1950 style fly tying.

[piscatus absentis]

Back in the 1950s a Dale man named Tam Harris tried to teach me fly tying.  He never owned a vice or sophisticated tools such as hackle pliers and used to stick the hook into his left thumbnail to tie in pre-prepared materials.  Instead of scissors he used a razor blade.

I showed him some shop bought flies once and asked him why his wings were different.  ?weel ye see?, he said, ?they're cried paired wings an' they're only used by show affs?.  On the subject of dubbing he always told me to use, ?yer mither's wool, it's easier an' jist as guid?.  This from a man who could tie perfect size 16s while giving a running commentary.

Does anyone still believe that the old flies tied with simple materials and even simpler techniques are as good as the modern equivalents?

[scotfly]

Absolutely!
How many of todays modern (often garish) patterns will still be around in 100 or 150 years.

I would question your use of "even simpler techniques" though. How many of todays fly dressers, the ones brought up on Blobs and thread buzzers etc, would know how to tie a slip wing, paired slips or not. How many would know how to turn a hank of wool into a dubbing?
Flytying, like many other things in todays society, is "dumbing" down. That's not to say that all modern dressings are simple, they're not, but how many are a bit of thread, a bit of chenille and a bit of marabou?
Yes I know I posted the lazy buzzer and we have Glymphs on here as well.  :soapbox :sorry2

[sandyborthwick]

At one time I used to try tying these modern chenille's and glow type materials and god knows what that used to get dreamt up - mostly a waste of time. My vote goes to traditional patterns sometimes with an odd variation. Call me a stickler but you just cannot beat traditional wets and drys fished correctly. Nymphs are also of the traditional type I always used to just add lead to say a pheasant tail and work over it - avoided these beads. Used to use the lead top of wine bottles also (unfortunately the buckie dose not have this so am now on the chardonnay - oops is that some girls name!!) worked excellent. I think that the Fly making materials suppliers are quite often like other fishing gear suppliers - make it new, make it flashy, make it expensive, and then tell everybody its must have and part them from the money. Even better get some big name to use it in his Fishing Mag exposez and describe it as effective as grenades and your home and dry as a manufacturer.

Oh by the wayfor got to say my favourite is a S*ite Hawk Feather tied on a Size 1/0 treble hook!!.

Sandy B.O.

[haresear]

I must confess to using flies that are basically black, brown, olive, gold....whatever. If there are flies about, I'll try to imitate them. If not, I'll try to imitate what I think will be hatching shortly. If that doesn't work I'll use the first fly in the box.

I don't really set much store by green tailed Shonas or red arsed Shuggies. Nor do I bother with blue jay throat hackles etc. To me a fancy fly is a fancy fly.
This is not to say I won't use Zulu's say. I will, but nowadays I will just use "something red and black" or "something brown and gold".

I know this is heresy to some, but on lochs I really don't find that the fish demand a "green tailed Kate McLaren" above all else. They just eat stuff.

Alex

[Wildfisher]

Alex,  I pretty much agree with that. The reason some flies are successful is because a lot of people  use them. Small, black or  brown with a touch or silver usually works most days.