Fly size vs. hook...

jbomb

jbomb

Member
Joined
Aug 24, 2012
Messages
157
Hi all:

Sometimes it feels like all the flies I tie are the same size, just on a larger or smaller hook. I'm really proud of this tie (red quill), but I wonder if the body is the right size. I guess the body should start about at the barb? (barb will be crushed). I find it hard to go any further back because the hook bend begins about there (mustad 94840). Think a longer body is something I should aim for? Any advice or critique is welcome. Thanks for taking a look.

44friKQ.jpg


 
Ain't nothing wrong with that fly from what I can see. Proportions are good. You placed your wings at a third of the shank length back from the eye - which is exactly what I like to do also. To make a longer body, you would have had to place your wings closer to the eye - and risk crowding it, which you don't want to do.

Nice job!
 
J-bomb that fly is beautiful not a darn thing wrong that i can see. As for your size problem just let me say this , if you tie a larger or slightly larger dry fly on a hook that is a size or two too small , the fish don't care , and it will float longer cause if it was full weight of the hook (less metal weight to hold up) it would sink quicker. There is nothing wrong with going a little larger fly on a smaller hook. That's why they make x fine wire hooks. VERY NICE FLY
 
The only critique I can think of is it's not in the water, very nice. Sorry, on the water. :p
 
Very nice!

I'll take a dozen. :)
 
Thanks everyone! i can't wait to fish it!
 
Jbomb, that is a very nice fly! You are right about using the barb as an index point. If you tie in your tailing material just opposite the barb it keeps the tails from cocking down with the curve of the hook. The fly should be proportioned to the hook, and your proportions look dead on.

osprey wrote:if you tie a larger or slightly larger dry fly on a hook that is a size or two too small , the fish don't care , and it will float longer cause if it was full weight of the hook (less metal weight to hold up) it would sink quicker. There is nothing wrong with going a little larger fly on a smaller hook. That's why they make x fine wire hooks. VERY NICE FLY

I donlt understand what you wrote here Osprey. Maybe I'm just not thinking about this right, but I can't figure out how you would tie, for example, a #12 dry fly on a #16 hook. The body can only extend the length of the shaft, and that's one of the things that changes with hook size. You could tie a smaller fly on a larger hook, but unless you use an extended body I don't see how you could tie a larger fly on a smaller hook.
Mike.
 
That looks better then the catskill ties I tie. The body starts at the bend of the hook and ends at the thorax, 2/3 of the distance toward the eye, then comes the wings and thorax, then the head. split the last 1/3 of the shank between the thorax and head. I think your proportions are fine. The hook size determines the size of the fly.
 
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