Tying classic winged wet flies

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TurbineBlade

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Aug 23, 2016, 1:37:28 PM8/23/16
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There must be some wet fly aficionados lurking on the forum.  I have a strong attraction to winged wets and always have, in addition to soft hackle flies.  The latter I'm quite comfortable doing at this point, but my winging technique on the former leaves a lot to be desired.  After many attempts and some (what I call) "barely acceptable" flies, I'm determined to improve this.  Davie McPhail makes it look a lot easier than it really is. 

1.  Selecting paired quills and determining where the best "slips" are to be found (I wouldn't know what to buy, nor what fibers are "good")
2.  Learning to secure the slips in the "splayed" orientation with the tips up (I think these look the best)
3.  Securing the wings without bulky heads

I feel like there has to be someone who is good at these, and some observation of the process (above) would probably save me a lot of hassle.  Most things with tying seem like you ruin and waste $ on the first several batches of feathers before you have any idea what you're doing ;). 

I don't even want to attempt one of those rainbow-colored quill wings.....I'd be happy to tie a good Greenwell or march brown!

Though I have and will fish these (caught a rainbow on a blue bottle on the Buffalo back in 2013 that I can clearly remember), I mostly just want to tie these because they're beautiful and fun to tie. 

I don't hunt, but am now in a family with a lot of hunters -- I need to convince my brother-in-law to shoot some ducks this year. 

(I feel the same about featherwing streamers, and am not terribly good at those either)

Gene

Bob Smith

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Aug 23, 2016, 5:08:24 PM8/23/16
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For inspiration you can't do better than to check this guy out. Ties classic flies of all types. He has a long running posting of "Bergman's Beauties" wet flies.


http://instagram.com/boytore

TurbineBlade

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Aug 23, 2016, 5:38:02 PM8/23/16
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Wow, he has some real beauties just on the front page.  I'll bookmark that one -- 

Thanks Bob,

TurbineBlade

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Aug 24, 2016, 4:24:08 AM8/24/16
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I just realized that my older Hughes book also has quite a bit of information about this subject.  I've read that thing so many times and must have mentally skipped the section of winged wets.  

Anyway, it's nice to realize that you already have something you didn't think you had.  I must be going senile at a young age....

Gene

Carl Z.

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Aug 25, 2016, 7:39:55 PM8/25/16
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That's not supposed to happen until the baby arrives.

Carl

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namfos

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Aug 31, 2016, 8:51:07 AM8/31/16
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Take a cruise around this site: https://donbastianwetflies.com/

Mark
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