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Show uompeiiiion, recreation and fitness Wednesday August 20, 1986 tm t- -h. i3 a y If imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, then Mother Na- ture must find her highest compliment in artists like Roy fly tier Mike Day. While Days works will probably never find their way to the Louvre, except on some tourists fishing cap, they are an art form that belters the imitation of nature. Fly tying is art that fools nature at least the fish. Using peacock herl, Plymouth Rock rooster hackle, muskrat fur, colored floss and even human hair. Day creates Maribou Muddlers, Olive Matukas or Yellow Humpies, also known as Goofus Bugs. 3' "3 33 33337' Jf ,i r t The flics often show an impressive likeness to some insect, fish or small animal when they are ;'r ri V. 3 3,3 dry. .3, fc'T 1 f f.' "3,3 - & 1. 33 333 3ft 3 - s.V.-- 3.. ,- if'"nv3 - 33 I'' j VW" When they hit the water they spring to life. Although there is some scienV tific knowledge involved in being ' a good fly tier, it boils down to 3; whether a person can develop the V '3. skills needed to put together a re" ' $3 alistic artificial fly. You dont have to be an entomologist, but the more you know about the insects youre trying to imitate, the better off youre go53? 3 ing to be, both in tying flies and ' v with fishing them," Day said. V- V4' It's more of an art form than 3. anything. Youve got all these materials and youve got to be 7I able to put them together to look like the insect or fish or whatever " .r , , you're trying to imitate. 33' Wi Its like giving somebody a batch of paints. They have to know what to do with them in order to get it to look like anyt1, 3 ' i .lx. thing," Day said. And as with painting, not everyone who tries can tie flies' well. & Most people have a hard time IrgiiiMaaii getting the proportions right, and fly fief Mike Day puts some finishing touches on a Chartreuse Wooly Worm artificial fishing lure that is critical to the way the fly looks and acts. If you dont have the right pro- - or deer hair (most often used to land right or look right in the wa- - fish wont take it. if you use the wrong resemble wings and make the dry ter. portions The term fly tying accurate "I don't length or too much peacock herl fly float) the artificial lure wont If it doesnt look natural, the when first coined, has become fun something of a misnomer when deit has the craft to as applied v' ,T S 3 ?. 3?- 3 ' 1? 3 - iliH5" -- '' '.4?." - iftl Staff photo by Rodney Wright Ry veloped years. The name came about from the British, who developed the sport 33 Ax W 'L. ,v v , 'x- vi - tr . The proper tools are a must for a beginning or expert fly tier. Mike Day shot requirements marching across the continent, m;ny casual conversations among waterfowl hunters have become heated de- bates regarding effects of the new regulations. Among the topics for argument are differences in ballistics of lead and steel shot, and what adjustments a shooter must make in choke, swing and shot size to be successful with steel. Some of the many common beliefs about steel shot are: (1) An experienced lead shot shooter will have difficulties adjusting to steel; (2) most people miss targets because they shoot behind them, therefore shooting the faster steel loads should increase performance on crossing shots; (3) steel shot patterns are tighter, therefore the advantage goes to steel when shooting at small targets at long distances. The Division of Wildlife Resources recently conducted an in- - lead at three different skeet stations. All shooters used a Browning BPS shotgun, modified choke, were not told whether they were shooting steel or lead loads, The steel ammunition was Rem- ington 1 ' ounce number 4 shot, and the lead ammunition was Remington shot. Lead Vk ounce number steel in 8 6 of comparisons of shooter class and position. The ninth compari- was a tie. Combining all and stations, about eight percent more targets were hit with lead than with steel. Looking at the 16 individual nine shooters shot better lead, three shot better with steel, and four shot the same with both. Two of the three that shot better with steel were experts. 9 l I can do," he said. his hobby as a describes Day as anything flies, and nymphs, which imitate larvae. They also tie flies that imitate beetles, grasshoppers, baitfish, and even frogs and mice. Tiers will try to imitate anything a fish will eat. There are even flies that dont really look like any known fly, or other creature, but the fish go af-ter them. Today some who consider themselves purists of the sport still will use only dry flies. Although dry flies are by far the most challenging fly to tie and use. Day does not adhere to the purists point of view. I dont care what I use to fool the fish. Its just fun to catch one with something youve created. he said. instruction to get him started, Classes are offered through some of the local sporting goods stores and through some city recreation programs. Once a beginner has a basic knowledge of the methods, he is limited only by his creativity and his willingness 10 put in the nec essary time. Although Day loves fly fishing. which is what first got him inter- in fly tying, he cant decide which he loves to do more. I tell you, I can go downstairs and tie flies for a couple of hours and that is just as relaxing to me probably tie 1,000 flies a year now. When I first started ing dry flies I thought I couldnt do it, but after about the first 200 I started getting the hang of it. After the first thousand, I started feeling comfortable," Day said. pre-adu- lt semi-expensi- ve one. Someone starting out needs to have the right tools and they need to be good quality. You can buy a vise for $25. but mine cost $90. And you need good quality pliers and scissors," Day added, 1 ed P better understand steel shot With federally imposed steel created." Mike Day DWR helps upland hunters formal leadstcel shot field trial at the Lee Kay Center for Hunter Education in Salt Lake City to test these common beliefs. Six- teen people with diverse shooting skills each shot eight rounds of to catch one with something you've through-th- and tied only what are today flies that reknown as dry flies semble adult insects that land on the water. Fly tiers today have expanded to tying wet flies, which imitate ' care what I use to fool the fish. It's just The effect of shooter experience on the ability to shoot steel shot revealed that experts shot steel nearly as well as they shot lead (a three percent difference). Intermediate and novice shooters, however, both hit about 10 per- cent fewer targets with steel than with lead. To me, several points are obvi-an- d ous: (1) Steel shot will probably be somewhat harder to shoot at all distances and angles if you use the same choked gun as you have in the past; (2) the precision and consistency of shooting style that comes with experience will help you in scoring with steel shot rather than count against you as commonly believed; (3) the inex-so- n perienced shooter would be ther ahead by practicing to become a better shooter rather than by worrying about adjusting his shooting style to accommo-scorcdate the steel loads. After bccom-wit- h ing a better shooter, some adjustments in technique may improve your performance with steel shot. 'ms l&SSS! I 3 fv : s. Staff photo by Rodney Wnght Chris Jensen of the Rusty Nail beats the throw from Roy City Thursday in the Wa- - satch Front Softball Championships held as a part of Roy Days celebration. s j : |