Hi Wayne,
I think you have your "rules" & "guidelines" mixed up.
To me, a rule is a prescribed way to do something (or not to do something). No Parking! Cars will be towed at owner's expense. That's a rule.
"I would change the following things from a low-water fly perspective:
1) shorten the tip to 4 or 5 turns of either extra fine oval or wire (what the full-dressed literature refers to as round tinsel) tinsel.
2) shorten the tag so that it is about the length of the hook point.
3) shorten the tail so that it is 1/2 the body length long, but leanve the tail veiling as is.
4) use a smaller size tinsel for ribing so that you can have 5 turns of tinsel.
5) start the hackle winding at the 3rd turn of tinsel and then make some additional wraps at the throat.
6) use a smaller hackle unless you were puposely trying to tie a pseudo spey.
7) set the wing closer to the body.
8) make the jungle cock cheeks longer, about 1/3 the wing length, about 1/3 the wing length."
Those sure sound like set rules to me.
"5) start the hackle winding at the 3rd turn of tinsel and then make some additional wraps at the throat." That's a rule. I start at the rear of the body but as long as you are pleased, put a collar, beard or palmered hackle from the second or third rib, that's fine. That's a guideline.
"7) set the wing closer to the body." That's a rule. I like a high wing. Do what pleases your eye. That's a guideline.
"what are the proper proportions for a tandem-hook fur leech? Five or ten years ago, the question couldn't have been asked. Now, the fly tying community is in the process of refining the strip leech design. In time, there will be a "rule" about this. For now, we're free to experiment, to make leeches as long as water snakes, if we please." ???? Couldn't have been asked! ??? Fly tying community. Aren't we all part of that community? Then, we can march to our own drum. Proper proportions for the "leech"???? "In time, there will be a rule about this". So, when some official of the community dictates that the "proper" length is 3 1/16" and I feel like tying one 3 1/8", the fly Gestapo will come take me away?
If I like to dress my #18 Adams on a 3/0 hook, whose business is that other than mine? Is it wrong? No it isn't wrong. It won't likely put me in touch with any fish but that's my problem.
You can have accepted guidelines for the classics as the Tyers of the ages have tied their flies and were I to tie a classic Green Highlander IN THE CLASSIC form, I should adhere to some of the "balance" of the various old patterns. If I want to tie a free style Green Highlander, I can do whatever I want and it is right.
Traditionalists tend to get bent when other Tyers get creative and that's cool as long as they don't try to impose their bias to the other camp. There is a time and place for both and neither has higher status in my book.
Personally, I like the "classic" Atlantic Salmon Flies and appreciate the skills of the Tyers who tie them. I don't have any interest in tying them though!
There are Tyers out there that tie unbelievable free style married wing flies that only slightly resemble the classics but are heads & shoulders (pardon the pun) above the old patterns in my opinion. Some of these contemporary Tyers could tie circles around any of the Tyers of old that are held in such high regard by many today. That's just my opinion though and I am not going to insist that anyone else like what I do.
The bottom line here is that all of this discussion is about something that has very little importance in the real world. Some of us just take this tying stuff far too serious in my opinion. :eyecrazy:
Wayne, this didn't necessarily apply to you but was offered to the board with non confrontive intentions. Unless you don't agree with me..... just kidding!!! [8^)
Happy Trails!
Ronn
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