When I first started tenkara, I was fishing sakasa kebari and killer bugs. Two of the most iconic and recognizable flies in the fixed line fishing world. A few years later and I am fishing, for the most part, flies that I tie and they are not always soft hackle sakasa kebari.
I was introduced to the Cutcliffe stiff hackle wet flies by Jonathan Antunez who is a published fly tyer in the book “The Feather Mechanic II: Beyond the Pattern” and is well-known in the fly tying trade show world. He has taught me and several others endless “old world” patterns and enjoys keeping his flies as close to original and “classic” pattern as possible. For me, that seems like a daunting task and because I only recently started tying flies, especially compared to Jonathan, I enjoy putting my own flair into them.
Although my flies do not perfectly follow the Cutcliffe pattern, I am not sure that a fly pattern needs to be followed to catch fish and I am sure Jonathan would agree. The streams, rivers, and waterways I usually fish take well to the Cutcliffe and I have been successful even on the most hard hit streams across the US that I have fished regardless of the season.
Along with Jonathan, Dr. Paul Gaskell, of Discover Tenkara, has been a resource for me in the discovery and research of the Cutcliffe fly world. I am not one to deep dive into history and fly patterns, but understanding why people tie the way they do is a key component to understanding how to fish the fly and, ultimately, how to catch fish. Which is the goal, right? It is for me anyway.
Please enjoy some pictures of my LTB (lady tenkara bum) Cutcliffe fly and some fish that were caught with it. If you want to learn more about fly patterns and their origins, then I suggest following along with Jonathan Antunez on Instagram (@troutconjurer) and on Facebook and accessing Paul’s tenkara online resources at discovertenkara.com. There you will find history and passion behind the computer screen you didn’t even know you were looking for. Or maybe you were looking for it. Either way, you will not be disappointed!
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Thank you Amanda I am on your path as well except I am in Colorado and am in my 80’s
never too late to start your own journey!!! I love it! nice to meet you, walter.
how do you get the hackle to become curvy like that? excellent ties. these exhibit incredible skill.
I actually use my scissors to give a curve/bend to the hackle as you would a bow on a present. I will post a video soon!