What have you tied this year?

[Banks10]

It's been a long winter has it not?. Unfortunately, I have wielded a shovel many more times than a fly rod over the past few months. To pass the long, dreary winter months I have remained in the depths of my basement at my vise.
I wouldn't dare to boast my experience, as it is of a short duration and lacking of the attention to detail that I see in other's fly boxes, but I must wonder what other's have tied over this harsh winter.
This has been the first winter I have tied my own flies. Admittedly, what I have been able to create surely wouldn't be held to the standards of most. However, I will be very satisfied to only use flies that I have tied this coming season.
While I have created, or more accurately, tried to create many different patterns, I am wondering what others have tied this winter?

What are your top 5 patterns that you tied this winter??

For me it would be:

1. Prince Nymph
2. Adams
3. Elk Hair Caddis
4. Pheasant Tail Nymph
5. Elk Hair Emergers

[Casey A. Wood]

If you're tying Elk Hair Caddis, then you an't be that bad of a tyer. To me, I would think it might be hard to keep the hair from going all over when it is being tied.

[Banks10]

It does take a little while to figure out how to secure it properly. I broke A LOT of thread when I started out trying to tie stacked elk hair down.

[Capt.Dan]

It has been a long winter..This past winter I tied up several flies
Just to list a few
Grey ghost.red ghosts.. can't go wrong with a classic fly like this in april
caddis pupa
some scud patterns
restocked the wolly buggers
Sculpins
slump busters
mickey fins
PT's nymphs
parmachinibell
stones
some size 10& 12 wets
a bunch of other streamers I can't think of now
egg patterns
muddler minnows
but one of my new favorite flys which I got from flygal, and I can't wait to try on April 1st for salmon is a Nome’s Nuisance Minnow. mickey fin style..
I used it yesterday and it looked awesome in the water..here it is
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t181/Danimal_021/Picture318.jpg

[Cadoda]

Dan,

Very nice fly. Would you mind posting the recipie for that?

Greg

[Cadoda]

Mickey Fin
Elk Hair Caddis
Stimulator (my favorite dry)
Black ghost, and
My first attempt at the Grey Ghost; It's still drying!

I spent so much time on the Grey Ghost, I'm going to hesitate to fish it, but that's the point; right?
Greg

[wet_fly_action]

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s174/slick1072/flies3.jpg
I don't remember why I took this picture. Maybe to see if the camera had a macro feature?
It doesn't by the way.
The biggest of these is a size 10 and the smallest a 16.
Plus plenty of the usual suspects Maynard's Marvels, Edson Tigers, Black Ghosts.
I just tied a bunch of PT nymphs and soft hackles for a friend, something new for me. not too bad to tie either.
Plus 6 dozen or so Atlantic Salmon flies, and its looking like that trip will have to wait for next year

[TGIF]

Top 5 huh? That cuts the list down a little bit, as it has been a VERY long winter....Here are some of the favorites....

Featherwing Streamers (4 dozen at last count) I am really hooked on these, for the art
and the fishability....

EHC Variants

CDC Emergers

Sculpins and Muddlers

Marabou and Rabbit Streamers

The Dry flies stayed pretty well stocked, and I don't really even count the nymphs, but I probably tied about 20 dozen of them as well.....

Come on April 1!!!!!

TGIF

[Banks10]

I just picked up some CDC for the first time last week and I love tying with it. It is very easy to use and looks great on emergers. I have also tied a lot of quick and easy caddis patterns with it.

I feel like I really need to play catch up over the next few weeks. I tied a lot of flies at the beginning of the winter but I really got lazy for a while. I'll be spending a lot of time in front of the vise over the next few weeks.

[Chappy]

I have been working on a variety of smelt patterns through a few years of research, I finally have converged on 5 different styles (in 5 different colors). These are for trolling the salmon lakes and casting for stripers - note the stainless mustads on all but the sunset smelt.

