[Sandy Nelson]

A question to one and all.

Do dry flies need wings?

If so why? and do you think it makes a difference?


Sandy

[Hamish Young]

In general terms/fishing I think the answer has to be no.
However (y'all just knew that was coming didn't you  :   ) I have seen river trout turn away time and again from winged and non-winged dries before shortly taking their non-winged/winged counterparts..... if you follow me.
In general I don't think Loch trout are as particular, more opportunistic in their feeding habits. With 'bows in most fisheries winged or non is something of a moot point as most anglers don't bother with dries (I'll brace myself for a wave of "oh yes I do") enough to have noticed the difference. Nevetheless, there has to be something in it......

These days, most of my dries that do have wings have them for one reason...... so I can see the wee blighters  :  I think how the pattern sits in (or on) the water and how it generally represents the size of something foodlike is the key.

[Mike Livingstone]

I mostly tie parachutes for dry flies unless they are sedges but I don't think that wings are essential.

[PDScott]

I recently started to tie flies with the Marc Petitjean Magic tool utilising CDC only - no wings - and the fish do not seem to mind. With my limited tying ability, wings would only complicate matters!

[Sandy Nelson]

The piece i was reading quoted , J C Mottram, Skues (my Idol),Marinaro and la fontaine amongst others.

The thinking seemed to be due to the refraction of light fish can see the tips of the wings, therefore a picky fish will ignore a fly without wings.

Problem is, as Mr Skues well knew ,fish more often take nymphs and emergers or cripples rather than healthy adult duns.So the theory is possibly without point.
The similarity between all the experiments as regards viewing the flies involves a still surface.

So on a still (flat calm) surface the fish can see the wings due to the refraction of light, These conditions do not happen very often on a river especially one like the Don, but some of the glides do have glass like surfaces at times, perhaps then it is time for a fly with wings.
As for the other 182 days of the trout season the surface will be rippled breaking up most of the refracted light so the wings are invisible.

Personally i think wings make a fly look very pretty and can balance a pattern laterally when its on the water, klinkhammers obviously sit pretty anyway, but the wing post is a visual aid, hence pink and orange wings not affecting the fish.
As for my Dries I'm with PD , i'll stick to spinning CDC collars
Legs and crumpled wings are more likely to catch fish on the type of water i prefer.

Although it may be interesting to see if wings make a difference to the usually, very difficult fish that you get rising in a flat calm on a stillwater.

Just a thought  :

Sandy
 :  :

[Irvine Ross]

The main reason I can see for wings on dry flies is they act like a parachute when the fly is in the air thus helping it to land the right way up on the water. This really only matters if you are using a "dry" fly that needs to ride ON the surface with the point of the hook out of the water.

If you are fishing with an emerger, often the wing has a different function. It is made of buoyant material and keeps the fly from sinking to the bottom, as in Wyatt’s DHE or the Klinkhammer or the F-fly.

But back to the question of dry flies, I think they might help to persuade a picky fish in a smooth glide but really they do make the fly look much prettier and so more of a pleasure to tie. (if you are in a patient mood)
 :

Irvine

[Peter McCallum]

No

[Hamish Young]

Concise Peter    :

[wildfisher]

Maybees aye, maybees no  

[Mike Barrio]

Nah ........ just use a "bushier" spider  

Mike