Hare and Antron flymph

[Old Hat]

Mustad 3121
Griffith's 14/0 Cranberry
Tail: hare's mask guard hair
Rib: lagarten gold braid x-fine
Body: a mix of hare's mask and antron in a dubbing loop.
Hackle: Partridge dyed brown

[Ron Eagle Elk]

Very nice. The sparse body gives the illusion of a big meal with what must be a very translucent body. Lots of movement from the hackles should trigger some serious strikes.

REE

[Soft-hackle]

Carl,
I really like it. Hare and Antron blend well, together, and the Antron lends a bit of shine to it. Nice.

Mark

[letumgo]

Great blend of materials. It is kind of a Gary LaFontaine mets James Leisenring, combination. You can't beat that with a stick. In other words, I love it!

[William Anderson]

It's like a wild man headed to the surface. Hope he doesn't make it.

w

[CreationBear]

Outstanding as always, but I have a question for you: do you have a rhyme or reason when you pick out your tailing material, or do you just go where the spirit moves you? Hare's mask seems to be an inspired choice here--I'm thinking that it will hold up better in heavy current than, say, a few fibers of the brown partridge--but I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts.

[willowhead]

hell of a good question Bear..... GREAT fly.....an INSTANT classic.....way slic.....it's got a magic quality.

[Old Hat]

Outstanding as always, but I have a question for you: do you have a rhyme or reason when you pick out your tailing material, or do you just go where the spirit moves you? Hare's mask seems to be an inspired choice here--I'm thinking that it will hold up better in heavy current than, say, a few fibers of the brown partridge--but I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts.

It really depends on the insect and water I'm planning on putting the fly to. For this one I was thinking a Timpanoga which is rather wide, flat, and well mottled. The tails are well marked and there are dark red bands that fun along the bottom of the insect, hence the red thread. When I look at tailing, I usually am considering color pattern and diameter. Does the color pattern blend well with the fly pattern or does it (as in this case) match a hatch, and is the diameter of the fibers balanced with the fly. This was a scraggly pattern, a little bulky, and I wanted a tail with the prominent black markings to match the hatch, the unstacked guard hairs fit the bill.

[willowhead]

Thankx Carl.....i LOVE listening to you scientific minded guys talk bout bugs and fly design and all that stuff. The way you think things out is way to cool. Matchin' the hatch, figuretively and or litterally, is fascinatin' stuff. Just the whole idea (wether intentional or not), of "thinkin' like a fish," is outta sight. Playin' that game (as a fly tyer/angler) of always tweekin' your bleep, and commin' up with new and different things..........like i said, to cool.

[CreationBear]

Thanks for elaborating--like most newbies I suppose, I "know it when I see it" but I don't always know what I'm seeing. You do make me want to get a kick screen and really start to understand what's going on under the surface...even if a "selective" fish for me is one that makes me drop down from a #10 to a #12 Humpy.