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Started by bowsreign, February 23, 2007, 10:32:50 AM

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bowsreign

gs
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peter p

I think the silhouette of the fly against the sky is very important.  Therefore, I would say the wings are important.  That is why the flies you use for a spinner fall are flat along the waters surface and not upright as they would be for an adult.
Peter

Russ

A fish that is directly beneath the fly probably can't see the wings endless they are splayed out to each side.  But how many fish do you think only see the fly right above them?  They can probably see the wings as the fly drifts towards them from up stream. 

Parachute flies only have a wing to help the fisherman see the fly.  I would bet that the hackle would prevent the fish from seeing the wing as it came downstream to them.

Now the bigger question; do you think the fish cares?  If they do, then they must be really, really picky.  I'd guess that a lot of injured flies land on the water for the fish to eat and maybe some of them don't have their wings anymore.

Woolly Bugger

Yes! Wings make a difference, that's why there are so many different ways to tie them. Paradun, Parachute, Loop, and with different materials too. If your fishing small mountain streams with a thunderhead, then it most likely won't matter as the fish are very opportunistic, however when fishing the tailwaters the trout are very selective and you must match what the trout are keyed on.

Read "What the trout said" by Datus C. Proper for a complete understanding of the issue...
ex - I'm not going to live with you through one more fishing season!
me -There's a season?

Pastor explains icons to my son: you know like the fish symbol on the back of cars.
My son: My dad has two fish on his car and they're both trout!

troutphisher

#4
Bows:

I tie wings on most of my patterns. As mentioned above, when fish are picky and in slower water, where they get a better look at the fly, it works better for me. If you fish very clear waters, I think it's even more visible.

Also note the life cycle stage of the flies your fishing. In the dun stage, the wings are darker. This dark color stands out, even if the image is blurred by the refraction of the boundary layer of air and water. This is also when the insects are most vulnerable, while floating down stream waiting for the wings to dry and inflate.

Then there are the spinners, with wings spent. The fish most likely see the outline of the wings on the waters surface, even if the wings are clear on most spinners. Hackle tips used in patterns provide a small leading edge outline on spinner wings.

Wood duck or Mallard flanks are good choices for wing materials. The speckled appearance, gives movement to the look of the wings, it can work with duns and spinner patterns alike.

In the riffles or faster waters, I don't think they are as important on patterns, as the fish have very little time to decide to strike the fly.

Hope this helps.

TP
The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.