Legs

[Tim Pommer]

I often go back and forth on this but I wondered what you all thought.

[hugh hartsell]

🙂 Steelhyde, I think that learning to tie in legs, (whether needed or not) will give you more confidence in your self and your flies. That does make a difference! I would also suggest that you might check around for help with different materials that can make tying in legs on smaller flies easier, or just google up patterns to see different materials that can be used. The type of legging material has to be changed sometimes on smaller flies. You’ll eventually learn all the tricks to make it a little easier. Good luck with those troublesome ties.
   Hugh Hartsell—East Tn.

By the way, some of them still give me fits also.

[Tim Pommer]

I agree 100% on the confidence part.

[anonymous]

Steelhyde

You might try using some x-fine round rubber for legs. I’ve used these on copper johns with great success. Mountain River fly shop in Cotter started carrying these. They work well. Not had time to tie any yet. I use them in sizes 12-18. Proportion of the thickness of the material may not look right on the very small flies.

Scott

[Ian Crabtree]

I often go back and forth on this but I wondered what you all thought.

[davy_wotton]

The term legs, was at one time the term used for a hackle as such, differs now days of course.

Many of the trout flies l have innovated sport legs, and in the case of the smaller flies, not like wooly buggers or gurgle bugs, l will use cock pheasant center tail.
This can of course also be dyed to different shades.
Turkey herl

[Tim Pommer]

Right now, I am using one turn of small soft hackle.

[Ian Crabtree]

I had mistakenly assumed you were talking about rubber legs specifically.

Sawyer never included legs on his pheasant tails, and while you don’t often see people fishing with Sawyer PTs, they still work. I wouldn’t sweat it if they’re giving you grief.

[davy_wotton]

Ian,
I have some original PTs the Frank Sawyer gave to me when l lived in the UK.

Most Americans are not familiar with the kind

[T. Wiles]

I have a great solution on smaller flies….shown to me on a emerger pattern used when I lived on the Henry’s Fork, called the Downey nymph

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I have since tied all my smaller nymphs 18-22 this style.

First of all, I use only synthetic dubbing on the little guys usually in brown/olive—you won’t over bulk the body this way, you can match any color, and it’s way more durable.
Fiber tail, copper wire ribbing, thin dubbed abdomen.

The Legs and the wing case will be done in one step….by plucking out an appropriate small hackle using the fluffier webbed fibers at the butt-end stem.

[Tim Pommer]

Makes a great beatis nymph too…

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