They sort the men from the boys.

[Ron Clay]

OK, which two trout patterns are not only for you the hardest to tie,
but are also the most satisfying?

For me they are the Invicta and the Daddy Longlegs.

Over the years my Invictas have tended to get a bit scruffy, yet the proportions are correct and most of all the fly "swims" nicely and catches lots of fish. I like to tie these flies to the original dressing using amber seals fur and a red cock hackle tied palmerwise. I also use a hen pheasant centre tail rolled for the wing. Hooks are 14 or 16.

They always used to say that if you can tie a decent Invicta you can tie anything.

And now the good old Daddy. Years ago I would say it was the most difficult flies to tie due to those knotted pheasant tail legs. These days Veniards supply ready knotted cock pheasent centre tail which makes the fly much much easier to tie. Yet I somehow feel guilty when I think of who sat for hours tying knots in feather fibre.

Hooks are 8 or 10 long shank.

I tie the Daddy to Dick Walker's dressing with a fluorescent orange butt and a brown ostrich herl body. Wings are a couple of good grizzle hackle points and hackle is a couple of quality reds.

This last year the Daddy has caught me lots of trout, even when the natural is not around. I have even caught fish in the depths of winter with this fly.

So there is my two "most difficult" patterns.

What are yours?

[splashtestdummy]

Still tying anchor sized flies then Ron

[hobble]

wavey mac woover and the scarlet pimpernell,

[Scratch]

Originally Posted by Ron Clay

OK, which two trout patterns are not only for you the hardest to tie,
but are also the most satisfying?

For me they are the Invicta and the Daddy Longlegs.

Invicta - piece of p!ss

Silver Invicta - much harder to get right.

Daddy - Hard? Depends if you bother pussying around with those stupid detached bodies or not

[hobble]

And i aint gonna disagree with rob,

[North Country Angler]

For me it's the blob and the Griffith's Gnat.

[maharg]

Originally Posted by North Country Angler

For me it's the blob and the Griffith's Gnat.

I am with you Matt, on the blob.
My hands start to shake and I break out in a rash when I handle that fritz stuff
Makes it almost impossible to tie it.

[Ron Clay]

Originally Posted by North Country Angler

For me it's the blob and the Griffith's Gnat.

The two easiest flies of all time!

I find the silver invicta easier than the original.

---------- Post added at 07:32 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:30 PM ----------

Oh and I have tied March Browns down to no. 48!

[maharg]

[QUOTE=Ron Clay;640084]The two easiest flies of all time!

No chance, The Datsun and Kites bare hook nymph
Now you are talking easy.

[Ron Clay]

With Hummingbird hackles.