Modern Fly Crossovers In The Information Age

It seems to me that the differences between flies that can be used for Atlantic Salmon and Steelhead are melding.

Is an Intruder really anything more than a really big shrimp pattern?  Is the Syd Glasso style a River Spey fly with a different wing?  Bunny leaches designed to wiggle in front of North Western chrome are being found on the crystal clear waters of the Gaspe.

Years ago I would have never dreamed of using eztaz or a looped dubbing ball on my salmon flies but today in order to get a wide and full tail and wing it is the norm.

In days gone by rivers had individual style to their flies.  Dee Flies and Spey Flies are very different in materials and construction right down to the style of hook.  The headwaters of these two rivers are so close together that you would think there would have been more commonality.  Take New Brunswick and Quebec as a model.  The rivers are very different and so were the flies but if you were to check the fly boxes on the Gaspe you might just find a few Green machines in the mix.  You will also find creations that were designed for the Gaula as well.  Soft hair tied in a reverse full bodied style is all the rage in spring and fall no matter where you are.

My feeling is that the number one reason for such a crossover of materials and styles is the internet.  Every ghille in Scotland has a website and YouTube is loaded with great fly tiers willing to show their talent.

This is the age of experimentation and what will come out of it just might be an entirely new concept.  Materials and techniques are advancing rapidly.  Something is going to come of it, and when it does, it will be as fresh as the day the first Lady Caroline was fished.

The classics will never go away.  There is nothing more rewarding for me than taking a fish on a well tied creation that has been proven by time.  But who knows that magic elixir might just be one more tie away......