"Graphite rods might be able to hurl a fly line an inordinate distance in a straight line, and then snap back to attention like a marine on parade the instant the casting stroke was completed. But to me their efficiency seemed cold and hard, maybe even a little malevolent. I had no interest in fishing with something that originated in the military-aerospace industry and was advertised by the Orvis Company as being made from the same material as Trident nuclear submarines. Trout fishing and high tech weaponry seemed to me to belong to separate spheres of existence". George Black
The Dun And Cream Flymph Size 12
The Soft Hackle fly was created in the British Isles over 400 years ago to catch trout and grayling. The patterns are still with us: Partridge and Orange, Partridge and Olive, The Starling and Purple, the Black Spider and hundreds more. The thing that they have in common with each other is that they have very soft, flimsy and flowing hackles and their bodies, for the most part, are extremely thin. The back 2/3 of the hook shank is usually covered with one layer of thread (silk if you are a traditionalist) or just tinsel. The fly may have a dubbed thorax (I go back and forth on this) and then just two turns of your choice of hackle. DON'T OVER HACKLE THE FLY AND NO BEAD HEADS!!
Yellow And Partridge Soft Hackle
Soft Hackles are proven fish catching machines and you should never be without them. Neither were Leisenring and Hidy BUT they must have noticed something. Maybe the English style of soft hackle appeared to be too quaint for our big, brawling rivers or maybe they wanted something that resembled the bigger aquatic insects on this side of the pond as in all of these caddis flies that we have.
I don't believe that they wanted something that was half emerging fly and half nymph as the name suggests. They already had that with soft hackles. They wanted something with a larger profile BUT still had the soft hackle movement. Enter the Flymph.
Look at the two photos above. One will immediately see the difference. The Soft Hackle is dainty, almost ephemeral while the Flymph looks like a linebacker in the 4th quarter. It is ragged and larger than the SH. It presents a great broadside profile which means it can be seen and it is right in its element during swarms of large mayflies and caddis.
Hendrickson Flymph Starling Hackle
Now for the problem. Both men tied the flymph differently. Leisenring tied his hackles right behind the hook eye but Hidy tied his hackles from behind the hook eye and then went back through the thorax palmering 1/3 of the hook shank as in the photo on the left. In my opinion Hidy got it right. Leisenring developed the "Leisenring Lift" a very effective way of presenting this fly.
The Flymphs are soft hackle flies, just a different style of soft hackle and are part of the Wet Fly family. I like to think of them as big water flies. Think big freestones like the Ware, Millers and EB when you think of these flies and think "early season". I tie these in size 12 and 14, no need to go smaller.
Dun and Possum
Play around with these flies and create your own. The fly to the right is tied Hidy style with the hackles back at the thorax with a "head" built up with dubbing. Can't wait to try it.
Partridge, grouse and starling hackles are perfect for this. Cheap India or Chinese rooster necks of around "C Grade" are good too. I always look for them. Hen necks??? Not so much. The feather fibers are just too thick. I can only find a few on each neck that are worth it.
Starling is taking over my soft hackle life. The stuff is so neat but I wish starlings were the size of pigeons so I'd have bigger feathers. BTW, has anyone ever used pigeon feathers before? Yes, that is a emerging hendrickson above. The black starling works for the wing pads of this insect which turn BLACK just before emergence.
Why the TAILS? Because Pete and Jim said so!!!
Ken
7 comments:
Hendrickson Flymph - That Dog Will Hunt!!!
An interesting tale. Who would of thought that Hindy and Leisenring had two different styles of flymph. I will tie some up this week.
PH
Hi Ken,
About the old wet flies: some of the old wet flies may represent the way Quill Gordons and some Sulphurs emerging. I've read that unlike most mayflies that climb out of their nymphal shucks on the surface, these two shed their shucks under water then swim to the surface with their adult wings tucked back.(This could also explain why a Sulphur soft hackle works well during a hatch.)
And, no question that some of the old wet flies definitely resemble caddis pupae.
By the way, I've also got a 1965 edition of McClane's Fishing Encyclopedia. A real treasure.
Cheers.
John
John,
For so reason I couldn't remember the sulphurs hatching like that and yes, McClane's book is a classic. Mine's a 1965 edition too!
Ken
Kens flymph looks like a winner
DGT
Love those flies, Ken. I am no authority on flies, but it brings to mind for me the way Vince Marinaro started tying his dry flies for the spring creeks 60 or 70 years ago, with the wings and hackle well back of the eye of the hook.
I can't imagine how good the fishing was back then, but the Modern Dry Fly Code book he wrote back then documents it so well. The stories he tells about the trout caught before the area got heavily developed are so good. A spot on I-81 where the Letort flows underneath, I think is close to where he and Charlie Fox had a fishing hut where they would camp out and tie flies for what was hatching.
Best, Sam
Sam,
You are right about Marinaro and his "thorax flies". It was an improvement over the Catskill style back then.
The Letort, where Vince and Charlie would hang out, has always been a very technical river to fish. His book, The Modern Dry Fly Code has a photo of Charlie netting a brown from a spring creek so small that you can't see it because of the high grass.
I wish I had a fishing hut!!
Ken
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