Gander's Winter Project.

[Gander]

My tying habits are pretty poor. I tend to see something I like (usually on these pages) tie it up, then do a few variations. I have ended up with boxes full of odds and ends. Twenty years worth in fact.

When I actually consider what flies I actually use, it works out as a small proportion of the flies I actually carry. Anyway, my Winter tying programme is going to change all that. No more running out of the only fly I can get to work because I've only got two of them. I am starting from scratch and tying quantities of the flies that I know will work for me. I am bringing order and overwhelming superiority of numbers to my boxes. More of what works and less of the speculative.

That is not to say there won't be room for variation of course, but it will be in numbers.

Anyway, I start this afternoon (photos to follow on this thread). They won't stand a chance next year!

Anyone else got any tying projects in mind for the Winter months?

[Brennan]

Hi Gander,
I think I have attempted this nearly every winter since I started tying. I make lists for both river and stillwater and only ever get a few dozen done. I hope to make another attempt this year as I know that if I can get a good boxed filled, it'll only be a matter of tying replacements when I inevitably lose them.

Brennan

[shpeil]

I am tired of karting all my boxes for miles to wild brown water. I have got myself a large, split foam box, capacity of 170 odd, which is deep enough not to squash wings or parachute posts. My project is to fill it with my "old reliables" and one or two monstrosities. No more "one box for wets, one box for dries, one box for nymphs, one box for buzzers, one box for lures" just "one box".

[flytier07]

Like you, Gander I used to take At least six boxes of flies fishing and Still find I didn't have the magic pattern that was taking the fish. Now I have reorganised my flies and it's one box of dries and one of wets and they consist of six each of my trusted fly patterns, but no doubt I'll probably still not have the correct pattern with me!

[Gander]

Well here we go. I've hardly tied at all this year, so I decided to start with something simple. The other reason I've started with this fly is because it is my go to fly. Quite simply, the fish seem to love it. It also seems to be a fly that bigger fish like - Always a good thing.

It is of course, Bob Wyatt's DHE tied with a natural rabbit (blue/grey) body. If I were ever restricted to one fly, this would be it.



Apologies for the picture quality. I'll also be trying to improve on that in the coming months.

[Gander]

Second on my list, and almost as effective is the Olive DHE.



And of course there are plenty of variations to try.

The Black DHE (Yes I know the point has had a mishap - I had to go back, search out the fly and bin it, but you get the idea. You can't go wrong with black.



Black and Red DHE



Black Claret DHE - I've not tried this one yet, but I've got a good feeling about it!



Claret DHE - I've never come across any decent claret rabbit dubbing, so I was very pleased to recently discover D.Downie's River Dub. It is a natural fur, but I don't know what exactly. Coarser than rabbit, but softer than baby seal.



Yellow Owl DHE - Just playing about a bit now. Changed the usual hares mask thorax for grey squirrel with just a pinch of hare. The body is D.Downie's yellow River Dub.



And finally, the Ginger DHE.

[philfish1966]

i agree with that my friend

[otter]

Originally Posted by Gander

Second on my list, and almost as effective is the Olive DHE.



And of course there are plenty of variations to try.

The Black DHE (Yes I know the point has had a mishap - I had to go back, search out the fly and bin it, but you get the idea. You can't go wrong with black.



Black and Red DHE



Black Claret DHE - I've not tried this one yet, but I've got a good feeling about it!



Claret DHE - I've never come across any decent claret rabbit dubbing, so I was very pleased to recently discover D.Downie's River Dub. It is a natural fur, but I don't know what exactly. Coarser than rabbit, but softer than baby seal.



Yellow Owl DHE - Just playing about a bit now. Changed the usual hares mask thorax for grey squirrel with just a pinch of hare. The body is D.Downie's yellow River Dub.



And finally, the Ginger DHE.

Gander, I nodded my head in agreement on your first post, then you posted again with a load of variations and my head dropped slightly, it is the universal curse of the fly angler/ fly tier

[Gander]

Originally Posted by otter

Gander, I nodded my head in agreement on your first post, then you posted again with a load of variations and my head dropped slightly, it is the universal curse of the fly angler/ fly tier

Guilty as charged.

[maharg]

Great fly and it has been steadily climbing up my "go to list" this year.
I have a box I am slowly filling with grayling bugs for the forthcoming winter.
I have been tying a minimum of 4 of each size,

1 to lose, 2 to used, and 1 to give away.