#14 Saber Dry hook (camera angle makes them look different sizes)

Tan snowshoe

Thread: top to bottom: orange, yellow, pink, olive. 

Last one with dubbing noodle, first three with split thread.  

I think I like the pink one best.  Need to work on wing sizing (volume) and a little less dubbing on the body to get that thread to show through.  

Comments, criticism, tips welcome.  

2020-12-20-183859.jpg

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Thanks, chug.  I have tied with it before, but never really took the time to work with it.  It does have a unique luster.    

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I think they look great. I'm a fan of this pattern. It seems to float well, easy to see and is very un-fussy. I like it when I don't really know what to tie on.

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Nice flies!  Proportions appear to be spot - on.  I have always been told the wing volume is supposed to be full as opposed to sparse. Great fly for moving water.  Thank you for posting.

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Thanks flykid, TS, keruso.  

18 minutes ago, kerusso said:

the wing volume is supposed to be full as opposed to sparse

Hard to see from that side view, but the 3rd fly has a much fuller wing than the other three.  I was trying to keep the body profile slim by reducing the amount of fibers tied in for the wing, but I think you are correct: the benefit of a fuller wing over a slightly slimmer body.  

 

 

 

 

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Hook: #14 dry

Thread: olive

Yellow snowshoe

I like the slightly darker body from the olive thread, unfortunately, the head looks anemic.  

IMG-20201221-081839.jpg

Anyone have suggestions for snowshoe color/thread color combinations that have worked well?

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Like others have mentioned, you did a really nice job on those flies! The third one down in your first post is really close to the way that Fran tied his. He used a lot of hair for the wing. He used quite a bit of dubbing too , but tied them really fast and rough that left the thread showing in spots. If you want some more ideas for patterns that use snowshoe here in the northeast check this link out. Just scroll down to see lots of patterns that Tony Ritter has tied. He used to be a member here, but like tons of other folks, just doesn't come here any longer. His site hasn't been updated in a while either by the looks of it, but there's lots of good patterns there. 

Regards,

                  Mark

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Nice.  I had a chance to meet Fran Betters in his shop many years ago.  He was tying Usuals and they were plain ugly.   I like snowshoe to tie with.  I've slimmed down my Usuals by using wrapped CDC for the body.  They work well in the slower water around here.  Still use the dubbed body for brook trout and fast water. Here's my favorite emerger/cripple pattern.  It's loosely based on the Quigley Cripple.

1525827280_P5040398(2).thumb.JPG.3c99ef02372538438c87360d449e551d.JPG

Hook: Dry fly.  Size 16 to 12. This one is tied on a Klinkhammer hook

Thread.  Color to match the fly

Tail:  Pheasant Tail

Body: Pheasant Tail, thin copper wire

 Thorax:  Wrapped yellow CDC

Wing:  Snowshoe rabbit

Hackle:  Dry fly, color to match pattern

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I am a big fan of the Usual, plus I love saying "Oh, the Usual" when people ask what I'm using! I like the CDC variant as well - 2 materials, snowshoe and cdc. I like them for sulphurs- your look well done.

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