They are the Chum, Peril, Thunder, Unique, and Sunset.

The colors are red/gold; chart/glow; pink/silver; purple/orange; and aqua/glow.

I finished tying 5 of each of the 25 variations. Phew!!!

Now to work on something else....like maybe fishing?? Too bad I have a glacier in my yard - who know when I can get the boat out...

[Chappy]

Oh yeah, forgot also tied 7 of these guys.

I got a two special rangely hackle necks from Feathers MC (one pink grey and one gray). Also got Martinek hooks, jungle cock (grade B or C with hot glue mend), floss, and good tinsel from Feathers MC too. I also got some silk glove liners from Cabelas. Use Saltwater Egde bucktail. Some primo peacock eyes and pheasant crests from Stone River, and the silver pheasant skin from W.S. Hunters. Use UTC 70 white for the body and UTC 70 black for the head (wrapped flat). Finished the head with Hard as Hull head cement.

I must say prior to this series of ties, my gray ghosts were wrapped marabou or black ghosts with grey wings and orange bodies.

So the question is do I fish these? I have given 3 of them away as display flies in riker mounts. I think I will dunk one of these guys this year though - although I don't expect them to out produce but that isn't the point now is it?

BTW - The Hatches magazine where there is an article by Chris Del Plato on tying classic Carrie Stevens patterns finally inspired me to do something about it.

The key is having some head cement that is really thick. If you ever think your head cement is setting up - don't throw it away. Use it to mount feather wings as it won't wick.

The nice thing is that I have enough materials for another dozen. Just need to find the time.

One final point - I tied these in 4 stages - wing&cheek sizing and glue; body; throat and hook prep for the wing; and wing and cheeks. It is really important to simplify the tying into stages and take a break (even for a day) and get refreshed for the next step. Tying more at least 4 flies through stages will really help your tying consistency whatever the pattern.

Have fun fishing your ties from this winter. I hope to as well.

[TGIF]

Nice Ghost Chappy!!!! As I mentioned above, I've been going to town on the featherwings, and I have also been experimenting with alternative materials to the traditional featherwing, that will hopefully prove to be more lively in the water. You really hit the naiil on the head regarding the Ghost materials, you must have good peacock (swords, not strung), fine and straight bucktail that doesn't flare, hackle with a medium/strong quill with minimal web, and silver pheasant that has some imposing markings. That is a very nice tie, but also a good example of how important the materials are for display flies. I must be honest, for flies that aren't going in a box on display, I cut some corners for the sake of time and cost, because I don't believe that the fish care.....

Just my thoughts.

TGIF

[Chappy]

Actually, this picture is maybe the 6th worst of the seven. Look at the wings not seating properly. The best is inside a glass dome with a Green Highlander which was a Christmas present for my bro.

So the event was really a Christmas present and as a result - I felt like the other ones I can fish with this one.

I agree - that my recent forray into display quality has been more of a "I got basement time in the evenings and no fishing time on the weekends" as my boys are still quite young. I miss the days of spending an hour at the vice is taking away from my fishing time. I would tie fast and hardy with materials that I had that worked - and thus the reason for more marabou streamers than anything else. The real problem with feather wings was and still is - when you put it on the drying patch, gravity pulls on the wings and the fly will never fish the same way it did off the vice. Sometimes a good thing but more than not a bad thing. As casting a featherwing will result in some percentage >10% of the cast result in fouling, and non-aggressive fish probably won't hit it anyway.

I have been tying a Walter's smelt which is feather wing but really small. I need to take some pictures and post. This is the feather wing I love to fish and cast. And it uses colorful chinese saddle hackles and some synthetics to prevent fouling and add flash but no bulk.

There will be a day I hope when my boys drag me to the water where I will once again be cursing having to spend time at the vice to outfit our day of fishing with flies. Until then, I can dream.

