Picket pin

Does anyone have a pattern for a fly called a picket pin?  My neighbor keeps telling me about this fly.  He is an old timer and doesn't get out much anymore.  He never has one to show me when he is talking about it.  I would like to see one or have a pattern so I can tie one.  I can't find one in any of my books or magazines.  Thanks.

Don't need to do a google search when someone like you will do it for me! LOL!  Seriously, thanks!

ORIGINAL: norm289

Don't need to do a google search when someone like you will do it for me! LOL!  Seriously, thanks!

And this is why socialism has not and never will work.

I'm sorry I did. The whole point of my post was to point how how simple it would have been for you to do a little research, but you were either dense enough or lazy enough to resort to asking to be spoonfed. I guess I should have removed the formatting...you'd have probably not made the effort to C&P the URLs into your browser.

Hence the .

So you want to know what a pattern consists of...you COULD type it in to google, and in 0.029 seconds have about a dozen sites giving you a recipe, if not a step-by-step illustrated guide...but you'd rather get on here and have someone else tell you because that'd be too difficult.

As far as socialism, while I didnt make that comment, I believe what they were getting at is that if everyone actually took a little initiative in that system, it might work, but a few lazy people will inevitably bring the system to a standstill when they realize that they'll still be taken care of even if they sit on their butts and let other people do everything for them. Sound familiar?

Your kmp kowtowing aside, yes, I do fish. If you'd take a little time (and *gasp!* effort) to read many of the topics I've started, they're not of a specific 'spoonfeed me' nature. Usually, the majority of the topics I start here, or in the fly tackle section are either a more abstract "what's your opinion?" nature, or a very broad topic allowing people to chime in with anything they feel is of value. I look for the information and tips that may not have been covered in the reading I've already done online and in books before I posted my topic.

What would your response have been to my first post if, instead of all the links, I'd have just said "Do a Google search."? I'm guessing something along the lines of "I dont want to do a google search, thats why I asked here." Close?

If we all did our own research, this place would have a much higher level of discussion going on, as nearly half of the topics have already been discussed to death, or, like this one, are so objective in nature that a simple google search would have made the entire thing totally unnecessary.

I'd also like to submit that had your thread been something like: "Okay, my friend uses a picket pin, I've decided to tie a few, does anyone have any special variations they like to tie or suggestions for fishing it?", then I'd have been far more pleasant. I guess my frustration would be better directed at the thread itself rather than the OP. Got no problems helping people, I just wish they'd help themselves a bit too.

fellas, play nice

Again.  Why get frustrated over someone else's thread? 

In addition to doing duty as a proven wet fly, the Picket Pin is a versatile wonder.

Change the wing proportion and you have a streamer . . . the fly responds nicely to a bead head . . . or substitute a wisp of poly for the tail and you have a stuck in the shuck . . . for a dry caddis imitiation, omit the tail, use a dubbed body and an elk or deer hair wing and you have the ever popular elk caddis, or something close to it.

ORIGINAL: fishenfool46

to add to the versitility excuse spelling in fly fishing a fella told me
and sorry i never thought of it carry some bullet head beads and round head beads with you slidem on your leader tie on your fly and there ya go bead or bullet head fly>clip the leader slip the bead and non weighted fly.i haven't tried this yet but it seems like it would work for the likes of buggers, princes,sinking hares ears and the like in stead of just using a plain old split shot

Neat idea. Only thing I'd see making a difference is that that bead is going to want to slide around on you.

ORIGINAL: Loomis

not if you are fishing quartering casts downstream.

Yes, of course. I just normally do nymhping with a mix of quartering down and upstream drifts, which is what made me think of the problem. If you're only fishing down, then it sounds like a good method to try!

well a uni or blood should help that out too..

this method works well in dirty or stained water.  The pelletheads will mash your bead continually if it slides up.

A fishing pal of mine sometimes adds beads to the tippet just above the fly. He sez the bead is most susceptible to slippage if it is too big in proportion to the tippet and fly. He uses straight eye hooks for all his flies.

He said the plus of putting the bead on the tippet is that you can add more than one and thereby control depth. He also has some way of spacing out beads over the leader, though I don't remember what it is and, besides, thought the technique could be counter productive compared to split shot.

The reason I don't use this method is fumbleitis -- beads are slippery when yr hands are wet and cold and, unlike a small hook, they don't have a handle. So when I tried it I tended to drop beads at a depth where I could see the steenkin things on the bottom, but couldn't reach 'em. So the bead-on-the-tippet trick for me fell victim to my Don't Do Things That Make You Swear Rule. Your experience may vary.

Maybe I should have said in my earlier post that the Picket Pin is a fly that (conceivably) you could modify in the tying and fish it wet, dry, as a streamer or a nymph. Perfect beginner's fly at the vise, which is how I first met it. 'Course it ain't flashy and so currently attracts more fish then fishermen it seems. Too bad, I say.

Try it; you might like it. Good luck.