Thanks, indy and anchke.

A bit on wings: are they absolutely necessary? I'm not even sure if the fish can see them, and they easily triple the time it takes me to complete a fly. Would it reduce the effectiveness of a standard catskill tie to eliminate the wings altogether? Or, at very least, substitute hackle tip wings for another type? I hate those things! Only got two sets tied properly in this afternoon's tying, and on both, during the rest of the tie, I accidentally mangled one of the wings.

I think wings are necessary.
Get a copy of Marinaro's A Modern Dry Fly Code.
It's the first thing a fish sees on an approaching dun.
I wing em all except #24's and smaller.
 As for material, I use hackle tips quite a bit because I find them easy to tie and i have a of of hackle. But usually the fish aren't critiquing the wing material. But proper length is important. at least i think so.

Just remember:  A hopper without wings is,,,,, the way they usually look after the third cast.  LOL

ORIGINAL: Cold

 Looks like I'll just have to live with tying those P.i.A. wings...

 
Don't sweat the wings.  Some things are easier than others in fly tying.  And for me, wing proportion was/still is the hardest thing to do.  You'll get better with practice.  But it won't happen over night, unless you're some kind of prodigy.
 
That said, wait until you try parachutes, heh heh. 

That said, wait until you try parachutes, heh heh.

Tied 2 parachute adams last night. (+1 that died in the final hour...thread break > total unravel > tying FAIL ).

I'm pretty good till I wind that second hackle and try to tie it off and whip finish underneath. Also, they're kinda bushy, but that's because when I finally get the hackle to wind nice, I cant help myself.

Gonna try some para-sulphurs tonight, I think. Just one hackle to wind will help. Also watched a few instructional videos on para tying, and I think I was making it harder than it had to be.

If I ever get camera batteries, I'll post pics of the hideous things.

dt, always bumming around the state helping someone, aren't you.  you sure have helped enough of us problem children..........  you are okay.
 
I,ll second that.
dt has tyed some awsome dries with wings and I mean some small stuff. How can you guys even see to do this is amazing.

ORIGINAL: Cold

That said, wait until you try parachutes, heh heh.

Tied 2 parachute adams last night. (+1 that died in the final hour...thread break > total unravel > tying FAIL ).

I'm pretty good till I wind that second hackle and try to tie it off and whip finish underneath. Also, they're kinda bushy, but that's because when I finally get the hackle to wind nice, I cant help myself.

Gonna try some para-sulphurs tonight, I think. Just one hackle to wind will help. Also watched a few instructional videos on para tying, and I think I was making it harder than it had to be.

If I ever get camera batteries, I'll post pics of the hideous things.

 
Try tying the hackle off to the post instead of the hook shank.  I still struggle with it, but it's clean .

ORIGINAL: Cold
 The only think I can think of is to try some small griffiths gnats or something,
Thoughts?

 
Your starting to think like a pro.
 Grffith gnats are a great generic small bug imitation that copies the no-seeum bug. The fish seeum fine.
Yes, many times you will find a species of smaller caddis, duns or spinners blanketing the water. They are usually dark and when fishing on an overcast day or toward evening, they go unnoticed by many. For some reason, cool, drizzly and overcast days bring em out the best.
I was out on my creek that day you fished. 16 cornutta (BWO) were all over the water and fish were on em. Later on, a 22 baetis blanketed the water.
I did well until  the last of my few 22 parachutes unraveled. ( i hate tying those buggers but they work so well.)
 While hiking back downstream, I talked to a half dozen guys. None of them noticed either dark winged fly on the water and were fishing the sparse cahill, gray fox and caddis with occasional results.  At one point, I waded out and picked up a few of each fly off the top of the water and gave them to a guy who swore those bugs weren't hatching here on the lower pools. The 16 BWO hatch actually seemed to be more intense on the lower end.
 So yea, Those fish you were on were taking something you couldn't see. We easily notice all those light colored bugs over the water. But the fish have the better view and those small dark insects are easy for them to spot looking up against the sky. And sometimes that dark bug they're eating may be bigger than you think.
 

Whats the consensus on the hi-viz post material? Does it turn fish away? Once I tie 2-3 calf body hair posts, I'm okay tying them, but sometimes it can be downright maddening when they wont stay wrapped!

