Re: [VFB] Feather ? Biots - Enjoyment in tying

[mark romero]

Chuck, lemme pull your coat to one thing. It's gonna be a while til you find 
your niche.......something you can really get into "Beyond" just tying per 
say. First of all you must develope a passion for tying in general. I have 
no doubts you'll do that. But at a certain point, you'll find an area in the 
larger world of tying that you ESPECIALLY love. Then finally, you'll come to 
realize that (if your like me at all, lol) you have thousands of dollars of 
materials that you may never use, lmao. So be carefull not to go to crazy 
collecting materials.............although that's a REALLY hard one to 
manage. Cause if your like most tyers, you just CANNOT help yourself when 
you walk in a fly shop, go to a show, pick up a catalog, etc., etc., 
etc.....well..........least you'll be prepared if and when the time comes 
you wanna open up a fly shop, lmao. Maybe that's what i'll do, lol. mark

From: "DonO" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To: <vfb@troutnet.com>
To: <vfb@troutnet.com>
Subject: Re: [VFB] Feather ? Biots - Enjoyment in tying
Date: Mon, 27 Jun 2005 08:10:03 -0600
Chuck,

As in everything, there are extremes as to viewpoints.  Some
tiers/flyfishers would catch trout all day on a piece of yarn tied to the
hook if that would work.  And then some will fish only if they can dry fly
fish, and that only with a traditionally tied classic dry fly pattern.  
Both
views are valid.  I know guys that fish with $70 Cabela's kit-rods, and I
know guys who go out with no less than $3 grand worth on them and in their
hands, with hand-tied flies (theirs) and hand built rods (theirs).

I enjoy studying the creatures I fish for, the materials I use to tie the
flies to catch them, and the foods that I imitate with these flies.  To me,
it's part of the enjoyment of the sport.  I can tie 12 months a year, but
flyfishing in Wyoming is viable for about 6 months a year, unless you're 
one
of those polar bear flyfishers.

So studying flies and feathers and furs and all the misc. stuff available 
is
just part of the whole experience.  Feathers are particularly fascinating 
to
me.  Just think of the DNA files it took just to create the pattern of a
ring-neck pheasant.  Everything is so complex and diverse, yet together
looks so congruous and in place.  Where are the main banks that cover color
coordiantion?  Each follicle does its own job, but are they all 
individually
controlled, or is there a master gene?  It could take a lifetime of work
just to understand the splicing codes of hybrid species.  And if you think
all ring-neck pheasants are identical, think again.  After examining
hundreds of tail clumps, getting the 'skirt feathers', I find that rarely
can I get two feathers from different birds that match enough to mate, much
less match perfectly.

So yes, I could use a traditional Adams to catch lots of fish.  But my 
Adams
has Pardo Cd'L tail fibers, rope-dubbed mink underfur for the abdomen,
hand-picked genetic Winger wings, and Hebert Speckled Champagne Badger
hackles.  Will it out-fish the traditional?  Who knows?  Do I care?  Nope.
Do they work?  Yep.  Really good- I'm happy with them.  Ta-daaaa.  Mission
accomplished.

There are many tiers on this list that tie just for the joy of tying and
extending their expertise.  I invite them to add their ideas to this 
thread.

DonO


----- Original Message -----
From: "Chuck Alexander" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <vfb@troutnet.com>
Sent: Monday, June 27, 2005 12:08 AM
Subject: Re: [VFB] Feather ? Biots


> Don: Great info.. Thanks... I think it helps a LOT to know things like
this
> if I am going to be tying my own flies....  Chuck
>