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AndyBaird
02-21-2010, 06:02 AM
http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm207/VooDooBiology/32RPE.jpg

I tied, fished and caught on #28's throughout last season, a killer pattern and very effective in small sizes - it fishes sweet on degreased 8X tippet. Gotta keep pushing the envelope on the water, so late evening's mid-summer will hit the local burn with a #32.

Gonna join me, Roy?

Not a great image but you get the flavour...

Best,
Andy

scotfly
02-21-2010, 11:28 AM
Awsome is all I can say! :cool:

AndyBaird
02-21-2010, 01:40 PM
Thank you Dennis... appreciate that. Here's a slightly clearer shot. Hope RC approves ;)

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm207/VooDooBiology/32RPE-1.jpg

Chef
02-21-2010, 08:13 PM
GORGEOUS!

Keep my Mayo & Sligo towns well...My blood runs through those farms and trickles.

O'Dowd clan

Roy
02-21-2010, 09:19 PM
Beautifully executed, Andy.
First weekend of July would be a good time to try that, around the IIFF show.
I'm up for a trip soon, I think, need to check the rocks.

That is a lovely wee fly
I could do it no better.
:thumbup:

all the best

Roy

AndyBaird
02-22-2010, 04:53 PM
GORGEOUS!

Keep my Mayo & Sligo towns well...My blood runs through those farms and trickles.

O'Dowd clan

No worries Chef - although I'm based on the North coast of Co. Antrim, this is a precious island. I tread lightly, fish small and cherish every step.

Best to you and yours.
Andy

AndyBaird
02-22-2010, 04:55 PM
I'm up for a trip soon, I think, need to check the rocks.


Cheers Roy, we'll have some fun this summer... ;) The burn is missing ya!

rossa
02-22-2010, 05:03 PM
Had a glance at the small fly funk website, small seems to be a fetish!
Fishing wise if you didn't have a hackle and had some cdc instead, would it matter or is it a challenge to do the hackle on such a small hook? Pretty amazing tying by the way.

AndyBaird
02-23-2010, 04:39 AM
Fishing wise if you didn't have a hackle and had some cdc instead, would it matter or is it a challenge to do the hackle on such a small hook?

Very good question rossa. Truth is, I'm not a big fan of CDC :o I appreciate it has good floatation properties, imparts very life-like movement and footprint, and lands extremely lightly but it just seems so very, very impractical on stream. The brooks, burns and streams I fish hold a good population of small trout, and a few 14-16" monsters :D And because these streams are very lightly fished, multiple strikes to a well presented fly should be expected. When fishing a hackled fly, treated with Dilly Wax, a quick rinse and a blow and I'm back fishing - not sure this is possible with CDC, and I'd rather not carry loads of treatments streamside. I'll typically have a single fly box (C&F midge), 7X, 8X and maybe 9X tippet, Dilly Wax and mud, micro forceps and clippers and my licence and permit. All fit in a couple of pockets. It's fly fishing decoded to the very bare essentials.

Hackle is also incredibly robust - more so when tying as a RPE. This pattern is indestructible - 20+ fish per fly is entirely realistic. Roy invited a spectator at last years Lough's Agency Fly Fair to take a #20 RPE to the car park and grind it in to the car park gravel underfoot for 5mins then return to his bench. The fly was still fishable. That kind of design really appeals to me :ugeek:

That all said, I'd love to hear the case for CDC, cos I constantly wonder if I'm missing something... but beyond the tying bench, I'm not sure it offers more than hackle or snowshoe hare's foot on these streams...

Thanks,
Andy

rossa
02-23-2010, 09:46 AM
Fishing wise if you didn't have a hackle and had some cdc instead, would it matter or is it a challenge to do the hackle on such a small hook?

Very good question rossa. Truth is, I'm not a big fan of CDC :o I appreciate it has good floatation properties, imparts very life-like movement and footprint, and lands extremely lightly but it just seems so very, very impractical on stream. The brooks, burns and streams I fish hold a good population of small trout, and a few 14-16" monsters :D And because these streams are very lightly fished, multiple strikes to a well presented fly should be expected. When fishing a hackled fly, treated with Dilly Wax, a quick rinse and a blow and I'm back fishing - not sure this is possible with CDC, and I'd rather not carry loads of treatments streamside. I'll typically have a single fly box (C&F midge), 7X, 8X and maybe 9X tippet, Dilly Wax and mud, micro forceps and clippers and my licence and permit. All fit in a couple of pockets. It's fly fishing decoded to the very bare essentials.

Hackle is also incredibly robust - more so when tying as a RPE. This pattern is indestructible - 20+ fish per fly is entirely realistic. Roy invited a spectator at last years Lough's Agency Fly Fair to take a #20 RPE to the car park and grind it in to the car park gravel underfoot for 5mins then return to his bench. The fly was still fishable. That kind of design really appeals to me :ugeek:

That all said, I'd love to hear the case for CDC, cos I constantly wonder if I'm missing something... but beyond the tying bench, I'm not sure it offers more than hackle or snowshoe hare's foot on these streams...

