I have pointed the way to Jean Paul Dessaigne’s wonderful work before. If you missed it or have forgotten, here is a pattern to reinvigorate your creativity. If you can’t feel inspired by Dessaigne’s images…then quit tying…hell quit fishing. Perfection in photography, utilization of materials, creativity.
Emerger by Jean Paul Dessaigne
“amazing speed of penetration…precision tooled…chemically sharpened…hardened and tempered…finest high carbon steel…” Daiichi…Kamasan…Mustad…Tiemco (TMC)…Dia-Rikki…Partridge…Gamakatsu….Varivas…Knapeks…Hanak…Dohiku
If you don’t tie flies, you walk into a shop or order on line and buy a fly based on appearance, appeal or perhaps/hopefully based upon its suitability to match some part of an insects life. You don’t know the hook it is tied on. You may notice the shape of the fly is dictated by the hook’s shape (curved shank v. straight shank). For the most part, you buy the fly and think little about the hook again beyond barbing the hook.
If you tie, you stand in a shop and select hooks or again order on line. The array of brands can be daunting. Most shops limit the selection to three, maybe four choices of brands, each brand offering all the sizes. Which brand to choose? Choose several. Compare the out of the box quality, appearance, and price. A shop owner or guide will recommend hooks. Buy what you can afford and splurge on the more expensive hooks for a special or favorite pattern or two. Cheaper hooks/bargains will often rust in your fly case after you put the fly away.
As your tying progresses, you will settle on favorite styles of hooks that make flies look just right and when coupled with hook ups, there is reinforcement that the hook is great. Probably most hooks will work, but like all food has calories, I prefer to enjoy gaining my calories via certain foods, not just any food. Does that make sense?
My personal favorites: Dry Fly: TMC 100, TMC 102Y Nymphs: TMC 2302, Mustad 3906 B Pupa Hooks: Daiichi 1120, 1130 Wet Fly: Daiichi 1310, 1530 Shape, gape size, shank bend, wire size, finish all factor into my decisions. Price? I don’t tie mass quantities. If you do, ask the shop owner how to order larger quantities or research on line. If you progress to a production tier level, you will most likely know how to arrange such purchases.
Saltwater, Salmon, Steelhead, Bass hooks are yet another assortment, with additional brands and components thrown in. Fly tying and fishing has so many areas to study and have fun learning about.
SwittersB Contemplating a Wind Knot (SwittersB)
“I’m not sure I see any new trends but amplifications of a couple of existing ones. First, the continued Balkanization, or specialization, or fracturing, or whatever you want to call it, among fly anglers. The Internet is the ideal medium for the like-minded to find one another, and so I think the various fly-fishing subcultures—tournament bass fishermen, carp anglers, steelheaders, backcountry saltwater fishermen and so on—will continue to define themselves more distinctly and vocally.” Ted Leeson at MidCurrent Article
Chasing One’s Tail..the circular thoughts that play through the mind as one sorts out the trends and habits of fly fishing. On the one hand, most FFer’s fancy their selves as independent thinkers and individualist. We, at the same time, are vulnerable to marketing and ‘must have’ acquisitions. We strive for a uniqueness to our look, but go to a trade show and their are common looks once we’re all under the same roof. We castigate those that would shape us to conform to the old, yet saturate the internet with a sameness that shows conformity to an image, a way, a style. How to get to that core pursuits sans the distractions and conformist based forces?
Is it just the same dynamic as in any endeavor where men gather? I suspect it is. I raise this as my own little circular, internal puzzle. Not to steer anyone toward a response. It came about yesterday, as I was having a discussion with a nurse, while hooked up to a heart monitor (don’t worry fans, just routine testing). The nurse was discussing her young son’s love for all manner of fishing. I offered up my blog as a means of discovering more about fly fishing and fly tying.
Later, I wondered about the diversity of the site. The randomness of diverse thoughts amongst the blogroll. Would it be confusing for the young mind left to his own devices? Well, I got into that circular argument of what if’s and how about’s. In the end, I decided, that is life on many fronts, in many endeavors. We are subjected to forces that guide us, steer us, push us, pull us, play us. We must sort through that and hopefully end up seeking joy, peace, energy with a rod in hand, a fly enticing and a fish or two nearby deciding. A simple equation we often seek, in order to avoid the random thoughts that distract or the ‘like minded’. Sorry if I distracted you.
Well this may be a bit cruel for the desk bound or those not near ‘blue ribbon’ fisheries. Nonetheless, this is an enjoyable few minutes of rises to dries at The Fly Fish Journal.
A perfect day for rafters, nudists, perverts in the brush, joggers, bicyclists and caddis and mayflies. I worked a seam 30 yards long for trout. Nymphing hard, I worked bead head pupa’s, golden stonefly nymphs, all manner of nymphs. As I did, PMD’s and several sized Caddis emerged. No sign of activity on the surface. And, finally, smack, bang, twang, shake my hand and kiss me goodbye….there and gone! There are steelhead in the area (wishful thinking?).Whatever, it twanged my rod, tip to butt, and boy howdy it was gone. Standing alone in the drift…the perverts (oral naturalists), the rafters, the bicyclists, shreaking teens none the wiser, nor interested. My brain chemistry activated, I pursued and pursued, but not another bump or slash. Switched to the top, with the CDC flies (below). Darn they looked good….but not to be…today.
Killing time in a motel room tying flies with a little of this and not much of that. Brought along a few materials, but forgot others. So, CDC dominates these flies that seem to be a combo of random intentions: caddis or mayfly or chironomid. Don’t know, but all on a size 16 hook with 14/0 thread.
Motel Mojo (SwittersB)
Odd lighting. Used available light and a desk top lamp to take shots. Gave them a sepia tint to include the hook. Flies actually more of a dun color.
Ostrich herl is a great fly tying material. It can be used for an abdomen with pulsing gills or a lively thorax area. I have used it for the tails on The Orb. It comes in assorted colors and barbules lengths.
Ostrich Herl Thorax & Ab w/ Krystal Flash Rib (SwittersB)
The Orb (Callibaetis Emerger)
