What have you tied today?

[Lochan_load]

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[rannoch raider]

it's a nice effect that. There's a lot going on there. I like that.

[troutmaddave]

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Something for the mountain streams.
Yellow silk, jay primary and underwing covert.
I've had great success with this style, taken from Pritt's book.

[Lochan_load]

My take on a junction shrimp, the white on orange shows up well in the water
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[rannoch raider]

Yes, that's got the look. The gold hook works well too. Nicely done Andy.

[Lochan_load]

Cheers Jim, got round to doing a willie gunn
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[rannoch raider]

Yep, nice one Andy, that's one way to do it! It probably makes tying flies boring but it really is true that the colours in that wee fly can be mixed up, stacked , palmered, done on all the various tubes, coneheads, singles, doubles, added to with flashabou, done in combinations of black/ yellow,  black / orange. All can be tied over black /silver / gold or black ribbed with Gold / silver and many other combinations tied to suit the water and season. You can be confident that any one of them will catch salmon anywhere.

I am not greatly experienced with salmon (couldn't afford to be) but I honestly believe that fly's aren't terribly important to most salmon. The trick with salmon is getting onto a river where there you will actually find salmon rather than empty pools! You'll probably remember that there was a time when you couldn't read a report in T&S that didn't have the humble stoats tail hailed as the greatest fly ever. The Ally's shrimp was next to become 'the fly', that was followed by the Temple dog tying style, then it was the cascade followed by the park shrimp and now it looks like the Snaelda series.
I've tied loads of salmon flies and probably just like everyone else on here I stick them in a box and forget about many of them. When I did fish for them, mainly spring and autumn, I invariably went for a suitably sized and appropriately dressed Willie Gunn. I like it on mixed bucktail wing over a gold body on a plastic or aluminium tube. I always had heaps of confidence in the pattern and I think that allows you to fish more effectively. I never done any worse than anyone else.
Here's a couple of well battered Willie Gunn tubes from my spring box that I'd fish quite happily right now..............

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Caught a few fish on this wee pattern
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I got rid of my big rod a while ago but browsing through the fly boxes has got me sort of feeling the urge again  :shock:

[corsican dave]

first attempt at a really big articulated fly. you can buy ridiculously expensive articulated spine kits or, like me you can use sea fishing bait clips; cheap as chips. same result  :
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[rannoch raider]

That looks a big bad mama! That 'll sort the big ladies from the jacks! What's the favoured  line weight required to get these big 'artics' cast out comfortably Dave ?

[corsican dave]

That looks a big bad mama! That 'll sort the big ladies from the jacks! What's the favoured  line weight required to get these big 'artics' cast out comfortably Dave ?

i'll let you know!  :lol:
this is completely synthetic so it's a lot lighter than some things I've cast (big clousers for instance). should have no problem whipping it out on my std #10wt pike rig. I only use a fairly short (4-6') heavy nylon leader with a wire tippet, so turnover isn't a problem. don't expect to cast ultra-tight loops with these huge flies tho'; you'll be wearing 'em round your ears!

the chocklett body wrap is superb, btw