Thanks,
Andy

Thanks, I only used cdc as one example (snow shoe rabbit floats like Pamela Andersons puppies and antron would give god flotation on small flies), do you find you need to go for flies as small as 32 or again is it the challenge aspect of going that small?
Can't wait until March 1st to see some of your handywork. After discovering this site I'm kicking myself I never fished the small streams in Donegal before I moved to the US.

Alpinefly
02-24-2010, 11:42 AM
I prefer to use the CDC for Spinner Wings on 32's or for #32 emergers; otherwise Hackle is much preferrred !!!!!
I don't see it as a fetish, as much as simply matching an important hatch. Midges vary from the small (size 32 or splitting the fly tying Atom) to large hook sizes and there are so many species that are overlooked. It is even more amazeing that large trout go for this (Hor' Douvres anyone ??? :ugeek: ) People still look at my #32 patterns and ask me what I catch on this. When I say large trout, they look at me in disbelief !!!! I use what works, and if CDC works better on a certain pattern....then fine and dandy !!!!!!

palewatery
02-24-2010, 01:58 PM
:crazy:

That's some sweet tying fitting that to a #32.

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

AndyBaird
02-26-2010, 07:19 AM
@ rossa: small flies just aren't part of the fabric in the UK and Ireland like in the States, although there's a few of us from the UK on smallstreams who play in this arena (Roy, Scotfly, Gareth Lewis et al...). Even on picky trout, I reckon a #24 covers most situations... but the thrill of catching a wild trout on small flies, light lines and short rods is borderline spiritual, so this is how I get my kicks. That, and limited time resources (have three amazing kids, a wonderful wife and long hours at work) so I focus on a very narrow spectrum of pursuit... and hope to become expert in time. I'm doing alright, but when you look at the range and skill of Dennis (scotfly - fully dressed parachute on a #32... f'real :ugeek: ) and Roy you realise how muh there is to learn. The convergence of physics, engineering, maths and creativity all underpin what these guys are about.

@ Alpinefly: love your #32 in Modern Midges, and good call on materials. Afraid I can't make any bold claims about large trout + tiny flies... 9" brown on #32 is last season's PB... but I reckon I'll be good for 14" brown this season. I know where they hang out ;) just gotta tempt one :) Not easy as they rely on #26 paraduns for mid-summer snacking... they've gotta at least half a dozen #32's to achieve the same protein intake as this fly

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm207/VooDooBiology/26paradun.jpg

... and you'll all get to hear about it! :ugeek: Just got to drop a #32 RPE within 3" of the trouts nose... :ugeek:

@ palewatery: cheers Jim, always appreciate your support and comments. It motivates me to keep progressing and posting, 'though the train wrecks remain strictly off-board. Please let me know if you're ever in NI.

Best for the weekdn guys!
Andy

palewatery
02-26-2010, 01:05 PM
Andy I will be over in July for the fly fair and am planning on bringing a rod with me..... you have been warned :lol:

AndyBaird
02-26-2010, 06:59 PM
Andy I will be over in July for the fly fair and am planning on bringing a rod with me..... you have been warned :lol:

I WILL hold you to that! We're going fishing...

Roy
02-26-2010, 07:27 PM
I wonder where!!

I have heard there's a couple of good spots thereabouts
:shock:
:D

AndyBaird
02-27-2010, 04:52 AM
I wonder where!!

Permission to share the secret's of the mystery burn X, Roy? ;)

Roy
02-28-2010, 04:57 PM
:D

adam
02-28-2010, 11:19 PM
Very nice, looks like a bug.

Alpinefly
03-01-2010, 01:24 PM
One of Roy's midges got into the recent issue of Fly Tyer Magazine !!!! :clap: Wonder when Klausmeyer is going to decide to interview Roy for an article !!!! I would love to see a majority of Roy's reversed parachutes, etc. in Fly tryer. How about the rest of you ???? :thumbup:

toledotimber
03-17-2010, 08:42 AM
Love your flies, Andy. You can't imagine how thrilled I was to find your site last year. All my buddies fish huge streamers and I'm the weirdo in the bunch just for using dries at all. It get even more interesting when they're tossing size 2/0 mouse patterns and I'm using a #26 parachute whatever. I don't go below #26 usually because I live a couple hours from any trout water and I don't want to go completely fishless.

It's nice seeing your reasoning behind not using cdc; I always thought it was because cdc on such small flies was a pain. I can't seem to use it well below a #22, though I haven't tried in a while. Keep 'em coming.

Oh, yeah--I'd love to see Roy Christie in Fly Tyer, too.

AndyBaird
03-18-2010, 12:46 PM
Thanks toledotimber - really appreciate your comments. I'd love to know if I'm missing out on something by not using CDC... would welcome your thoughts.

And I'll second Alpinefly's call for a Roy Christie special in Fly Tyer magazine.

Keep well and thanks again.

Best,
Andy