Not my best effort, the effort was there the best was lacking. Classic Salmon Flies kick my butt, I do how ever try to tie a few each year to stay connected to the flies that inspire most of my tying. You guys that do this in hand are crazy, in a good way. Very fun swap, looking forward to the Dunt.
In my opinion (and I know most do not share it), everyone who aspires to tie steelhead and salmon flies well should try to tie some married wing classics for the simple reason that you learn how important thread control and material selection is.
I remember well when Alec Jackson told me some 20 or so years ago how he labored for several days to marry the feathers for a GREEN HIGHLANDER and then mount them to a hook without the wing blowing up. He told me he finally got a wing to stay together and finished the fly, for which he was suitably proud of his efforts. He then told me that as soon as he stroked the fly's wing after the Cellaire had dried a few days, half of the wing came off in his fingers. He hasn't tied a married wing fly since and that was back in the 1970's. Yes despite this happening to me, he still felt he learned a lot from having attempted it and didn't regret trying.
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