Wrapping just one hackle on those paras, tying off to the post, and for the tinies, wings may be simplified and/or omitted. This is great stuff.

Gotta get a few things on the way home to tie up a few and try these new ideas, then its off to (hopefully) see my first green drake hatch. The girl's outta town now, so I have plenty of free evenings.

ORIGINAL: Cold

ORIGINAL: indsguiz

Just remember:  A hopper without wings is,,,,, the way they usually look after the third cast.  LOL

Where do you guys get the hackle tips for your wings? I have a cheap grizzly saddle I use for nymphs and buggers, and the wings looked okay pre-mangle, but it took me a long time to find a suitable feather. Would a neck yield better feathers for tip-wings? Also, can you use "cheap" feathers for the wings or should you be using your premium dry hackle for that?

Hen necks, it's a wider feather.

Well, trouts 2, 3, and 4 fell to dries for me. #14 para adams. I saw lots of sulphurs and slate drakes, but missed the green drakes...also saw a little (16ish) mayfly with tan/dun wings and a bright red body. No idea what it was, though.

Also saw a bright green stonefly that was interesting. And by bright, I mean like fluorescent, powerbait green. Pretty cool.

The third trout was also the first one on dries, and on this new 3 wt, that was actually meaty. A nice fat 15" female that just wouldnt give up. Also leapt about 3 feet out of the water for me, para adams safely lodged in the corner of her mouth. Like a mini steelie.

Came home and tied some slate drakes, sulphurs, and some more para-adams, in 12.

Just tried it that way, and wow...that makes life much more simple. Do you also whip finish around the post? I did, and while it works fine, I literally had to stand up and tilt my head sideways to get the hang of it...the muscle memory for whip finishing doesnt rotate to the perperdicular apparently!

In a stunning rarity, I think the #18 para-suplhur I just did looks neater than the #12 para-adamses I did last night.

Got 2 more fish on the dries today on the little mahoning, a 2" minnow that jumpstarted my heart when he took the fly and a nice brown that technically doesnt count, because, even though I hooked and fought it, it manageed to rub against a rock and throw the hook just 3 feet from the end of my net. In a way it bummed me out, but it's less stressful, I'd imagine, than being netted, photo'd, and released, so good for the fish.

I must say...while I'll never become a purist, I do love dry fly fishing so far.

Thats a great feeling when you can see them take a dry on top, I can still remember my first hookup on a dry and i said the same thing I'm Hooked  great job! and every hookup is exicting as the first

The only disappointing thing is that the flies I was using were too mutilated to use after catching one or two.

I was so careful to avoid decorating the trees too - loosing them from actually catching the fish.

Fish-mangled flies, compared to the myriad others of this sport, is a **** good problem to have.

By the way, fished with doubletaper this weekend and did well.

After we parted ways Sunday, I headed to Mill Creek and had, by far, my best day of fishing with dries. I got my trifecta yesterday, netting a bow and a brown with DT, andgetting some small browns and a few nice brookies up on Mill. Ended up landing 10 trout on mill creek, in the space of about 3 to 3.5 hours. Caught fish on a large, sparse, poorly tied X=caddis that I think they mistook for a downed sulphur, a hairwing dun that was my answer to the abundant slate drakes, a royal wulff, and a #12 para-adams for some visibility in the failing light. Got 2 after dark, just tossing out and waiting for a rise, which was really cool.

Had something big (for a small mountain stream) and bright green break me off in a deep hole. Not really sure if it was even a trout, but Ive no idea what else it could have been. I'll be back to settle that score, though.

Also, just want to make sure: isonychia = slate drake???

With dt, I caught 2 on a #18 griffiths gnat, easily the smallest fly I've caught fish on to date. Next time, we'll have to go to Mill instead!

Many of my fish on mill were tiny 3-6" browns...I cant imagine they're stream-bred, but I also couldnt imagine the state dumping a 4" fish..what do you guys think? I caught 8 in the past week under 6", so its not like the only one in there, but it was also all from the same stream.

Finally, another species ID question...small mayfly (#16), light dun, almost creamy wings, big brown eyes and a bright red abdomen. Any ideas? Also, how big do sulphurs get, and can they be so light that theyre almost cream colored? Ran into a bunch of em about a #14 and wasnt sure. The sparse, pale #14 caddis was, apparently, close enough.