Does the head of a fly make a difference?

[JohnP]

In his book, Polly describes using the heads on his flies as part of their design. I believe he was a skilled enough tier to tie flies with small heads, had he so desired. His flies sold because they caught fish and were extremely durable. I had the privilege of watching him tie at the Caddis Fly in Eugene, Ore., many years ago.

[DUBBN]

Did Polly just get thrown under the bus?

[JohnP]

Did Polly just get thrown under the bus?

Not sure if it is that or Hans just likes to poop on my posts. Time to go to full lurk mode.

[DUBBN]

I had never heard of Polly before. I have been checking out some of his patterns. The Casual Dress really caught my eye. Go figure, it's Muskrat and Ostritch. Polly could tie, regardless of what others speculate what his motives were.

[gingerdun]

My father took me to visit Polly Rosborough at his rustic home when I was about thirteen. Polly was a character, and highly regarded by the Oregon fishermen, and especially by Pete Hidy. The only other fly tiers in the Pacific Northwest who Pete talked about were Tommy Brayshaw and Mike Kennedy; and the person who took Rosborough's job as a commercial fly-tier in Portland, Oregon, Audrey Joy. Polly was in a class by himself, since he was tying for trout, while Brayshaw and Kennedy were tying steelhead and salmon flies, and Audrey was not a fly fisher, being only a commercial tier.

I am no expert on the question posed on this string. Nonetheless, I am certain that tiers like Leisenring and Hidy put heads on their flies because they considered them important parts of the design. Could they prove that the trout preferred flies with heads? Had they done comparison tests using headless flies? Not that I know of.

When I look at the vintage flies, I see every conceivable variation, from short heads, to long tapered ones. One useful role of the heads seems to be in helping identify the person who tied it. The heads are a kind of signature.

Here is an example of a Pete Hidy fly, although it is possible that Leisenring tied it. Is the head important? You tell me. It does seem to provide an appropriate end to the tapered body, without which the fly would look deformed.

[Kelly L.]

I am not an expert on the idea of head size. I have historically tied with larger heads. For one thing, in certain flies I LIKED big heads. (good thing since I had a hard time with smaller heads) Now that I have a little more experience, and see how flies SHOULD LOOK...I have decided that the head should depend on the type of fly. The head to me is a must, and it should compliment the fly. I have not mastered this by any means. Lance, I loved the head on that fly you just showed, and it looks like it is perfect for that fly to me. I have a thing about durability. I want my flies to hold up. So I want to feel they are secure. But when tying spiders, I try to get a very small head, it is a challenge for me. I can do one with an acceptable sized head. I was mainly a streamer tyer, until I came to this forum. Now I have tied all kinds of flies. So bottom line is, the fly in every instance should have a head that looks natural to the tyer. Some flies look better to me with big heads. Remember some bugs have big heads. I know it is a big deal to have tiny pin heads, according to many tyers. I want to tie flies that appeal to fish first, then tyers, and anglers. Mostly if I am happy with the fly, that is what makes me feel good. If others like the fly a lot, that is a bonus. If the fish likes the fly, that is the blue ribbon of approval.

[Hans Weilenmann]

Did Polly just get thrown under the bus?

Not sure if it is that or Hans just likes to poop on my posts. Time to go to full lurk mode.

?

John,

If I insulted you with my post (or posts?) in some form or fashion I apologize. All I can and do say is that no "pooping" was intended.

I have met and tied alongside Polly a time or two, and have great respect for both the person and the contributions he made, the pattern legacy which has endured and stood the test of time.

The thoughts on heads on his Polly's flies are my speculation as a possibility, and are in spirit of thread. I made the post in order to promote discussion - no more, no less.

Best regards,
Hans W

[tie2fish]

Ephemerella invaria (sulphur) dun ...

[William Anderson]

Bill, that pic is very convincing. I can see making the head a significant feature in the sulphur dun imitation. This TroutNut pic of a male Hendrickson is equally compelling. The female Hendrickson below doesn't do much to impress the importance of head size or color.

[Roadkill]

If you are using a soft hackle to imitate a nymph like a pale evening dun, the head being wider than the body is an identification key.
http://www.troutnut.com/hatch/510/Mayfly-Heptagenia