Muzz Wilson On Breaking Tradition

A lot of what we are taught as fly tiers these days is based on what a few tiers were doing 50 or more years ago but times change and now we are blessed with a great range of materials and techniques that were not around back then.

And I for one think we should move with the times and embrace the new!

Foam Film Willow Grub

I know some people will not agree with this and that’s OK but I do find it amusing that these same people are more than happy to grab the latest fly rods, reels and lines but have a real problem embracing anything new when it comes to materials, flies or techniques.

Hooligan

These days we have materials for dry flies that will not absorb water so the fly can not become waterlogged; we have winging materials that are so light they do not cause the fly to roll over on its side or worse still land upside down.

Foam floats! And can be shaped or coloured to represent almost anything.

Muz's Wee Creek Hopper

So what is it they are stuck on, is it just the patterns or is it the idea of tradition?

Simons Ugly

What I don’t think they have considered is the people they hold up as the great traditionalists, were back in their day the innovators!

They were the people looking forward, looking for and experimenting with the new materials and techniques. No one knows of or cares about the people who were looking backwards; they have long since been forgotten about.