Tail end of the Pmd hatch

"rw" wrote in message
m...
pittendrigh wrote:
...got a few new photos, from Saturday, of the tail end
of the Pmd hatch on the spring creeks near Livingston, MT.
One of the things I noticed was how remarkably yellow these
little mayflies look at a distance, and how much greener
and grayer they look close up.

http://montana-riverboats.com/Pages/.../RealBugs.html

Awhile ago the question of color of flies came up in ROFF. Some people
(including me) thought that fish would likely see colors very differently
from people. Others (rdean, for example) thought that there would be a
one-to-one relationship between the colors fish see and the colors fish
see, so it wouldn't matter.


I am not sure color really makes much difference, a least for dry flies, as
the fly is backlit anyway, and presumably, all the fish sees is a shadow. I
have used a black wing, grey wing, and white wing BWO within minutes of each
other and been successful with each. The choice of fly related to the water
and sun condition more than my perception of which wing color would fool the
wiley trout. Of course, just to be safe, I meticulously match body and tail
color to the killer samples of the flies I pick up at local shops, and from
local guides. ;^)

FWIW, I recently read that Tappley (of Taps Tips fame) conducted an
experiment with some of his friends one season, wherein each participant
fished "Tap's NearNuff" exclusively, changing only size, and at the end of
the season reported the results. The consensus was that using that one
pattern all season did not affect their success rate. I suspect that fishing
an Adams would have similar results, especially since, as AK Best recently
wrote (in Fly Rod and Reel, I believe), there are at least 4,000 variations
possible!

Jim Ray

jimbo wrote:

FWIW, I recently read that Tappley (of Taps Tips fame) conducted an
experiment with some of his friends one season, wherein each participant
fished "Tap's NearNuff" exclusively, changing only size, and at the end of
the season reported the results. The consensus was that using that one
pattern all season did not affect their success rate.

What does that fly look like? What's the recipe?

If I had to use one fly all season (horrible thought!) it would be a PT
(or maybe a Skip's Nymph).

I suspect that fishing
an Adams would have similar results, especially since, as AK Best recently
wrote (in Fly Rod and Reel, I believe), there are at least 4,000 variations
possible!

Agreed, the Adams is the most versatile dry fly. I prefer the parachute
style and always carry sizes from #10 to #20.

--
Cut "to the chase" for my email address.

"rw" wrote in message
m...

Agreed, the Adams is the most versatile dry fly. I prefer the parachute
style and always carry sizes from #10 to #20.


I'll ditto the Adams pattern, my favorite, mine rage from #12-20 in both
light and dark.
I also have the Parachute Adams in 14-20 light and dark as well.
These are the 4 dry-fly patterns I fish the most.
-tom

Tom Nakashima wrote:
"rw" wrote

Agreed, the Adams is the most versatile dry fly. I prefer the parachute
style and always carry sizes from #10 to #20.

I'll ditto the Adams pattern, my favorite, mine rage from #12-20 in both
light and dark.
I also have the Parachute Adams in 14-20 light and dark as well.
These are the 4 dry-fly patterns I fish the most.

I much prefer the traditional Adams to the para style, though I know the
latter tends to be much more popular these days.

I see the traditional tie better on the water under a wider range of
conditions. It also seems to produce better, which of course may merely
be a function of the "confidence factor."


--
John Russell aka JR

JR wrote:
Tom Nakashima wrote:

"rw" wrote


Agreed, the Adams is the most versatile dry fly. I prefer the
parachute style and always carry sizes from #10 to #20.

I'll ditto the Adams pattern, my favorite, mine rage from #12-20 in
both light and dark.
I also have the Parachute Adams in 14-20 light and dark as well.
These are the 4 dry-fly patterns I fish the most.


I much prefer the traditional Adams to the para style, though I know the
latter tends to be much more popular these days.

I see the traditional tie better on the water under a wider range of
conditions. It also seems to produce better, which of course may merely
be a function of the "confidence factor."

I prefer the parachute pattern for four reasons:

(1) It sits lower in the water, as someone else said. The fish seem to
like that.

(2) I hate tying the wings onto a traditional Adams.

(3) It's symmetrical, and so doesn't tend to twist the tippet, as a
traditional Adams does unless it's perfectly tied.

(4) I can see it better. (Different folks, different strokes.) I use
white Antron for the post.

--
Cut "to the chase" for my email address.

