In article .com, Da
wrote:
2 day ago, I posted a new pattern. Here is the pattern link http://
www.versacorp.cn/picImg/Adams-Big.jpg . I have got some feedback about
my pattern.

----The fly is not tied true to the accepted pattern, the proportions
are wrong, and it should be tied in sizes 10 to 20. Other than that,
it's perfect.

----Often it's more important that -I- can see the fly than to make an
exact match - the fish don't mind.

I have a question to ask whether we should strictly follow the tying
rules or just use your imagination to tie what you want to tie and
have fun. You know, even some patterns I have seen do not follow the
rules but they still could catch fish. So what are your comments?

There are no true rules about -tying- - except where some arbitrary (non
fishing) constraint is added: in a tying competition say, or where a fishery
owner insists that only certain sizes of hook are used.

The best judge of a fly is a fish. If you want to know what works for you
and your local fish/waters take a close look at your flybox at the end of
the season. Throw away everything in it* and resolve never to tie any of
those patterns again. The patterns you want are the ones that were there at
the start of the season but which you have used up in the course of your
fishing.

Trouble is you soon get bored tying up multiple copies of the few working
patterns. I've never found commercial sources of my preferred flies tied as
I want them though, usually they're overdressed.

Cheerio,

* Ok , that's extreme, but the principle is sound.

--
Fishing: http://www.fishing.casterbridge.net/
Writing: http://www.author.casterbridge.net/derek-moody/
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