Fan Wings

[Traditionalist]

Fan wings are not used much nowadays, although quite a lot are still sold here in Europe, especially mayflies, they originated on the English chalk streams which had prolific mayfly hatches, especially Ephemera danica also referred to as green drakes. Quite a few early American patterns were also dressed as fan wings, Rube Wood, Grizzly King, Queen of the Waters, etc.( Plate Here    http://www.wildfisher.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=16934.msg181104#msg181104  ) The flies look very nice, but can be quite difficult to get exactly right, and are difficult to cast, as they have a lot of wind resistance, which may cause them to spin and tangle your leader. They were usually made of whole duck breast feathers, often dyed yellow or olive on the classic fan winged patterns.

Partridge breast is also sometimes used. It is possible to use practically any small light whole feather however, if it suits the pattern you are tying. At one time they were considered the pinnacle of the fly dressers art. (This position has now been usurped by classic and not so classic full dressed salmon flies, which has virtually nothing to do with practical fishing). I suspect many fan-wing flies are bought or dressed because they look good in the box!

This is true of many flies, most of the really gaudy and complicated ones catch far more fishermen than they ever do fish! Fan-wing mayflies will catch fish however, but usually no better or worse than a hackled pattern   http://www.wildfisher.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=16934.msg181104#msg181104   which is far less trouble to dress and present. Many people advocate using a grey duster when the mayfly are hatching, maintaining that they catch more fish than with a direct imitation of the natural. This may work quite well sometimes, but it does not always work.

"Unmatching" the hatch is also not a modern idea. In the early to late 1800´s there was a lot of controversy about just this subject, which occasioned some fairly vitriolic exchanges between various authors. Quite a few books on angling were published around this time. One of my favourite passages from the time is here;

http://www.wildfisher.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=16941.0

As a general rule, there can be no real argument that a good imitation of whatever the fish are taking will catch more fish, than some nondescript pattern. But there is no way of knowing how the fish decide what is a good imitation!!!! Often, fly choice is merely the whim of the angler. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn´t. But it is more likely to work when a good imitation is used, either purposely or serendipitously!