After I finished tying 20 Chernobyl ants, 20 Letort hoppers, and 20 gray parachute hoppers I decided to sort through the four or five containers perched on my fly tying desk containing used flies. When I am on the stream and a fly gets damaged to the point that it is no longer effective, I set it aside, and at the end of the day move it to an out of service container.These flies typically have lost body parts such as legs or wings, or the hackle or thread is unraveling.

As I sorted the out of service flies, I discovered six parachute hoppers, seven chernobyl ants, and fourteen Letort hoppers. I staged them in my work area and began the process of refurbishing flies. I love this process as in most cases I salvage the first several steps of producing the fly and create essentially new flies in half the time. In addition I am recycling the most expensive part of the fly, the hook and in the case of nymphs also a bead.

I’m now moving on to smaller dry flies.