[Reactor]

How do you know that the fly you just tied is an original?
The more books that I look through the more I think that everything has been tied before and everything has a name to it. I love to express myself at my fly tying bench by tying whatever comes to mind. Sometimes I think I may have an original but now I doubt it.
Is there a database to search through to find out if you have a new pattern?
Anyway, the only way I think you could possibly have a new pattern is to have a new material.
Does anyone know the legality of using what the Goshawk discards, songbird feathers for using in your patterns? I like to recycle but I'm afraid someone might just find a way to collect some money out of me.

[BigCliff]

A fine question! I agree with your premise that there is basically no way to be sure that the fly you have tied is a new one. Chances are, someone, somewhere has in fact put together the same combination of materials in basically the same way at some time. Whether or not they named it is another issue, and whether or not they made it popular via local word of mouth or commercial production is yet another. I suppose the best chance you have, mathematically speaking, of creating a never before tied fly, it to incorporate as many new materials as possible and as many parts as possible, thus making it less likely that such a combination has ever been created before. (some traditionalists have likely just groaned out loud) I reccomend incorporating royal blue and pink materials into flies, along with rubber legs, because all those are less common and work well to attract fish.

[Joni]

Originally Posted by Reactor

How do you know that the fly you just tied is an original?The more books that I look through the more I think that everything has been tied before and everything has a name to it. I love to express myself at my fly tying bench by tying whatever comes to mind. Sometimes I think I may have an original but now I doubt it.Is there a database to search through to find out if you have a new pattern?Anyway, the only way I think you could possibly have a new pattern is to have a new material.Does anyone know the legality of using what the Goshawk discards, songbird feathers for using in your patterns? I like to recycle but I'm afraid someone might just find a way to collect some money out of me.

I think being able to tye a totally original fly is IMPOSSIBLE. It has all been done to some degree before.
All you can do is take a fly that works for you, tweek it to suit your waters and then it is cool to call it yours.
I do that all the time, but I do give credit to the main creator.

[aroostookbasser]

Federal law forbids the pocession of hawk and eagle feathers unless procured from an approved and licensed owner of said bird. All songbirds are equally protected..... some more than others. Not worth the headaches. Try going to the exotics...golden pheasant,guinea hen,.....or game birds.... ever hear of a quails tail nymph? Lots of room for original thought..... just have fun.

[Reactor]

Thanks for the advice. I find many feathers around the bird feeder. I'll leave them lay there. I do get some nice feathers from a relatives parrots.
No, I never heard of a quails tail nymph? I tied some from a woodcocks tail and pheasant tail.
I have fun trying to find different materials to tie with. I'm try to be as cheap as possible, that's half the fun. I do purchase materials that I cannot substitute or aquire myself. It's great to be a hunter, you get lots of material to tie with.

What's the oddest material that you have used to tie a fly with?

How about a green piece of grass. Can you beat that?

[BigCliff]

Oddest material, hmmm. I have used under-fur gained from brushing a housecat, steel wool, zip-lock type baggie, mylar gift bag stuffing, and different types of flexible foam used to pack electronics.

[Colorado Cajun]

Originally Posted by BigCliff

Oddest material, hmmm. I have used under-fur gained from brushing a housecat, steel wool, zip-lock type baggie, mylar gift bag stuffing, and different types of flexible foam used to pack electronics.

Sounds like you do the same, every piece of material, no matter what it is that comes into my house or I come across, gets a once over to see if it can be used in a fly. That really thin foam that they wrap electrons in works well for a wing.

[schrob]

Reactor- What ever you tie up I can be absolutly sure that someone out there will say that its nothing new that their great grandfather did that 100 years ago or that its just like this or that pattern. Don't set yourself up for disapointment by posting a picture and saying that you came up with a new pattern. If you tie something up and you never saw it before then its new to you and thats all that counts. With the magazines and all the hype to come up with something new and others being jealous and not want to see that person get any recognition, Lee Wulff would have been blasted and told his royal wulff is just like a royal coachman.

[aroostookbasser]

THe idea here is to have fun and create. Glad to hear you will play it safe Reactor.. not worth the fines.

Oddest material....... how about a fly I just entered into a local contest in which the other tyers have to guess not only the name of the fly...but what it is made of. None of them come in here so I can tell you it's called the Triple Ginny......... because in it I use guinea fowl ......guinea pig....... and Yes..Irishmans(Ginny) beard hair. Now beat that for wierd materials.

1. Need a free source of gossamer wing material.....try the white paper thin sheets of packing foam/film used to wrap picture frames. (Know anybody who works at Walmart? ......comes in the shipping boxes)
2. Looking for high flotation foam for making bass bugs...... go to walmart and buy the brightly colored "foam" letters. Cut the letter "H" up and you can get 12 good sized poppers. Spin the blocks on a drill or dremel tool and use emery boards to shape them. Brace the free end against block of wood with a nail sticking out........ and keeep it slower than max.
3. Know any hunters? I trade flies for fur and feathers...not just loaclly but on the net as well.