Published Jul 14. 2018 - 5 years ago

Trimming at waterside

In stead of tying all your flies to precisely match the pattern you intend to make, you might want to consider trying some flies meant for 'waterside adjustment'. This means tying patterns with a bit of extra fuzz, some denser hackle, longer flash straws or similar surplus material.

When you start fishing you can then judge the amount needed for the specific conditions. You might want to remove a bit of flash or bright material or cut it all off.
You can also trim the underside of hackles to stabilize a fly or remove a few tail fibers to make it more elegant or remove it fully to have the flies' body penetrate the surface.

In the really brutal section you can totally modify flies. Remove the top an bottom hackle of a dry fly to create a spinner-like contraption, or get rid of one wing of a dry to make it fall over on the side like a cripple. Heck, cut off every protrusion, except maybe a bit of the tail, and add a split shot just above the fly and you have transformed a dry fly into a nymph in seconds.
Flies can sometimes be molested into something very different, which perfectly suits the situation and feeding patterns of fish.

The trimming is easily done with line cutters or a pair of small serrated scissors, which can hang on your vest or jacket along with all your other tools.

First published: 
Aug 12. 2001
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