"riverman" wrote in
:

How much of your tying time do you spend inventing flies, modifying
flies you invented vs. trying to make nice replicas of known patterns?

More and more tinkering ... probably 80% now ... though usually
fiddling with a "standard". The last few seasons caddis have drawn most
interest: colour variations to the standard range LaFontaine Emergent
Pupa (LaFEP) and CDC & Elk (try one with 2 strands of pearl crystal flash
for a short tail). The latest being a flurry of hectivity around the
LaFEP tied with a Snowshoe Rabbit foot wing. Started fiddling with them
late last season we could finally get the foot downunder. Field testing
is fun and the flys work.

Invention? Naaah ... just variations on a theme.


I like tying the standards, mostly because I feel like it removes one
variable from the game (like; will this actually catch fish?), but on
the other hand, its much more fun to just try things on my own.

Having fun'n cathin' is what it's all about and to start out the
standards are great because they fulfil their role in the catchin' part
admirably. Variety is the spice of life though!

For
example, the other day I was making some Baetis Nymphs, and didn't
have the right stuff for the backs, so I used some brown chenille and
trimmed it down with my scissors. Eventually, I was doing all sorts of
creative things, and SWMBO looked over my shoulder and commented that
they didn't look at all like the pictures in the book...


"I'm modifying them for local conditions, dearest".

(the conditions being the contents of your tying kit ...
but don't tell her that ... unless it will work in your favour ;-)

Often the pics in books (or on websites) are the tiers interpretation
anyway. For example, in scanning Australian Fly Patterns - Peter Coulson,
we find half a dozen pics and patterns for the Tom Jones by various
fishermen. These ties bear little resemblance to the original. The same
comment can be passed for some true classics listed in the book the
Alexandra being one.



Steve (yet to swim those streamers ...)