Fly Style and Hook Up Ratio

[Crumbs31]

I’m curious if anyone has found extended body mayflies result in more rejections or just a lower hook up ratio in general. In the past year I’ve spent two frustrating days fishing an extended body march brown parachute and a green drake that was hackled more like a catskill style fly. In both outings the number of fish I hooked that rose to my fly was around 1 in 12. Normally I would chalk this up to a poor drift, but in the case of the march brown outing I had one non-extended body fly with me and once I switched the rejections stopped happening. I’m not going to loose sleep over this but I thought it might be a fun thread and a way to get advice from some more experienced anglers on this forum.

 

[CinnamonJoe]

I have.

For me, when fishing trout on dries, flies that are too 'fancy' (extended, articulated, over-dressed) get less hooksets. Maybe a skills issue for me, but give me #16 Catskill style dry lightly dressed in good quality hackle, or a #16 Parachute, and I don't have to think too hard. (Yes, I realize, some hatches are bigger/smaller than #16).

Joe

 

[teedee]

I felt that way about micro fibbers used as the tail for tricos. Seems like the stiffness pushed the fly away. I’ve since stopped using them.

 

[Crumbs31]

I have.

For me, when fishing trout on dries, flies that are too 'fancy' (extended, articulated, over-dressed) get less hooksets. Maybe a skills issue for me, but give me #16 Catskill style dry lightly dressed in good quality hackle, or a #16 Parachute, and I don't have to think too hard. (Yes, I realize, some hatches are bigger/smaller than #16).

Joe

I think I’m heading in the same direction you are. Maybe fishing more comparaduns too. The extended body ones are eye catching though, and in theory I can see how they would have a better profile. I guess they’re just better for catching me than fish.

 

[Bamboozle]

I use cylindrical foam (with for tails) for my extended bodied flies on smaller hooks and have no issues at all although I prefer a parachute version.

I also fish a LOT of heavily hackled, especially palmer hackled flies with no issues BUT, I prefer my conventionally hackled fishing dry flies to have hackle that is barely longer than the hook gape.

I also use Microfibbetts on everything, especially Tricos but I never do anything but two shorter fibers on a Trico and a couple on each side on bigger duns, never three or a fan of fibers.

If you are having hookset issues with tiny flies regardless of the tail material, slow down and don't SET the hook, just tighten up on the line.

Greasing the leader so you can see it move helps too. If you watch for minuscule leader movement versus a rise you will be a split second slower and miss less fish on tiny hooks.

 

[Crumbs31]

I use cylindrical foam (with for tails) for my extended bodied flies on smaller hooks and have no issues at all although I prefer a parachute version.

I also fish a LOT of heavily hackled, especially palmer hackled flies with no issues BUT, I prefer my conventionally hackled fishing dry flies to have hackle that is barely longer than the hook gape.

I also use Microfibbetts on everything, especially Tricos but I never do anything but two shorter fibers on a Trico and a couple on each side on bigger duns, never three or a fan of fibers.

If you are having hookset issues with tiny flies regardless of the tail material, slow down and don't SET the hook, just tighten up on the line.

Greasing the leader so you can see it move helps too. If you watch for minuscule leader movement versus a rise you will be a split second slower and miss less fish on tiny hooks.

I know your comment about hook sets with tiny flies was in reference to teedee’s reply, but do you find the same to be true with larger flies like I mentioned as well? I tried waiting to hook set, even to the point of feeling the weight of the fish, but still no luck. I’ll have to try all foam tails like you mentioned, mine also had wrapped deer hair.

 

[JeffK]

I rarely have those issues, but I have had them with Coffin Fly patterns. I make really short deer hair bundle tails on them now and have had good luck. Going up to the Catskills in June and hope I get a chance to use them. A Coffin Fly fall can be a crazy time.

I generally don't tie tails on dries size 20 and smaller. My go to size 22 Trico pattern doesn't have a tail.

That said, I often tie tiny sulphurs and olives with shucks.

Timing on hook sets can often be awkward. Some days it takes me a few fish to dial it in (if I get a few fish to take). Other days I can do no wrong. Timing the wait long enough, but not too long can be an issue. Smaller active fish sometimes need a quicker reaction than a relaxed fish slowly sipping bugs. How far away you are fishing and how much slack plays a role as well. Just mix it up until it works.

 

[Bamboozle]

I know your comment about hook sets with tiny flies was in reference to teedee’s reply, but do you find the same to be true with larger flies like I mentioned as well? I tried waiting to hook set, even to the point of feeling the weight of the fish, but still no luck. I’ll have to try all foam tails like you mentioned, mine also had wrapped deer hair.

No so much delay with bigger flies because the larger gook size & gape bites a little better than the gape on sizes 24- 32.

Timing can be a bi+ch, even for experienced anglers so don't beat yourself up too badly... I remember a day on Falling Springs many moons ago during a Trico hatch. A gazillion little rainbow trout were rising like mad I missed a ton of fish before I figured out the timing.

Cylindrical foam is excellent for extended bodies because it is soft and easy to work with and it floats like a cork. For a tail (which does nothing), I just heat up a pin, stick it in the end of the foam and glue a couple of Microfibettes in the hole.

Easy peasy...

 

[Crumbs31]

I rarely have those issues, but I have had them with Coffin Fly patterns. I make really short deer hair bundle tails on them now and have had good luck. Going up to the Catskills in June and hope I get a chance to use them. A Coffin Fly fall can be a crazy time.

I generally don't tie tails on dries size 20 and smaller. My go to size 22 Trico pattern doesn't have a tail.

That said, I often tie tiny sulphurs and olives with shucks.

Timing on hook sets can often be awkward. Some days it takes me a few fish to dial it in (if I get a few fish to take). Other days I can do no wrong. Timing the wait long enough, but not too long can be an issue. Smaller active fish sometimes need a quicker reaction than a relaxed fish slowly sipping bugs. How far away you are fishing and how much slack plays a role as well. Just mix it up until it works.

Thank you for the tips. It’s funny you mentioned the sulfers, I actually picked up more fish on them despite the coffin flies being around. Granted it was by no means a huge spinner fall, more just a couple strays getting blown onto the water. Good luck in the Catskills! I was just there a couple weeks ago and fishing was slower than we usually experience. I’m sure a lot has changed since then though

 

[JeffK]

I used to go to Penns at green drake time and often found they took sulphurs more readily than the larger coffin flies. Guess they go with what they are used to.

 

[salmo]

I'm not as qualified as others here, but I don't fish or tie extended body flies. Maybe because of my skill level I shy away from any overly complicated flies; dry, nymph or streamer. It's usually Guide Flies for me all the way.

 

[Bamboozle]

You should try making extended bodies from cylindrical foam way I make them. They are less less complicated than a ton of other patterns.

 

[Solitariolupo]

For those missing try tightening your line so no slack in it. I’ve seen some trout with a very light bite. As soon as they hit they spit. So I was missing the initial bite by picking up slack.
Sometimes they just hit short. Not much you can do.

 

[dryflyguy]

I used to tie many versions of extended body flies
And also found that I missed a lot more fish on them too
Got to the point that I stopped tying them

 

[PennKev]

I don't fish extended bodied because I don't feel they are worth the effort to tie. However, I also do not like any fly where the hook gap is small in proportion to the overall fly. This applies to not just extended bodies but other flies like hoppers or even wooly buggers tied on 3x or longer hooks that create a poor fly-size to hook gap ratio.