Do we really need wings.

[Fishtales]

would a dead drift drowned fly not be better fished upstream?

Not all drowned flies float dead drift, only the dead ones If they are struggling to get to the surface then they will swim up towards it, slowly obviously, but faster than the current should be making it and fast enough that draws a fishes attention to it.

[Malcolm]

would a dead drift drowned fly not be better fished upstream?

Yes  and that it the way I fish them, to be precise normally across and up just like I fish dry flies.

[Wildfisher]

what your saying is its not about wet versus dry, its carpet bomb versus lazer guided.

What I'm really saying is laser guided is only relevant if you know where the target is, because if you don't it too is  carpet bombing or perhaps hearth rug bombing.

[Wildfisher]

Lochs are far from featureless and the Bomber Harris approach either shows a lack of understanding or imagination.

Exactly. It's not about wings or even fly design. These things are secondary.

[Traditionalist]

didnt really mean this to become a dries are much more skillfull than wets debate,the point i suppose i was really trying to make i dont think wings are totally neccesary because i am not convinced fish see them as wings. just an observation that after having actually mostly done away with wings in my own WET fly fishing i havnt noticed a drop off in my catch rates it was not an attack on anyones preferences or methods,

Garry

That's not true anyway, it is much more difficult to fish wet flies skillfully. Dry fly fishing is comparatively easy.

Wings are not essential on any artificial fly, but many flies wont work very well if you leave them off.  A large number of traditional flies are flights of fancy anyway, some may work better without wings, some with. It doesn't really matter much because they were never designed to imitate anything anyway, just something that the fish might eat.

[hopper]

I like a wing on my wet flies when fishing down and cross is the fly not representing a drowned adult fly and if the fish have been feeding on dries they will take them in the rough and broken water

[Traditionalist]

I like a wing on my wet flies when fishing down and cross is the fly not representing a drowned adult fly and if the fish have been feeding on dries they will take them in the rough and broken water

The main problem with that is that drowned adult flies can not swim, and swimming flies make fish suspicious. If you can fish them dead drift and they are reasonably dressed then they work OK. Dragging flies catch mainly small fish. Larger fish tend to ignore them or even shy away from them. They work better up and across and not being allowed to drag but that is not how most people fish them.

Some winged flies are taken as small fish or beetles and the like and these can swim of course.

[hopper]

If fishing up and across i tend to fish nymphs down and across was how i was taught 40 years ago and have had my share of good trout and sea trout on that method

[Traditionalist]

If fishing up and across i tend to fish nymphs down and across was how i was taught 40 years ago and have had my share of good trout and sea trout on that method

You can catch fish using that method but it is the least effective method for fishing imitative wet flies generally and winged flies in particular. 

[burnie]

I also think you need to take into account what food is available,rich waters with a lot of food available makes fish more choosy almost,wheras in a poor water fish will have a go at something life like because they are hungry and don't want to let a meal slip by. More so on rivers,but I'm sure it applies to lochs as well and not just trout of course.