How a fly comes into existance part 1

I have talked to many up-and-coming tiers, experienced tiers, legendary tiers, and I like to ask them how did they come up with their patterns. Usually its a mixture of trying to match some bug or fish, taking an older pattern and tweaking it, or a collaborative effort between tiers.

While helping with Project Healing Waters on BVR, I asked John Barr if he had any new flies brewing? He said flies will just come to him, whether its driving or in the shower, or on the water. I was frustrated with his brief answer, hoping for some insight into the successful tying career of JB himself. If you are an up-and-coming tier read Barr flies!!! Specifically, look at the development of the Copper John. The CJ was crafted for a specific purpose, a first generation dropper off of a dry fly. The most modern CJ is more durable then the original, and a million of us tiers have made our own variations to fulfill our needs.

Every Pattern I have created has some Craven, Gunkel, Garcia, Tucker, Galloup, Ramirez, Kingrey, etc. in it. I have come up with maybe a half dozen productive patterns I consider my own. But every single one is only partly mine. I will showcase each of the patterns for a couple of purposes. Number 1, I want them documented so they can't be ripped off (which has happened before), and Number 2, I want them to be tested and fished. This series will include,

Captain Glitter Pants midge (CGP midge)

  









Protein Shake Mysis











Freemont Scud

"Picture Coming Soon"

Sexzilla Streamer

Santa's Skagit Sculpin

Change Up Baetis,












 s'Gulp'n tube Sculpin

I am not a talented tier, I am not even a fast tier, I do not produce a lot of flies. I tie as many flies in a year as Shea Gunkel ties in two weeks. I cannot tie more than a couple of a certain pattern before I get bored and start making variations, and most of the flies I come up with end up in a bin to be stripped and salvaged for future flies. The reality is I only tie when I can't go fishing, but have some free time, or panicking at 1 am to replace half a dozen of the "hot fly" for a float trip the next day.

I would love to share the story of each of my flies: including their inspiration, their collaborators, their development, as well as an on water story. And some of these flies have changed since I first posted them on Trout Pursuit. I would appreciate any feedback on these flies, how they fish, their design, etc.