Something I love about the internet and social media is how fly fishermen and fly tyers can connect so easily. I remember the days of digging through page after page of Google results trying to find a tutorial for specific flies that weren’t very common. However, with the growth of YouTube, TikTok, etc., we’re at a point where we can find a tutorial or video of someone tying almost any fly you could ever think of, no matter how rare they are. Cameras have also become much more affordable, allowing tyers to get great video at a fraction of the cost they used to, opening the door for almost anyone to get involved.
Something else I’ve noticed with the growth of fly tying videos is the growth of very intricate, complex flies. I think there are a few different reasons the trend of complex flies is going up.
1) People love tying and the art of it. They see complex flies as a challenge and want to make beautiful art at their vice.
2) Some want so badly to have their own signature fly that they have to add more and more layers until they can be sure they created a fly that hasn’t existed before (though, at this point there is probably someone else who has tied it without recognition)
I don’t fault either tyer. I would love to have my own signature fly and have even recently submitted a pattern to Umpqua. I also find myself tying complex patterns for the art and challenge of it! Testing my limits as a tyer has made all of my patterns more consistent and solid.
This rabbit hole of thinking got me wondering if more complex, realistic flies will catch more fish. Then I started thinking about guides, who arguably are responsible for connecting with more fish than anyone else in a year. What flies do they tie? Simple ones. They know their clients are going to lose them. They know they need to tie as many flies as possible before a trip and in order to do that, they can’t tie too many complex flies. Simple flies catch fish. I think that’s why so many of the old faithful confidence patterns are super simple: hare’s ear, pheasant tail, scuds, San Juan worms, etc.
You know they catch fish anywhere that trout exist and have proven that for decades. So why complicate it? Because we’re fly tyers. We like to sit at the vice for hours. The art of tying is sometimes as fun as catching fish. Do simple flies work? Yes. Do complex flies work? Yes. There’s no right or wrong way to tie as long as you’re enjoying yourself and your flies are catching fish! Don’t over think your tying, just sit down with your favorite drink, turn on some music, and have fun at the vise.
Comentários