Monkey Faced Louise

[ness]

2 hours ago, eknapp said:

Is this considered a wet fly?

Short answer is yes, it's a wet fly. Based on the swept back, softer hackles it's made with, I'd put it in the 'soft hackle' sub category. 

[Flysmallie]

50 minutes ago, ness said:

I'd put it in the 'soft hackle' sub category. 

And that is why it made the list. I love soft hackles and this reminded me of one. 

[tjm]

30 minutes ago, fishinwrench said:

May just be the way I fish them. 

How do you fish them? I've not really noticed that tails caused rejections, although some patterns don't lend them selves to tails. 

[ness]

6 hours ago, fishinwrench said:

Suit yourself, but for some odd reason I can't figure out.....a soft hackle fly with a TAIL does not get bit, but the same one without a tail DOES.  

UNLESS all you are targeting is bluegill in Stillwater.    🤷‍♂️

 

May just be the way I fish them. 

Interesting. 

Me, I just never fish them. Nothing against them, I know they'll catch fish. I just never get around to them even though there are a few in the box. 

[ColdWaterFshr]

14 minutes ago, ness said:

Interesting. 

Me, I just never fish them. Nothing against them, I know they'll catch fish. I just never get around to them even though there are a few in the box. 

Same here.  Never once have I fished soft hackles.  That looks like a giant one.  

[Flysmallie]

I fish them mostly with a traditional down and across swing. But I have caught a bunch of fish dead drifting them. Especially at Roaring River. Those fish seem to love them like that. 
 

Not sure on the tails. Guess I never really paid attention. I seem to catch them on both but I will admit that most of my soft hackles do not have tails. 
 

I don’t consider the Monkey Faced Louise a soft hackle. Yes it’s basically just a large version but I will fish it more like a wooly bugger. 

[Flysmallie]

This is another version that I posted in the Photos section last week. Same size but tied with pheasant instead of partridge. 

[eknapp]

very good info guys....I've only been fly fishing for 6/7 months, trying to learn as much as I can.  

[slabseeker]

Sorry I'm not much of a fly fisherman so I can't add anything. I thought it might be a thread about old girlfriends.  Still interesting though....

[tjm]

The way that Carey Special was in the books I had it would have appeared to be more of a streamer because the hackle was called out to be pheasant rump and the long soft fibers would blend with the tail. I found an image of that on FAOL. 

Story about the fly's invention there too. I've seen it listed as pheasant saddle too, but as I said before variations on this type fly are endless. The availability of feathers leads to substitution. And time or location  can change what is used or preferred.