Classic Winged Wets

[jjtroutbum]

I know that few people swing sets of flies anymore, but I feel that that I have got to try it out. So I have been slowly putting together a few of the beginner type patterns ie. a Leadwing and Royal Coachman so far and for being pieced together using a few pheasant wings and tails for the feather parts. They are looking pretty good .

I know that I could attach a scud under a indicator and catch fish all day or swing a single soft hackle and do well but I am really interested In the historically affective traditions/patterns in FF as of late. And really do enjoy having a box of flies that are not in the fly shops or are only in the dusty drawer shoved in the back somewhere. It all started with the soft hackles and know I'm wanting to be the only fella doing this or that and making others say "Humm Whats that guy doing that I'm not." And when and If they ask. Tell em and see there eye brows furl in question as I hand them something out a my box that they can't run up to the shop and grab a few of with out watching the guy behind the counter shake his head first before pointing the to the tying supplies.

Now the questions I have is to thous that are successfully using sets of wets. What are your favorite patterns? How and in what order do you rig them in? Also what kind of water do you have the most success in or prefer ?

As always all opinions and recommendations are of value!

Thanks,

JJ

[Danoinark]

JJ

I would suggest you get a copy of Davy Wotton's (a frequent poster here on OAF)

Wet Fly Ways. I believe you will find it answers all of the questions you could ever have about swinging wets in the traditional way. Dano

http://www.davywotton.com/dvd.htm

[TroutBum4wt]

I really enjoy fishing wets and soft hackles at Taney. The action is great.

Yesterday when the wet fly supply was low, I fished dry flies like soft hackles and it really worked for a period of time. It was a real good fishing afternoon for me. I also like the traditional aspect of the wet flies.

[trout fanatic]

I too, have been toying with the idea of fishing classic wets, although the concept just took hold last year. A duck hunting friend is supposed to supply me with a few matched sets of duck wings and i will start tyin em up. I find soft hackles fun and incredibly effective (not to mention easy as pie to tie). Lookin forward to the future....

[trout fanatic]

Tried to edit my post but it went flyin off into never never land. JJ, I am sure you are probably aware of this but just in case, check out classictrout.com Lots of classic wets (and dries too for that matter)

[jjtroutbum]

Nope I hadn't been there. Looks like another place to haunt!!

Thanks TF, Of course when I tried to register the Message i got was DIE SPAMMER!!! And if anyone would not or could not because of lack of tecnical know how that would be ME. LOL

JJ

[Brian Wise]

JJ,

The wet fly bug hit me a couple of years ago. Honestly the first place I went was Davy Wotton, "Wet Fly Ways" wasn't on the shelves yet and he was an INSANE help. I totally have to recommend buying the dvd of Wet Fly Ways, it covers several different techniques, rigging options, fly recomendations, and so on. The best day I have had on the NFOW ever was fishing a team of wets and when things start to click you can really do some damage. Defenitely an awesome style to add to your arsenal.

As far as tying them goes I really did a lot of online research and one of the better sites I came across was this article on Global Fly Fisher. Classic Wet Flies - Bergman and Beyond It also helps a lot to have someone help you on setting the wings, and marrying them as well. Also if you are open to not only fishing Classic patterns you can really come up with some cool stuff on your own. Like the fly that they guy in that article calls Black and Orange, man I tie them in red, blue, green, and yellow...the possiblities are endless.

A few of my favorites:

Invicta (thanks Davy)

Hares Ear Wet

Butcher

Whickham's Fancy

Royal Coachman

Leadwing Coachman

Have fun with it man!

Brian

[Davy Wotton]

JJ,

Not pushing you here, but l can assure you that you will learn a bunch from my Wet Fly Ways DVD.

I have fished this way since 1957.

WFWays has been a great success and l am going to shoot vol 2, advanced Wet fly fishing techniques this coming year.

I did shoot a new DVD in MT this past August related to still water techniques, here again wet fly fishing can be deadly for both trout and other species, particularly small mouth.

Wet fly fishing was and still is one of the major ways fly fishers in my homelands fish, both lakes and rivers, it is once mastered one if not the most deadly of ways to catch Salmonid's in any waterway in the world they live.

But it takes time to become proficient at many of the skills, as it does overall require both rod and left hand coordination and perfect line control, as that is the bottom line so far as the fish taking or refusing your fly.

I will just tell you this. That for myself wet fly fishing is not simply the act of casting across stream and stripping the flies back.

It is overall more deadly when you learn the skills of dead drift at any angle with added animation of the flies used.

And to enable that effectively you need a long rod, at least 10ft of not more, l use a 11ft most of the time, which is a mid flex soft action rod, rather like Bamboo.

Of course there are very many traditional wet fly patterns, many that l use are well over 100 years old. Many of those of US origin are more related to flies to fish for Brook trout, hence the gaudy colors.

The majority of those l use are more somber in shade but may well have the addition of gold or silver bodies.

Your choice of fly can really make the difference between no fish, a few or a bunch.

I have had days on Brians river, with more than 50 fish, that l can prove by the way, but l also knew what flies to use during the period of the day, as l would change them or the position on the team as conditions during the day dictated, water, overhead light, time of day, size of fly, etc.

The traditional flies of the past were flies innovated for Brown trout, as at that time Bows were not introduced into the UK, and when there were, they were only found in isolated reservoirs.

It is not practice in the UK or Ireland to introduce Bows into natural loughs or river systems, not that they would reproduce there anyway, they are all hatchery raised fish.

That is not to say wet flies are not deadly for Bows as they certainly are.

The list of flies Brian gave you are good ones, about the only one l do not use is the lead wing, as l have some welsh fly patterns that are more or less the same.

There is one fly that is a must, and that is the Silver Invicta, a deadly fly for Browns, along with some others of my own innovations.

I would say this. Overall there are 20 fly patterns that will work in any trout water in the world, size and combination of the flies used and how you fish them is the deal here, as that surly matters.

PP, Thanks for the review Brian.

JJ, enjoy wet fly fishing, it beats looking at a indicator all day long, and it will heighten your sense of awareness l can assure you, if not you will miss many fish as like nymph fishing you have to hook the fish, unless you are fishing a tight line, then you will feel the take.

One golden rule l will give you is this. Watch the fly line or the position you should know your flies are at, and set the hook at the sligtest of indication, fish will not always pull your line.

I will hook at least 80% of my fish this way.

Davy.

[jjtroutbum]

Thanks for the input from everyone there are some real gems in there to say the least.

The first time I actually saw a demonstration on fishing a set/team of wets was on a FlyFishing TV's episode with guess who ? Davy you thats who!!

Wish I could remember which episode that was because I am pretty sure that that I have them all recorded on VHS so finding the right one maybe a little difficult, but if I remember correctly that it was just a very general overview of the technique. And geting your DVD is in order.

Thanks for the tips, hints, leads and over all general help. As well as naming some specific patterns. As always I need more hooks. So I will look at the local fly shop for the video. They have a pretty good selection there.

Probably more questions to follow. Thanks

JJ

[Crippled Caddis]

JJ,

You can get the wetfly DVD direct from Davy by going to his website posted at the bottom of his post. CC