"You can start fly fishing in the Spring when the leaves on an apple tree are the size of a mouse ear" - Old bit of sage advice from someone who didn't know their ass from third base
What if Picasso tied flies? This abstract cubist definitely saw reality through a different prism than the average hook and hackle wrapper. It's fair to say that he was not into exact imitation and "impressionistic" tying might have constrained him. He would have been an abstract tyer for sure!
A Picasso Dry would have had two sets of tails, fore and aft, and no wings. Hackles would not be placed on the thorax or palmered on and certainly not in parachute form. Hackles would be placed dead center on the body.
Will I fish this fly this Spring or take a look at it then and say "What the F___ was I thinking?
Maybe I'll have a great new fly. Maybe not. We will see!
This is what happens when you get cabin fever or the shack nasties as it's called now. The perfect fly fishing life is to be able to fish without freeze-out, arctic wind conditions where you PRAY for a 40 degree day here in New England while daydreaming about that second week in May. We are stuck here for a while and even though we may wave the pom-poms for the Farmington in the hope of rising trout we KNOW that this is not what we want. Quill Gordons and Hendricksons are what we want and that means SPRING. WE NEED SPRING!!!
That will come! If you don't think that we need Spring to really fish may you be damned to a GAME OF THRONES Winter!!!!
Book Your Outing
Just a reminder - April, May and June are being booked so you want to claim a day before it's too late. Remember, I'm available 7 days a week and have added two new rivers to my guiding list.
United Fly Tyers
I had the pleasure of addressing this group about the Millers River. Decades ago I used to go to their meetings to pick up advice on tying and their knowledge and passion about our sport continues. If you want to get into tying check out their meetings and their website.
Ken
14 comments:
Ken, your post made me laugh.
When tying, I bounce back between the 'impressionistic' and 'realistic'. If I design a fly myself (and I use that term very loosely considering the vice of tying flies has been around for at least half a century), based on a bug I've found in the stream, I try to imitate that bug as exactingly as I my meager skills allow. But when looking for a recipe, I'm drawn to the 'impressionistic' pattern.
It makes me stop and wonder a bit when my realistic fly, after catching a few fish, eventually gets beat into an impressionistic fly, and still catches fish. Why did I go through all that trouble in the first place? Another fly fishing mystery to ponder as the snow gets ready to start again.
Kevi,
I guess my post had the element of making someone laugh. I'm successful on that!
Here's my take - We go through all of that "realistic" tying for the ART of it. It's fun AND we can catch trout with it. "Realistic" tying has to deal with the curved piece of steel hanging out of the rear of the fly which really can't be explained when we try to match size, shape and color. Yes, your fly "gets beat" into impressionism but that shows us that "exact imitation" is a fools game for the most part. A comparadun works as well or better than a traditional Catskill dry and we all know it. A parachute dry works too but probably not any better that a comparadun. So maybe it comes down to "triggers" in the fly makeup or maybe just presentation. I opt for presentation if size is accounted for.
Ken
Ken,
Nice post and funny too. I look at certain terrestrial patterns and I see your point. Good job!
GW
if Picasso was still alive and tied flies...
he would have been a Salmon fly tyer... ha ha ha ...
just look at all those colors blended together!!!!
Anonymous 12:53
He would of tied the Blue Charm during his "blue" period!!!
Ken
I get a chuckle out of this thread, Ken, as I find myself also departing from the standard flies lately in search of a fly that is certain to be irresistible to trout when weather gets better. Your dry fly by the way I think would be well liked by Vincent Marinaro who tied similar flies for the spring creeks of PA.
One of my favorite fly fishing books, 'The Last Pool, Upstream and Down Big Stony' has a chapter where these two industrious fly tiers pass the winter tying all the standard flies they will need come spring time. Finally they are tired of the standards and start inventing their own dry flies. They give them names such as Old Nassau, Wickham's Ecstasy, Campbell's Lunacy, and my favorite...The What Have We Dunn. Each one of these unusual creations they made as the snow fell, they just KNEW would be irresistible to trout come spring.
When spring finally came they reverted to fishing the standard dry flies, but occasionally they did find success with those they invented. The entire book is a good read, but this particular chapter, Midwinter Night's Dream, hits home to me this time of year with cabin fever in full force.
Best,
Sam
Thank you for presenting Ken. It was enjoyed by all!
Bob W
Bob W. (United Fly Tyers)
You are welcome!
Ken
just a heads-up....I made the mistake of ordering a FURLED LEADER online...
what I got was nothing more than a piece of mono that was simply TWISTED....
twisted is NOT the same as furled....I make my own twisted leaders...but I wanted a furled...I was sent a twisted instead....
anything to get a buck!!! sheeesh!!!
Anonymous,
That's what you get with people who deal with a suppliers. Let me ask: Can you ditch the furled leader and still catch trout and land trout without it? Is it really necessary?
Ken
the answer is ...yes...I can... but...I just wanted to try a furled leader....Only because ive read a lot about how they're (supposedly) turn the fly over more gently and more delicate...
I usually just use a no-knot eyelet inserted into the end of my 5wt floating line...then just use 4 lb stren mono about 9 ft ....simple
I was just curious about the furled...(my point being...you don't always get what u pay for....
needless to say...I learned my lesson the Hard way...lol
Anonymous said, 1;02pm
"I just wanted to try a furled leader...Only because I've read a lot about they're (supposesdly) turn the fly over more gently and more delicate..."..
Ok, Your words above. A furled leader will not create and will not give you a more delicate presentation. A furled leader picks up more water and that commotion is noticed. Dump that furled leader unless you are fishing subsurface.
Jon butler
Hi Ken,
I would love to get a copy of the Fly Fishers Guide to the Millers River. I have to tell you that I have been back to the swift about three more times, and your flies are trout magnets. Lots of brook trout and a few rainbows in the mix. Quick funny story, I went to the famous "Pipe" and was fishing a small egg with a strike inticadtor. Some young buck came up and told me I was doing it all wrong. I smiled and said "Well I was out here a few weeks ago with Ken Elmer and it worked fine!" He laughed and said nope, you won't catch a thing that way. As he turned away I hooked into a nice rainbow. Not big, but nice. I smiled back and said...."Thank's fot your advice, I'll change this up immeaditely!" He just walked away.
I will be contact you soon to book a spring trip on the Millers River. Thanks again for all your knowledge and help.
Jon,
Funny story!! Probably someone who learned to fly fish from watching videos!
Hope to show you the Millers this Spring.
Ken
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