The Perfect Fly?

A fish taking advantage of an easy meal.

Fly tying is a very relaxing and creative hobby, but contrary to some beliefs, you don’t need to tie a perfect fly to seduce a hungry fish. In fact, many times ratty and unkempt patterns may suggest natural insects better. This is not to suggest that one should use poorly tied flies. Striving to tie to the best fly you can is important, and I admire people who have the time and talent to tie perfect flies. But from my standpoint, I what to spend less time tying and more time fishing.

Remember to fish your pattern with confidence and that a perfect fly is just someone's fleeting expression. Your success may depend on the sporadic feeding habits and whims of fish. In many cases fish may take a fly because it represents a crippled insect and an easy meal, not because it looks more natural. So, in the final analysis, the fish is the judge of an angler’s offering. 

Feather Eyes for Fly Patterns

Real Jungle Cock Eye

Artificial Eye

Jungle cock eyes, also referred to as nails, were formerly the exclusive choice for making the eyes and cheeks of Atlantic salmon flies, eyes on minnows and some terrestrial imitations such as the Jassid. Today, however, these feathers are difficult to obtain because of the endangered species list and are protected under government regulations.

There are other non-endangered birds that have feathers which can serve as close substitutes for eyes. A feather section from a Guinea fowl, peacock eyes for larger flies, a Starling feather if you add a spot of white lacquer below the feather tip, gray peacock pheasant eye feathers and artificial eyes. However, they are stiff and not as realistic. 

Guinea Fowl

Gray Peacock Pheasant

Starling Feather with Spot

Peacock Eye

A Guide's Guide

On the Deschutes river one year, I was guiding two clients for summer Steelhead. My son Chris was along to help with the camp duties, and when his work was done he would do some fly fishing on his own.

The first day was unproductive for my clients, but Chris was catching and releasing quite a few trout. When the next day passed without any Steelhead, my clients were starting to grumble a little. I quickly went into my normal guide routine of offering reasons why they weren’t catching fish by saying things like, the water was on the rise, the fish had moved upstream, the water was getting too warm, and so on. In those situations you still have to be upbeat and positive and give them a ray hope. Finally, at the end of the following day they each had a strike but no solid hookups.

The next morning we decided to fish our way downstream, and I put them in a classic run that was usually productive. In the meantime, Chris went above them and began to fish for trout in some pocket water. Suddenly, he hooked what he thought was a big trout. He played it for six or seven minutes, but it turned out to be an eight pound Steelhead with a dark caddis nymph it its mouth. After the release, one of my clients laughed and said jokingly, “Chris, from here on out you’re gonna be our guide!”