RCF
Legend
@Greenhorn , have you looked through the thread What Is In Your Vice? There are a lot SBS (step by step) posts with material and pics included. And you can DM the tyer to ask questions.
Follow up question to SilverFly's post On Warning to New Fly Tiers
RCF
Legend
If you look up Carey Special, there are 1000's of variants to the original fly. Many work well, for sure. This applies to almost every fly out there.
The important part is to keep the fly you tie as the same profile of the original. Materials may vary, colors may vary, and size may vary. Profile does not, at least with what I tie.
Also what works in the morning may not work in the afternoon. What works one day may not work the next day,
Get to know the lakes you fish. Learn the hatches and when they occur. Find out what bugs are in your lakes. Look for bugs and exoskeletons to determine sizes.
I have fished the lake I live on for 25 years and learn something new everytime I go out. And yes, I still get skunked. Have not learned how to prevent that, yet.
The important part is to keep the fly you tie as the same profile of the original. Materials may vary, colors may vary, and size may vary. Profile does not, at least with what I tie.
Also what works in the morning may not work in the afternoon. What works one day may not work the next day,
Get to know the lakes you fish. Learn the hatches and when they occur. Find out what bugs are in your lakes. Look for bugs and exoskeletons to determine sizes.
I have fished the lake I live on for 25 years and learn something new everytime I go out. And yes, I still get skunked. Have not learned how to prevent that, yet.
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This pattern is on my to do list for panfish. Simple and supposedly effective. The site might have some useful ideas for you as well. Have fun on your tying journey.
www.panfishonthefly.com
Fly Tying Friday - The Pumpkinseed James Wood Bucktail — Panfish On The Fly
On a recent trip, I decided to tie on a fresh Pumpkinseed JWB and keep an accurate record of its performance. The fly pictured above caught thirty-six bluegills, nine crappies, four bass (ranging from 12 -16 inches), and one small pickerel before being inhaled and promptly bitten off by a second lar
www.panfishonthefly.com
Hi @Greenhorn !
If you're targeting bass and panfish, that makes it relatively easy to tie flies that work, because for the most part they'll eat anything that moves in their vicinity when they're hungry. Especially if what they mostly see on the waters you fish is spinning/casting lures; your flies will be more novel and less threatening to them (unless you decide to throw chicken - sized poppers for monsters, a la @Billy ) On the other hand, that doesn't really help you narrow down your materials choices!
Are you fishing primarily in lakes, then?
Do you prefer topwater or subsurface?
Do you have a sinking line?
Are you a natural materials purist, or are you ok with synthetics?
Answers to those will get you some starting materials/fly suggestion lists. Incidentally, my warmwater fish fly materials often come from craft stores rather than fly shops.
I love and support local fly shops - especially for hooks, since as you noted it's impossible to judge what size they will be by their "size" designation. Also feathers and fur. You want high quality in those.
But synthetics often have a craft counterpart that's identical but so much less expensive that you can buy it in multiple colors for the same price. Foam, glass beads, yarns (chenille, eyelash, furry.) That makes it easier to experiment without burning through cash.
Also, just want to add that mastering the humble woolly bugger - getting the right proportions and profile in a neat package - will teach you a LOT about tying techniques. Don't just pic one video; people use different methods to tie the same fly with the same materials - try them all! Start with a beadhead style (it will save you from the most common fatal mistake of crowding the hook eye.) Then try unweighted threadhead, wire-wrap weighted, coneheads, sizes 12 to 2. Try different hackles - whatever you've already bought for other patterns. Almost every fish that swims will eat a black, white, or olive bugger! And bass/panfish will eat the less pretty ones, too.
If you're targeting bass and panfish, that makes it relatively easy to tie flies that work, because for the most part they'll eat anything that moves in their vicinity when they're hungry. Especially if what they mostly see on the waters you fish is spinning/casting lures; your flies will be more novel and less threatening to them (unless you decide to throw chicken - sized poppers for monsters, a la @Billy ) On the other hand, that doesn't really help you narrow down your materials choices!
Are you fishing primarily in lakes, then?
Do you prefer topwater or subsurface?
Do you have a sinking line?
Are you a natural materials purist, or are you ok with synthetics?
Answers to those will get you some starting materials/fly suggestion lists. Incidentally, my warmwater fish fly materials often come from craft stores rather than fly shops.
I love and support local fly shops - especially for hooks, since as you noted it's impossible to judge what size they will be by their "size" designation. Also feathers and fur. You want high quality in those.
But synthetics often have a craft counterpart that's identical but so much less expensive that you can buy it in multiple colors for the same price. Foam, glass beads, yarns (chenille, eyelash, furry.) That makes it easier to experiment without burning through cash.
Also, just want to add that mastering the humble woolly bugger - getting the right proportions and profile in a neat package - will teach you a LOT about tying techniques. Don't just pic one video; people use different methods to tie the same fly with the same materials - try them all! Start with a beadhead style (it will save you from the most common fatal mistake of crowding the hook eye.) Then try unweighted threadhead, wire-wrap weighted, coneheads, sizes 12 to 2. Try different hackles - whatever you've already bought for other patterns. Almost every fish that swims will eat a black, white, or olive bugger! And bass/panfish will eat the less pretty ones, too.
The James Woods bucktail is a great bream fly and I like the colors on that one!This pattern is on my to do list for panfish. Simple and supposedly effective. The site might have some useful ideas for you as well. Have fun on your tying journey.
Fly Tying Friday - The Pumpkinseed James Wood Bucktail — Panfish On The Fly
On a recent trip, I decided to tie on a fresh Pumpkinseed JWB and keep an accurate record of its performance. The fly pictured above caught thirty-six bluegills, nine crappies, four bass (ranging from 12 -16 inches), and one small pickerel before being inhaled and promptly bitten off by a second lar
This fly that @Tom Butler turned me onto is great for panfish, especially on long hooks so they don't swallow the whole thing:
Thread 'The Heather Nymph' https://pnwflyfishing.com/forum/index.php?threads/the-heather-nymph.4565/
Lots of good ideas for for for panfish here:
Great advice here.
wanderingrichard
Life of the Party
Well, .....crud.
RCF
Legend
I agree. When asking a question with a narrow focus/expectation, in the OP's mind with an expected outcome/response in the OP's mind, and it does not deliver the result ---> disappointment.
Fly fishing is an art, not a recipe for success. Fly tying is also an art, not a recipe for success. Part of what brings many of us to to this sport/endeavor. There is no clear answer ---> what is the best material/fly.
When information about when, where, what species, style/technique of fishing, were lacking, and asked by several members, it took awhile for that information to be provided. That, and figuring out/disclosing his personality/training, it was bound to end up unsatisfactory to the OP.
When questions are asked, we could include more detailed questions to be more focused on earlier in the discussion. Me included. Lesson learned.
At the same time, the OP needs to understand/learn that fly fishing/tying is an art, not a recipe.
There is no one fly/material that always works.
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I respectfully disagree with the notion that we could have or should have answered any differently. It's a web forum! What do you expect? Based on the majority of web advice I've seen in life, I'd say you actually ought to expect even worse responses than were given. Heck, a bunch of us help pay to keep the lights on. These supplicants should be thanking us!!
