Fly Tying: Are The Materials Sacred?

I was just recently talking to a friend about a beginning fly tying class they had just completed. My friend remarked how the instructor embarrassed the beginning tier in front of the classmates for failing to properly cut the material for use on the fly. The not so delicate implication was the student was being disrespectful to the material, wasteful and to the creature that had given up its hide in the process by not cutting the material from the hide close enough. Hmmm? Seriously?

Now, I appreciate there are endangered critters out there protected and hence we most probably should not use the critter’s fur, hair or feathers because of that protected status. But, beyond that is it coming to the point that now the materials are sacred?

BS I say. My $$$, my choice to hoard, waste or share. Such foolery! Like moralizing away over the waste not, want not, ways of utilizing every ounce of a harvested whale or cariboo.

Save it righteous one for bigger issues. Like all the premium hackles being scarfed up for head bands, hair weaves and earrings. What say you pious one to that?

Fly Tying: The Old Standby?

Not too many years ago, the beginning fly fisher was told they had to carry at least two nymphs in assorted sizes: the Pheasant Tail Nymph (PTN) and the Gold Ribbed Hares Ear (GRHE). Maybe I wrong, but the Hare’s Ear almost seems to have gone the way of the Muddler Minnow, Woolly Worm, Montana Stone or….. Well, maybe I am wrong. The Hare’s Ear Nymph is an excellent crawler/clinger nymph pattern. I suffer tying these because I almost seize up around rabbit. In fact, years ago, I regretfully eliminated the Hare’s Ear from my beginning tier’s lesson plan because I could not breath around the fur. It is the only fly tying material that seems to affect me so. Anyway, tie this pattern from size 8 to size 16, mostly in the natural Hare’s Mask. You can fool around with rubber legs and some flash at the tail, but it isn’t necessary. The Gold bead head can be omitted if desired. I have not had as much success with this pattern on stillwaters (not a good Hex or Callibaetis pattern for me). It is outstanding on rivers. You will notice in the attached link, the tier uses hackle barbs for the tail rather than the traditional Hare’s Mask guard hairs. That is quite acceptable. That way you don’t have to buy a Hare’s Mask and can buy the dubbing and sub hackle barbs for the tail.

Fly Tying: LaFontaine Halo Emerger