I'm interested in innovative and unique flies that look alive in the water using both traditional and modern materials and methods. I design many of my flies to match specific insect species and life stages. This way I can use soft-hackled fly patterns where they haven't been used before to match the hatch on the most technical trout waters. In addition to this channel, if you are interested in learning more insight and techniques about the types of flies I design and techniques used to fish them read my books: Tying & Fishing Soft-Hackled Nymphs, Spiders to Flymphs: The Evolution of the Soft-Hackled Wet Fly and Fly-Fishing Soft-Hackles: Nymphs, Emergers and Dry Flies. I am also available for fly tying and fly fishing presentations.
Why Allen doesn't have more subscribers is beyond me!!! His flies solve so many problems so simply. Just bear bones tying not just a bug to tie to get views!!
For any serious fisherman out there. If you dont have Allens books get them. I have been tying flies commercially for over 30 years and Allen is the best common sense tyer I have ever seen. I fished this caddis all this summer on the my home waters of the Henrys Fork and to say the least it has been DEADLY!!!
@@mcgeeflyfishing So do I understand contrast basics right, the Mayfly soft hackle nymph has a light colored abdomen and dark thorax; the mayfly emerger has a dark abdomen and light thorax. For the Caddis is is the exact opposite for the nymph and emerger? Very intriguing how it is opposite
@@wyomingtrout5581 Immature mayfly have a slightly darker thorax than abdomen. The emerger is imitated with the dun for the thorax and darker abdomen imitating it shedding the nymphal shuck. Caddis larvae contrast larvae are the caddis larvae peeking out out of their case. The pupa is the adult begging to shed the shuck the same as mayfly do.
Allen, do you fish this fly wet or start dry and let it get damp and sink a little.Do you give it a twitch on I’ve swing. In other words share some techniques, thanks 😊
This soft-hackled dry fly like all my soft-hackled dry flies can be customized or adapted with specific waters in mind. On small streams, especially faster waters, where I'm mostly fishing upstream I would tie it with a heavier deer hair wing for better floatability as I wouldn't be fishing it wet as much, but on larger rivers like the Madison I would tie it with a little less deer hair or reduce it onstream by cutting off a little to make a wing that would float but also could be pulled under or fished wet entirely. On the Henry's Fork and other large spring creeks where I could fish it across stream and the water is not turbulent, meaning I don't need as much of a wing to float it, I would also reduce the amount of deer hair in the wing so that I could fish it dry and wet or both in the same presentation, dry in the first part of the drift and underwater when it's down and across from me with a mend to keep it dead drifted and prevent it from swinging like you would a dead drifted nymph. The bottom line is tied different for intent of the fishing methods on the water I will be fishing on. Hope this helps.
@@mcgeeflyfishing Very tactical approach - love it. I ask because in "The Dry Fly's New Angles" by the late great Gary Lafontaine, he describes a test that he did one summer by fishing a weighted Joes Hopper as a wet fly. He consistently outperformed dedicated nymphers using standard nymphing rigs during these beta tests. To quote, "Overall the weighted Joes Hopper was still the deadliest of all grasshopper imitations. The angler wading upstream and drifting the fly naturally with the current not only caught as many or more trout than he could with any surface pattern, but he also fooled the larger ones. The biggest trout, always the most cautious, seldom rose except during a grasshopper bonanza; during the normal fishing days of summer they might ignore all surface food, but they still recognized a grasshopper well enough to accept one drifting at eye level"
Yes a wet hopper or any terrestrial for that matter is a deadly and severely under-fished method. The only fly I think that can give it a run for its money is an ant fished dry or wet. Many, many years ago I asked George Harvey what fly he caught the most fish on in his life. His response was a "deer hair ant!!". That's good enough for me. I still remember the revelation of cracking the code years ago at Bonnybrook on the LeTort with a #16 dark orange ant. That place gave me confidence to fish anywhere.
Allen, do your ever fold the soft hackle feather completely before winding? Natural Bison hair matches the salmon fly exactly. Pick some up when you are hiking in Yellowstone. I think bright orange is way overused on salmon fly imitations. My samples show they have more rusty orange olive and are more bison brown black dominates the underside of the bug. I love your pattern style and will use for all my damp stonefly imitations. Thanks!
One thing I love about your tying is that you use natural materials. Something that has been lost in today's world. Nice to see a salmonfly pattern without foam. If you were to tie the same pattern in a golden stone adult what would your recipe be?? Thxs so much Allen I've learned so much from your tying!!
I would use Superfine Amber dry fly dubbing for the body with brown ribbing and Seal Brown mixed with Amber color for the head. The hackle and wing would remain the same. Thread would be Yellow. Thanks for the compliment about the materials, though I do incorporate modern synthetics tastefully as I find them good at creating different effects that contrast with natural materials in a complimentary manner.
What a great bug Allen!!! It’s such a breath of fresh air to see someone tying with natural materials! The fly tying world has turned into using so many synthetics. Thxs for showing how you bend your hooks. I would never have thought to use heat.
Awesome pattern Allen!!! Would you be able to tie some of your adult golden stone patterns and the nymph version also that are in your book? I have learned so much from reading them and I’m very excited to try some of your patterns here on the Henry’s Fork !!! Thxs so much I love your tying please keep videos coming !!!
I like Superfine dry fly dubbing. The colors are pretty accurate in general though you always want to examine the natural mayfly body colors on each waterway you fish as they vary slightly. I would start with Sulphur Orange and March Brown Superfine mixed with a little tan Superfine dubbing and then compare to the naturals. You can mix more yellow into the Sulphur dubbing or more tan into the March Brown as required.