May Flies From the Vise

[Sessions 0]

Been a while, size 30 midge with wally wings, and a size 30 bead head nymph 

[Baron 0]

Itsy bitsy spider......... I can't see well enough for that. 

[Baron 0]

I'd like some help with this, mostly critique on the head and wing. While I like deer hair for clousers I've never used it before for wings. Don't mind the glue all over the vice. It was from a rushed late night session from another time. 

[flytire 0]

The Nicole

Hook - Gamakatsu T10-6H

Thread - Black

Tip - Oval gold tinsel

Ribbing - Flat gold tinsel

Body - Orange floss/uni stretch

Throat - Ginger hackle fibers

Wing - 2 segments of mottled turkey wing feathers

[flytire 0]

 

Pussycat

 

Hook - Mustad 38941, size 6-10

Thread - Gray

Tail - Greenish gray cock ring neck pheasant rump feather fibers

Body - Dubbed muskrat, beaver and olive synthetic fur mixed in equal parts

Legs - Greenish gray cock ring neck pheasant rump feather fibers

Wing case - Mottled brown cock ring neck body feather tied in at 

the head and extending over 1/3 of body

 

Popular Fly Patterns - Terry Hellekson

[Rocco 0]

Glad to se e1 June coming!  The May Flies heading has irked -- not irritated -- me for a month.  Mayflies again!

[tferg 0]

I like the pussycat. Simple but I think that thing would fish. I was just looking at pheasant feathers wondering what I could come up with. Good timing.

 

[DarrellP 0]

15 hours ago, Baron said:

I'd like some help with this, mostly critique on the head and wing. While I like deer hair for clousers I've never used it before for wings. Don't mind the glue all over the vice. It was from a rushed late night session from another time. 

If it sticks up more than you like, you can wear tight toward the eye with loose wraps as you go towards the hook.  Deer hair flares more than Buckhalter due to being hollow.  The tighter you wrap, the more it flairs (sticks up).

[flytire 0]

Balalock

Hook - Mustad R73-9671, size 8-12

Thread - Olive

*Tail - Dyed olive hackle stems tied in a V

Body - Olive dun dubbing

**Wing case - Dyed olive goose quill section tied in over the thorax

Legs - Ginger variant hackle wrapped through the thorax

Thorax - Olive dun dubbing

Popular Fly Patterns - Terry Helleckson

* I used dyed olive deer hair

** i used dyed olive turkey wing fibers

[Baron 0]

5 hours ago, DarrellP said:

If it sticks up more than you like, you can wear tight toward the eye with loose wraps as you go towards the hook.  Deer hair flares more than Buckhalter due to being hollow.  The tighter you wrap, the more it flairs (sticks up).

DarrellP, I am happy with the way it looks but am disappointed with my photography skills😁. I had thought that perhaps you might think the head was not sticking up enough. Perhaps you calmed my thoughts by suggesting a method to loosely wrap towards the eyes. 

[niveker 0]

22 hours ago, Baron said:

mostly critique on the head and wing

Baron, the photo and the fly looks good, like it will float for days and I'm sure it will catch fish.  The way the Elk Hair Caddis is tied has evolved over time to look much like yours.  The originator, Al Troth, tied his with a much smaller head and a good deal less elk hair and less flare.  Here's a link to a photo of one tied by Mr. Troth:

http://montana-riverboats.com/Uploads/up-2017-07-26_Paper-mounted-elk-hair.jpg    

Read down a little bit in that link and they comment on different types of water for the different styles of tying the EHC. 

Me, I would trim the head on your's a tad, or maybe singe it with a lighter.  

[Baron 0]

Actually I was thinking that when I was following the Craven tutorial that he was using too much deer hair. Every thing I’ve ever read about tying suggested that less is better. Perhaps I’ll back it up here and find tutorials from some of the older fly tiers. 
It’s funny that you referenced A listing from Sandy’s site Montana-Riverboats. This is the site where I bought plans to built a drift boat. Came out nice. 
 

[niveker 0]

I meant to reference this forum discussion, where Sandy posted that photo. 

http://classicflyrodforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=106885

[SilverCreek 0]

42 minutes ago, niveker said:

Baron, the photo and the fly looks good, like it will float for days and I'm sure it will catch fish.  The way the Elk Hair Caddis is tied has evolved over time to look much like yours.  The originator, Al Troth, tied his with a much smaller head and a good deal less elk hair and less flare.  Here's a link to a photo of one tied by Mr. Troth:

http://montana-riverboats.com/Uploads/up-2017-07-26_Paper-mounted-elk-hair.jpg    

Read down a little bit in that link and they comment on different types of water for the different styles of tying the EHC. 

Me, I would trim the head on your's a tad, or maybe singe it with a lighter.  

I think that fly photo is taken at an angle that suggests much flair of the wing. Caddis have a lower wing profile.

During an interview with Al Troth before his death, Al's son talks about his father's EHC. Go to 5:35 in the video below and you will see the EHC as it is has a lower wing profile. Here is a frame capture from the video from a display box of Al Troth tied flies.

 

 

[Baron 0]

 Very helpful Information. I see that had I held more firmly onto my pinch of the hair, and used less hair, it would have been a flatter wing and it would still float well.