Can fish count?

[riverman]

Certain mayfly nymph patterns insist on three tails. Has anyone done an
experiment where they have tied up several identical patterns, differing
only in the number of tails, and fished them in the same water? I'm
wondering if it really makes any difference at all.

--riverman

[Tim Lysyk]

riverman wrote:
> Certain mayfly nymph patterns insist on three tails. Has anyone done an
> experiment where they have tied up several identical patterns, differing
> only in the number of tails, and fished them in the same water? I'm
> wondering if it really makes any difference at all.
>
> --riverman
>
>
Not sure I would really care too much about how many tails a nymph
pattern has. If the live mayfly nymph is a swimmer, the tails will get
pressed together as it swims anyway. For the imitations, I tend to use
hackle fibres, antron, or pheasant tail fibres.

I am more inclined to worry about tails on a dryfly pattern if I am
trying to imitate an adult that sits on the surface of the water as the
tails can make an impression in the surface film that is likley visible
to the trout.

Tim Lysyk

[Lazarus Cooke]

In article >, riverman
> wrote:

> Certain mayfly nymph patterns insist on three tails. Has anyone done an
> experiment where they have tied up several identical patterns, differing
> only in the number of tails, and fished them in the same water? I'm
> wondering if it really makes any difference at all.
>
> --riverman

Yes they have, and quite a long time ago. I'll have to look it up.

In the UK, it's generally accepted that they can't, and that you'd be
daft not to put 4, 5 or even 6 tails to make room for the ones that get
chewed off.

Lazarus

--
Remover the rock from the email address

[riverman]

"Tim Lysyk" > wrote in message
news:OVwKd.54367$Ob.11843@edtnps84...
> riverman wrote:
>> Certain mayfly nymph patterns insist on three tails. Has anyone done an
>> experiment where they have tied up several identical patterns, differing
>> only in the number of tails, and fished them in the same water? I'm
>> wondering if it really makes any difference at all.
>>
>> --riverman
>>
>>
> Not sure I would really care too much about how many tails a nymph pattern
> has. If the live mayfly nymph is a swimmer, the tails will get pressed
> together as it swims anyway. For the imitations, I tend to use hackle
> fibres, antron, or pheasant tail fibres.
>
> I am more inclined to worry about tails on a dryfly pattern if I am trying
> to imitate an adult that sits on the surface of the water as the tails can
> make an impression in the surface film that is likley visible to the
> trout.

Good catch...I meant dry patterns. I had just been looking at that Japanese
site Willi posted and 'nymph' was in my brain.

--riverman

[W. D. Grey]

In article >, riverman >
writes
>Certain mayfly nymph patterns insist on three tails. Has anyone done an
>experiment where they have tied up several identical patterns, differing
>only in the number of tails, and fished them in the same water? I'm
>wondering if it really makes any difference at all.
>
>--riverman
>
>
Welsh trout can, they're damned clever :-)

Seriously, some of the dry fly patterns which should have two tails are
frequently tied with a small bunch of whisks of cock hackle and they
work well.
--
Bill Grey
http://www.billboy.co.uk

[Steve W]

"W. D. Grey" > wrote in message >...
> In article >, riverman >
> writes
> >Certain mayfly nymph patterns insist on three tails. Has anyone done an
> >experiment where they have tied up several identical patterns, differing
> >only in the number of tails, and fished them in the same water? I'm
> >wondering if it really makes any difference at all.
> >
> >--riverman
> >
> >
> Welsh trout can, they're damned clever :-)
>
> Seriously, some of the dry fly patterns which should have two tails are
> frequently tied with a small bunch of whisks of cock hackle and they
> work well.

Have to agree with Bill, though I'd emphasise 'small'. There comes a
point where the tail becomes thick enough to be a body extension
rather than a tail
(in the imitative sense).

Steve

[W. D. Grey]

In article >, Steve W
> writes
>> Seriously, some of the dry fly patterns which should have two tails are
>> frequently tied with a small bunch of whisks of cock hackle and they
>> work well.
>
>Have to agree with Bill, though I'd emphasise 'small'. There comes a
>point where the tail becomes thick enough to be a body extension
>rather than a tail
>(in the imitative sense).

Quite so - by a bunch I meant, probably 5 or six whisks rather than the
"correct" two or three.
--
Bill Grey
http://www.billboy.co.uk