I've noticed more and more lately that some folks are wetting and slimming down their flies (they look like horizontal ice sickles) trying to make them appear more life-like. The problem with that is two-fold: first flies don't take on that skinny, sickle shape when in the water. Rather they blossom out and take on the same shape they had when first tied and were dry. They may compress and slim down a bit when given a hard pull but they don't turn into feather sickles.
Second, when you photograph a wet and streamed-back fly, it then becomes very hard to see how it really looks when completed.
Now I'm not trying to embarrass anyone or cast dispersions, but I do think you will be doing us all a service if you photographed you flies for viewing dry - just the way they were when you finished tying them.
If you don't believe what I'm saying, just take a closer look at your fly in the water when it's being retrieved or just sitting still.
Just a thought...
Dan [click here to display pictures] |