"rw" wrote in message
m...

I prefer the parachute pattern for four reasons:

(1) It sits lower in the water, as someone else said. The fish seem to
like that.

I thought the Parachute Adams sits higher in the water, due to the
parachute.


(2) I hate tying the wings onto a traditional Adams.

But that's not the main reason for favoring the Parachute Adams over the
Adams?


(3) It's symmetrical, and so doesn't tend to twist the tippet, as a
traditional Adams does unless it's perfectly tied.

Interesting, never had a problem with twist with the Adams...your casting
technique?
I've notice some casters to have a natural twist of the tippet with any fly.


(4) I can see it better. (Different folks, different strokes.) I use white
Antron for the post.

That I do agree, the Parachute Adams is more visible, due to the parachute
riding high on top of the water and usually a lighter color.

I do enjoy using both the Adams and the Parachute Adams before anything else
goes on unless I know the hatch.
-tom

Tom Nakashima wrote:
"rw" wrote in message
m...

I prefer the parachute pattern for four reasons:

(1) It sits lower in the water, as someone else said. The fish seem to
like that.


I thought the Parachute Adams sits higher in the water, due to the
parachute.

The hackle on a parachute tie doesn't extend below the hook shank (or at
least not very far below it). That's why they float lower than a
traditionally hackled fly.


(2) I hate tying the wings onto a traditional Adams.


But that's not the main reason for favoring the Parachute Adams over the
Adams?

If I'm tying them, yes, it is a reason.


(3) It's symmetrical, and so doesn't tend to twist the tippet, as a
traditional Adams does unless it's perfectly tied.


Interesting, never had a problem with twist with the Adams...your casting
technique?
I've notice some casters to have a natural twist of the tippet with any fly.

Any asymmetry in the tie (i.e., the wings) will tend to cause the tippet
to twist -- especially fine tippet.

--
Cut "to the chase" for my email address.

rw wrote in news:44c67168$0$24195
:

I prefer the parachute pattern for four reasons:

(1) It sits lower in the water, as someone else said. The fish seem to
like that.

(2) I hate tying the wings onto a traditional Adams.

(3) It's symmetrical, and so doesn't tend to twist the tippet, as a
traditional Adams does unless it's perfectly tied.

(4) I can see it better. (Different folks, different strokes.) I use
white Antron for the post.



Boy, wait until you try the Usual!! Same advantages, easier and faster
tie, and you don't need a neck.

--
Scott
Reverse name to reply

rw wrote:

I prefer the parachute pattern for four reasons:

(1) It sits lower in the water, as someone else said. The fish seem to
like that.

True, it sits lower, but my experience about which the fish prefer is
the opposite.

(2) I hate tying the wings onto a traditional Adams.

I dislike that less than I dislike tying off the horizontally wound hackle.

(3) It's symmetrical, and so doesn't tend to twist the tippet, as a
traditional Adams does unless it's perfectly tied.

So tie it perfectly, for cryin' out loud.

(4) I can see it better. (Different folks, different strokes.) I use
white Antron for the post.

I see it worse. Sits low in the water, you know. g

--
John Russell aka JR

JR wrote:

[parachute vs. standard Adams]

True, it sits lower, but my experience about which the fish prefer is
the opposite.

(2) I hate tying the wings onto a traditional Adams.

I dislike that less than I dislike tying off the horizontally wound hackle.

Strangely enough, I find tying off a parachute hackle to be a simple
operation. I know when I first started tying trout (vs. bass) flies a
couple of years ago, I was intimidated by the parachute tie. Everyone
had advice about how to handle the "tricky" step of tying and securing
the hackle.

Maybe it's because I taught myself using Harry Mason's excellent
tutorial, but I find a parachute to be the easiest dry tie of them all.
There are a couple of important steps, like wrapping the hackle stem
up the post, bending the stem before winding, holding the hackle back
out of the way when tying off at the eye, but all of those operations
take about as long to write about as to actually perform.

(4) I can see it better. (Different folks, different strokes.) I use
white Antron for the post.

I see it worse. Sits low in the water, you know. g

That's why I tie mine with a chartreuse post. :-) And the fish
don't seem to mind. In fact, earlier in this thread I mentioned
catching a fish on a sunken para Adams. That fly had a chartreuse post.
:-)


Chuck Vance (who if forced to pick one fly would go to a #16 para
Adams and have complete confidence that it would work)