5 Winged Wets

[bill1]

Not likely to get out this weekend, so browsing Mike Harding got me going on some wets I've not tied before (apart from the March Brown.)
Size 16s apart from the March Brown - Size 14

C&C always appreciated - particularly on how to get the flat silver tinsel body
on the MB to look smoother. I've never mastered that.










Thanks for looking

[wobbly face]

Hi Bill.
Some good, some bad winging there.
Don't use flat silver tinsel if it's the metalic type or wide guage. Silver lurex or mylar is best. It is lighter than metalic tinsel which could be a down side if you want weight without adding lead etc which could also add to bulk.
The top and bottom flies look as though the wing has twisted on the hook shank. Also look to be too many fibres/thick wing. Bit more practice with your pinch and loop.

[roll cast]

UKFlyDressing - Is your body sexy?

That should explain how to do a good tinsel body far better than me trying to explain in words to you.

As for the flies, they all would probably catch trout but IMO the wings are some cases too long, high or wide. A low skinny wing looks much better than a big wide wing sticking up a 60°, which will also act like a propeller and twist your leader up.

No. 3 is about the right width for that size of hook but is too long for the hook.

A quick guide for width and length is that the width should be 3/4 of the hook gape and the wing should be long enough that it just extends beyond the bend by maybe about 1/4 of the gape width.

[wobbly face]

roll cast, the wings are suppose to be long and probably a bit wider than normal wing wets. These are North Country Spder patterns. They do look odd with the long thin wings or the wide wings.

[philfish1966]

nice bill i put a little tinny bit of glue on the hook before i wrap the siver tinsel on and it stays on smooth but still your flies are great for me whats the p&p again.. i like the bottom one the butterfly look lol.

phil

[GuyFromLaw]

Hi Bill nice ties mate. I wouldn't worry too much as you're wings are tied in well without bulking up at the heads, no neatly tied off. I would have my false hackles licking around the point of the hook, or slightly in front, or slightly over, your preference but those are slightly too long. Your wings just need a little work on the shape and size, but I bet you will catch fish on those.

When tying in tinsel bodies, I tie the material in from the bend up to the eye, then start wrapping the tinsel down the body in tight touching turns at a 45 degree angle, then when I reach my tag (rib) I come under and up and reverse that 45 degree angle so I'm now leaning the turns towards the eye of the hook, and keeping it very taught it's touching turns (slightly over lapping locks the last turn in) back up to the eye and tie off. Then lock everything in with your rib. I find this is the easiest way to get a tinsel body looking really tight and seamless. This is much easier to achieve a nice smooth finish using mylar or lurex, as Wobbly Face says.

[Novice]

Much better than my attempts Bill

[troutheaven]

Try tying them with the wings sloping up rather than down. Keep the slips slim and shorten them up.

[krazzed_maggot]

Tying a Clyde Style Fly Magpie & Silver with Davie McPhail - YouTube

Tying a Clyde Style Fly Magpie & Silver with Davie McPhail - YouTube

heres Davie doing a flat silver body,its all about getting it close to each turn

Kendo

[bill1]

What a great response in such a short time. Thank you all very much indeed for taking the time and the trouble. Some excellent advice on both winging and on achieving a smooth silver body.
Looks like I'll be stuck in again tomorrow, so I'll be giving it another go.
Thanks once again.

Stan, much as I like the look of upsloping wings - wouldn't this be a bit non-traditional for NC wets? - not that I think that it makes a great deal of odds to the trout.