You are close to describing a pattern in the "Flies of the Northwest" , the Britton #1 & #2, in that the hackle is palmered over the front 1/3 of the hook and stiff hackle instead of soft. Dell ----- Original Message ----- From: "Lou Hurlbut" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, January 31, 2004 9:03 PM Subject: Re: Wet flies
> I'd tied some of Hidy's Flymphs and carried them over the years but fished > them pretty sporadically until about 6-7 years ago on the Yakima. It was > one of those March Brown hatches and the fish were breaking everywhere below > me. I was stubborn about fishing the dry fly and was getting pissed > watching fish boil all around my fly without taking. > Exasperated, I finally tied on a hare's ear flymph (after going thru several > other items in the box of course) and that was the ticket. Wet fly swing > (down and across, just under the film) saved the day. > So then I was a convert and when Dave Hughes' book on wet flies comes out I > snatch it up. But the Flymphs I'd tied according to Hidy's instructions > (and terrible photos) in "...Fishing the Flymph" and what Dave says are > Flymphs don't quite match up. Dave's Flymphs have the hackle wrapped > (palmered?) thru the front 1/3 of the body where Hidy's descriptions are > standard soft hackle style with only a turn or two behind the eye. > Curious, I sent a note to Dave and he responded that he had watched Hidy tie > them and he palmered the hackle as we see them in Dave's book. When I > talked to Dave's cohort Rick Haefle one day he also said he also saw Mr. > Hidy tie them in that fashion. > Well the devil's in the details for the fly tier. I tie them the way Dave > describes them and ties them in his book and when I'm up B.C. way next time > I'll pay more attention to Hidy's patterns in the collection on Granville > Island. > Don't tie them with "soft" hackle though. You want that stiffer grade 1 > palmered hen to trap air bubbles between the barbules and the rough dubbing > rather than lay matted flat against the body. > Oh, and if you don't have it, get "Wet Flies." > > Lou >
