Just as an aside to both your comments - I agree with both, that mostly steelhead (especially winter) will take any hunk of stuff floating downriver if they're in the mood (assuming ideal presentation) and yet there is a *big* gap between the number of takers and the number of steelhead that actually see your fly. And I've heard enough stories to prove to me that, yes, there are also times when steelhead discriminate between what flies they'll hit and the rest they ignore.
As much as anything else, if I have confidence in a fly (or excitement about trying out a new promising pattern) I stay much more involved in it's journey downstream. I also find that flies I tie to imitate something ~natural~ are much more exciting for me to fish - maybe that's just a carry-over from my trout flyfishing roots?
Anyway . . . an informal Skagit clave is planned for mid March and I'll plan to get macro shots of a couple of Tyler's creations (I especially want a shot of The Chest Beast) if he's agreeable, as well as a pic of my own new tie.
Juro - this is actually much closer to your own prawn than it is to the Sauk River Shrimp. Tie in a tail of pinkish white maribou with 2 strands of bright orange (saltwater) krystal flash, then three segments of (1) pearlescent pink diamond braid (2) a thin clump of white yarn to provide a translucent cover for the braid and (3) 2 wraps of salmon pink hackle.
It looks frighteningly lifelike in the water - like it wants to crawl right up your boot!
Hope to post a trip report soon with one of them babies hanging out of a big chrome spring native's mouth!
As much as anything else, if I have confidence in a fly (or excitement about trying out a new promising pattern) I stay much more involved in it's journey downstream. I also find that flies I tie to imitate something ~natural~ are much more exciting for me to fish - maybe that's just a carry-over from my trout flyfishing roots?
Anyway . . . an informal Skagit clave is planned for mid March and I'll plan to get macro shots of a couple of Tyler's creations (I especially want a shot of The Chest Beast) if he's agreeable, as well as a pic of my own new tie.
Juro - this is actually much closer to your own prawn than it is to the Sauk River Shrimp. Tie in a tail of pinkish white maribou with 2 strands of bright orange (saltwater) krystal flash, then three segments of (1) pearlescent pink diamond braid (2) a thin clump of white yarn to provide a translucent cover for the braid and (3) 2 wraps of salmon pink hackle.
It looks frighteningly lifelike in the water - like it wants to crawl right up your boot!
Hope to post a trip report soon with one of them babies hanging out of a big chrome spring native's mouth!