[TGIF]

Good man Chappy, some day the boys will be out on the water with you.... The wing on your ghost is obviously very fishable, it just seems that the wings didn't "marry" very well. Not in the traditional bergman sense, but in the sense where their hackles intertwine to create strength. I use cheap strung hackle for my wings, because I fish them, and I've had similar issues.

I'd love to see a picture of the Walter's Smelt, I'm not familiar with that fly.

What size is that Grey Ghost? I starting using #2 8xl, but I found that they fouled too much and I have had better luck with #6 8xl. They smaller hook gape doesn't foul as much... but of course there are inherant draw backs to that as well.

I usually run my finger down the wing to dry it as much as possible before I hang it out to dry, that has helped, but I've ruined a lot of feathers by letting them dry on their own.

All great points, it looks like the board has some newbies, which is great, so keep posting!!!

TGIF

[Gtownfly]

As this was my first winter tying, I tried lots of different patterns, trying to learn the different techniques each called for. Didn't get great at any, but managed to catch some fish just the same.

Tied plenty of PTs, Prince Nymphs, and buggers. Then moved on to some EH caddis and some mayfly patterns.

Found that I really like the look of the wet wing flies.

Recently been experimenting with different types of striper flies, hoping to catch some redfish on my trip to Gulf Shores, Alabama next week.

Anyhow, here are some of the flies...


http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa51/kac4416/dkcahill.jpg

http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa51/kac4416/ltcahill.jpg

http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa51/kac4416/irresist.jpg

http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa51/kac4416/epoxy.jpg

http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa51/kac4416/puglisi.jpg

[wet_fly_action]

For those of you hesitant to fish your featherwing streamers: fish them! It will give you an excuse to tie more. A few years from now you will be tying so much better you will want to throw them out anyway!
As far as them not producing, that is not the experience I've had. I used to tie many of the traditional patterns with extra flash and material substitutions to give the fly more action (e.g. marabou). I would also tie the "classic" version just because I liked it. Inevitably a lot of these flies ended up in logs and under rocks and I would end up fishing the featherwing versions because they were all that was left in the box, and I would start catching fish.

I have no explanation for this and I know many people swear by their own personal variations and I have no desire to try to change their minds about them.

My theory is that if what trout and salmon wanted was a lot of action we would be catching them on heddon crazy crawlers and jointed rapalas. Maybe they respond to the more subtle action of a featherwing, just as they respond to the more subtle presentation of the fly rod?

[TGIF]

Wet Fly... I agree.... I've been told my many folks that featherwings are a top producer in their boxes, and that carrie stevens actually knew what she was doing :) I certainly have loved tying them, I've gotten quick enough to actually be able to stomach fishing them, so now I can give mine a shot, rather then just drifting my retail streamers. I'll let you know how I do.

I am not sure that I'm willing to give up on Marabou, but I think that each material has it's place. In a quick moving river, a minnow is likely to be holding in a single position, thus, a featherwing is effective, and I think that in the larger sizes they do have some nice action. In slower water, I think that marabou has it's merits, because the current isn't creating the action, so the fly has to do it.

Just my thoughts.

TGIF

[Solid]

I don't recognize any of those patterns. Here is a sample of what I have been tying....
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v319/megabass5150/Group.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v319/megabass5150/Albies.jpg

Mummichog Clouser
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v319/megabass5150/Mummichog_Clouser.jpg

Mummichog Bend Back!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v319/megabass5150/Mummichog_BendBack.jpg

Olive 1/2 & 1/2
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v319/megabass5150/Olive_half_half.jpg

And finally, my go-to fly.....
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v319/megabass5150/Yellow_Olive_Deceiver.jpg

[Chappy]

Hi Solid,

Your skill at the vise is excellent. I enjoy looking at your saltwater ties. Just beautiful.

One of these days I will look to fish salt a little more but I am pulled by Lake Winnipesaukee and salmon over stripers.

I think it is a jumping thing.