why a waddington ?

Can anyone tell me about the waddington ? why not a tube ? or the other way ?

another learner question

cheers mark

[shuck raider]

Several reasons:

(a) you can tie a much slimmer body than on a tube - your pics above illustrate this nicely

(b) the articulated hook mount reduces leverage on the salmon's jaw

(c) you can replace a damaged hook without dumping the entire fly

No doubt someone can come up with more

[Highlander]

Other than what Shuck says, I will only add Waddingtons tend to swim on an even keel.
Tight Lines

[John Gray]

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[Highlander]

The tube is more easily dressed than a Waddington shank.
– treble, double or single, barbed or barbless – on the tube fly can be more easily changed when damaged or to suit circumstances.
A silicone hook link on the tube fly holds the hook securely in place while offering great flexibility and minimum “leverage”. Indeed, a hook secured to the tube fly by a short link of silicone tubing will be more flexible than the hook link on a Waddington, unless the hook is allowed to hang free at the tail end of the Waddington. Conventional methods of securing the hook on a Waddington, e.g. a nylon monofilament stiffener or heat shrink tubing, will result in a stiffer, less flexible link than that on a tube fly.

Easier to dress, why would that be ?, I do not see any distinction between the two in fact if I was pushed I would say the Waddington would be easier & more importantly neater to dress that a standard Slipstream tube or at least any difference would be negligible.

The hook is easy enough to change on a Waddington if you tie it right

The silicone tube is/can be used on the Wadiington, no need for nylon stiffeners so no difference there

Again no difference, well one glaring. Loose the hook on a tube you lose the fly, not so on a Waddington.
Both have their uses John, not a case of advantage or disadvantage

Tight Lines
PS: Nice flies John but you are noo two bad after all.

[John Gray]

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[Ephemerella]

Did Richard Waddington use silicone tubing on his innovative design? Of course not, although I don't have all his books. Hugh Falkus was Waddington's full time gillie, for a while, on Waddington's productive Avon, a Spey tributary, beat amongst others. I'll have to re-read his comments. Richard was certainly a man ahead of his time.