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