DRY FLIES

[Torridge Cane]

does anyone use vintage dry flies ,l have a large collection , and have started using them , after crushing the barb ,only thing l have found is ,l miss a lot of takes ,a lot !! modern hooks have a larger gape ,than these ,maybe that's it ,must have missed 30 takes today !

[Robbi]

I missed a dozen or so today on modern drys .. too quick or too slow or just out of practice

i'll have to have a look at vintage ones

[Santiago]

I'd check the point. When I'm fly fishing I've noticed that when I'm missing takes a simple change of fly (same pattern) increases my success enormously. Perhaps the vintage hooks aren't as sharp as modern!

[Torridge Cane]

hook size 16-18
l check all the time ,points do brake off ,old hooks are very aptd at losing their points ,when crushing the barbs more often than not it snaps off
a few pictures of them ,last season , l could do no wrong with them ,all that has changed ,have to put it down to over enthusiasm !!!!

[Ian]

does anyone use vintage dry flies ,l have a large collection , and have started using them , after crushing the barb ,only thing l have found is ,l miss a lot of takes ,a lot !! modern hooks have a larger gape ,than these ,maybe that's it ,must have missed 30 takes today !

http://www.flyfishingdevon.co.uk/how-do ... ly02.shtml

[Iasgair]

Better to have missed the takes, than never to have takes at all.

What do you mean by "vintage". I fish vintage flies developed here in the USA, like the Adams and Renegade, but I tie them myself on new hooks. Or do you mean you have a lot of old dry flies that were tied eons ago?

Flies that were tied many years ago will end up having faulty hook points at some time. I agree with everyone's opinions here on that. If anything, if it continues to make you miss takes, I'd put the flies in a display case and just admire them while I tie copies of them. Yes, the flies will be new, but the pattern is still vintage.

[Plumtart]

The problem with old hackled drys is the sit too high ON the surface film. The fish sometimes take short on such an unfamiliar (from their viewpoint) pattern on the surface. That's why emergers are so effective.

[Torridge Cane]

pushed on with the flies ,as they are new just tied in the 1950s-60s
crushed the barb.... best season i've ever had...just me getting the timing right ! just came good.
wonderful fishing this season ,with the bonus of a sea trout on the dry !
not used a nymph all year

[Iasgair]

pushed on with the flies ,as they are new just tied in the 1950s-60s
crushed the barb.... best season i've ever had...just me getting the timing right ! just came good.
wonderful fishing this season ,with the bonus of a sea trout on the dry !
not used a nymph all year

Fantastic T.C.! Really, no nymphs? That just makes it even sweeter. Yes, timing is an important factor in the dry fly game. What has helped me is, when I see the take I say two small words, like "fish on", or "hot dog". Or say a word that has two syllables giving the fish time to turn around if it was chasing the fly down river, or allowing the fish to dive back to it's spot. Doing this has helped tremendously. Also, some of us Americans have taken advice from you folks in the UK by saying "God save the Queen", and some people swear by it.

I'm gad you had your best season of to date.

[Torridge Cane]

That's Iasgair
it's been hard at the start of the season , but everything fell into place , changed back to my old Hardy Phantom ,didn't really miss a fish after that ,used a lot of two words at the start of the year though !!!!!
will not worry about using vintage dry flies ,there's only so many you can display in a frame ! so no point in having them if you don't use them ,that's the way l see it ,roll on next season