The•Quilted•Tyer

When it comes to dry flies, nothing looks better than the proper proportions. Everything standing at attention to the point that the fly looks like it has a life of its own sitting on your desk top. Balancing, almost hovering, on nothing more than a tail and hackle.

..but like many things we learn to do, that’s not always the case in the beginning. When not properly supported, tailing material has a tendency to follow the bend of the hook and will continue to point downward once more material is added on.

I read parts of this technique in an old book and then during one of the fly tying shows I stopped over to watch Matt and Tim from Tightline Video tying flies at their booth; and they refreshed my memory as I watched this trick in action.

Aside from the materials needed for your pattern, You will also need:

A 3″ length of thread cut from a thread spool ( You can cut less, I just find its easier to work with a longer piece.)

 Before you start, cut the section of thread from your bobbin, and put it aside. Start your thread and grab those microfibetts!

Lets get started!

Leave your bobbin hanging at the base of the shank where you tied in the tails. At this point you aren’t worried about separating them, you just want them in position because what you are going to do first, is give them a little “lift”.

Bring your bobbin loaded with thread under the tailing

Then take that thread and bring is back under the hook shank.

Now take your bobbin that’s loaded with thread, bring it under the tailing material then back down under the hook shank. This will lift the material up slightly. You can now take a few wraps forward.

Now its time to splay those tails!

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Once you have the tails splayed, and a wrap or two has been taken to secure it. You can adjust the splay in the tails simply by pulling on the thread that’s laying over the shank. When the desired look has been archived, take securing wraps to hold everything down.

 Before cutting the excess be sure to keep an eye on how much material you have left on the back end of your fly. Most dry flies require a uniform and tapered under body which means that too much bulk will hinder that final desired outcome. You will be better off wrapping over the excess microfibetts and cutting them closer to 1/3 of the way behind the eye.

 I hope this has helped you acheive the look you desire on your dry fly patters, as I know it has helped me tremendously. Happy Tying!

A year ago our group embarked on a fall trip to the Catskills; a trip in which we were greeted with high temperatures and low water . On the other hand.. This year on the other hand, we lucked out! The temperatures were much cooler at night which kept the fish active in the early mornings, and rising fish were there to greet us in the evenings.

Myself and Ken were the first to arrive Friday afternoon. The leaves had just begun their journey into the bright yellow and reds that we are seeing now, and hopes were high for a good weekend. Shortly after that; the rain arrived as well. While it wasn’t going to be enough to help the water conditions, it was nice to have a change in weather from the previous year.

The two of us weren’t to be discouraged and headed straight for the banks after putting on our rain gear. We spent a few minutes scanning the area, discussing different parts of the river system and flipped over a few rocks in search of some roving trout snacks. Flies were tied on, the usual booming laughter was heard around the bend and after a little guidance from me, Ken was back into the groove of casting. A few fish strikes were felt but no serious takers and I stood back for a minute to take a handful of photos and video to show him later, of his major casting improvements. It’s great to see the lessons we do in the park being utilized on the water!

An hour or so later the rest of the group arrived. Everyone unpacked and settled in to their cabins, I myself was already situated at a different location in town, and we went over the game plan for the weekend.  We also acquired a few helping hands on board this trip, which created more of a one-on-one fishing experience for the participants. Aside from Mike McClelland,Tim Daly, Harry Kerrigan and I; we were fortunate enough to have guides Frank Degrazio and Bryan Caldero  of the Anglers Den joining us along with Ed Burgholzer.

As always, the guys had a few entomology lessons on the bank. One of my favorite things about our outings, is that we can take what is taught in class and apply it to what is experienced on the water. Questions are asked and realizations are found based on our teachings. When we can talk about caddis in group and why we tie them the way that we do, then be able to open a few cases to show first hand what they look like; it will out what is going on it into perspective for all participants.

There is no shortage of knowledge to be absorbed, and for myself and the other volunteers to be able to pass on this knowledge, while simultaneously learning from each other; it is a very rewarding experience for everyone.

Early risers were up and ready to fish, so after a pot or two of hot coffee and breakfast Saturday morning, we split up into small groups and fished different areas around the Catskills. As many of us are all to familiar with, it can be difficult to find a section of public water for the guys to access on a weekend that doesn’t already have 4 cars in the lot at 9am on a Saturday morning. This time though, once again, we lucked out!

Some went to Junction Pool others headed for Hazel Bridge and others, all with the plan to meet back at the cabins for lunch.

Reports were mixed as we returned to Creekside for something to eat, with some of the guys hooking fish, and others seeing no action at all. The weather held up as we ate and dried off in our waders, but as the temperatures began to climb we decided to take a mid afternoon trip to the Catskill Fly Fishing Center and Museum where Dette Trout Flies was hosting the Partridge Days fly tying show.

We arrived at the show and the guys quickly dispersed around the room to see different patterns being demonstrated, and then something quite interesting caught their attention.

Furled leaders! If you have never seen this process in action before, you might be missing out! Rick Bobrick of Medusa Leaders demonstrated how it works and the guys were given a first hand look; complete with a quick Q & A session before we headed back out to fish.

We split up shortly after that and hit the water one last time before dinner. Some had luck nymphing, others chased risers but, all no matter the outcome; it was great to see everyone enjoying some quiet time away from their usual hectic lives.

As the late afternoon fishing came to a close we were ready to head to dinner at The Rockland House.  The guys ordered a vast array of food from trout to monster steaks and a great time was had by all. We were also in good company as the Catskill Fly Tyers Guild was having their Annual Dinner in the same room. On behalf of P.H.W.F.F. New City, N.Y. I would like to formally thank everyone who helped make this weekend another successful one for all of the participants attending.

See you at the next meeting!