My old favorite

[letumgo]

John,

Those are outstanding! I'm tempted to make your photo my background. Inspiring set of flies.

Question - Are those spun bodies, or dubbed bodies?

[Old Hat]

That'll do it for sure. A perfect standby. I always have to stop and think about all the thousands upon thousands of patterns out there that we come up with to catch fish and really how few are necessary.

[Smuggler]

That'll do it for sure. A perfect standby. I always have to stop and think about all the thousands upon thousands of patterns out there that we come up with to catch fish and really how few are necessary.

Isn't this the truth. Awesome tie, John.

[Roadkill]

Nice flies as they have been for untold years.

I am never that careful with feathers on a fishing fly. Think tenkara and Italian soft hackles. The fish don't care and a forward fiber might just represent wiggling antennae or a crippled emerger. If there are too many fibers forward I nudge some back with a few thread wraps. As you know most of the magic is in the presentation.

[William Anderson]

John, such a great post. I like seeing your variety pack all at once. No denying this must best a keen producer for most of the guys on this forum. These are fantastic. The SBS is cool too. The drop loop works out great, but it's also a nice illustration of how little dubbing it actually takes to get a full spiky body. Cool post.

[William Anderson]

I end up folding both sides of the feather so all barbules are facing back and then holding the feather with my fingers as I wrap it around the hook. I find those little English partridge feathers seem to have a mind of their own and will twist and turn unless I am real careful.

I've found this to be the case often, but if you're not to insistent on their set when tying the head, they are free to run wild when you dunk them. I find whatever plans they had before you made them photogenic, the resort to as soon as they are water bound. Just wild and mobile. That seems like a bonus to me.