Two Tone Flymphs

[DUBBN]

Mike Lawson may be right, but I have never watched his video. If he is right, then I have embraced hen feathers because of their tendancy to "glob". In my opinion, game feathers are prettyer to look at than hen, but hen is far and away my favorite material. Now if Mike says that hen only globs on and does not make movement, then I would have to say that Mr. Lawson drinks way too much canal water.

If this is the globbing effect, then put me down as as the Globmeister!

[DUBBN]

I often find that game bird feathers are much softer than hen, It seems to me they'd be the feather that collapses much more easily. I prefer game bird feathers because of their thickness and fiber-y appearance, and I think they undulate more. I also like the mottled appearance of various game bird feathers. Genetic hen feathers, on the other hand, are often stiffer and finer than game bird, which may help when used in faster water. Also the employment of a fur or feather thorax on a soft hackled fly is suppose to help keep feathers from collapsing. We must also remember that traditional North Country patterns were tied so the feather, whatever was used, were butted against the thorax or fly body so they stood out, almost perpendicular to the hook shank, like this Woodcock and Orange I tied.



Mark

I try to snug the feather righ up against the thorax, just like you did, but I do like the swept back appearance. I know it doesnt make any difference to the fish, but I am guilty of liking it. I admit it, I have become addicted to hen feather, and I really dont see a cure.

Your patterns and photos are always top shelf Mark.

[Soft-hackle]

DUBBN,
Roger Fogg likes the back-swept feather for downstream, traditional wet fly fishing presentation, yet he prefers the traditional soft-hackle with the hackle butted against the thorax for upstream fishing. This, of course makes a lot of sense. In a thread, earlier that Hans posted, I noticed a wet he'd tied that was rather full in the hackle. This was not a normal Hans Weilenmann tie. After asking Hans about it, his reply was logical in that this particular pattern was to be used as a downstream fly. His upstream flies were tied much sparser in the hackling. All this is definitely something to ponder and consider as we tie.

Mark