Part of the joy of fly tying is experimenting in a ‘what if’ sort of way. It is part fanciful and also practical to consider ‘what if’s’. Often, I most probably deviate away from any realistic entomological standard that probably would or does (if someone happens by here) drive some tiers/fly fishers bonkers. “What in the hell is he thinking?” I have this dominant tying gene that keeps going to stimulation, ‘excitor’, provocation. Movement, glimmer, life….something to stimulate a sip, galump, smack. On a spring creek with discerning trout, I would most probably be humbled. But, because I don’t get to fish such waters, I am lucky to not be humbled more than I already am………
Beads, ribbings, wavy synthetics, iridescent natural materials are a contrast to the perfection of crisp, clean, etched patterns that are probably in a trout’s mind “out of my way, lunch is ready”.
The above pattern on a size 18 hook was tied with focus on the bead and tail. I over tweaked/processed the pic here to bring attention to the bead and tail. The wing is Starling and supple enough to bend beneath the fly, in the surface and beneath, but to open the gape of the hook a bit more, I could trim out a few more barbs underneath the fly, I suppose. The bead is a bit over sized, but again….it was all about the bead’s coloration and a little bit of movement from the hackle and tail and that nice glow of Peacock herl in the thorax. I may initiate a SwittersB’s ugly fly series soon. Fly tying is, like many creative endeavors good for the imagination, relaxing (it should be relaxing) and provide a constant glimmer of ‘what if’s’ and anticipation.
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