As I embark on my fifty-first season of fly-fishing and fly tying, I find the many changes that have altered these pastimes over that timespan to be nothing short of mindboggling. And of course they have also contributed in large part to the fact that fly-fishing is now more popular than ever before. When I started, fly rods were made from fiberglass, and it would be more than a decade before graphite appeared as a rod-building material that would completely transform our perception of fly rods and fly casting. Fly reels were clunky and a bit heavy compared to the sleek, finely machined pieces that are commonplace now. Fly lines and leader material are also much more refined for superior performance.

Fly tying also experienced similar innovations over the years. Ironically, super quality dry-fly hackle appeared on the scene in the mid-1970s, about the same time as the first graphite rods. Using genetics, Buck Metz was able to produce roosters with long, slender neck hackles in a wide range of colors. Those designer chicken feathers made fly tying more practical and accessible for hordes of new tiers. As demand increased, many new synthetic fly-tying materials began showing up on the market, which in turn sparked the development of many new styles of fly patterns and tying techniques. And innovations continue, so there has never been a better time to be a fly angler or fly tier.

As much as I enjoy and appreciate all our modern fly-tying materials and methods, however, I’ve always maintained a certain connection to the traditional fly patterns, in particular some of the classic wet fly patterns. Part of that attachment is undoubtedly linked to nostalgia. These were the first flies I tied and fished and, of course, the ones that produced my first catches on fly tackle. Wet flies were not difficult to tie and didn’t require the expensive and hard-to-find neck hackle that dry flies did.

My bible in those days was Ray Bergman’s “Trout.” First published in 1938, this book became a landmark work in American angling literature. My early tutelage came from the revised second edition first published in 1952, a copy of which I checked out of the school library many times until I was able to save enough to buy my one of own. “Trout” included pattern recipes for hundreds of wet flies and color plates depicting them. Many of those patterns were gaudy attractor concoctions that looked nothing like any natural trout food. Others were more imitative of common trout stream insects. I tied and fished a combination of both types and developed a selection of my own favorites.

The pages of “Trout” also provided guidance on fishing wet flies. In the traditional “down and across” style, employing what Bergman termed a “hand twist” retrieve. Learning how to swing a wet fly, or a pair of them, enticingly in the current is not something most anglers do nowadays, but I’m thankful for those lessons learned decades ago. For those who have never tried those timeless wet fly tactics and fly patterns, I would encourage you to find a copy of Berman’s “Trout” on eBay or other used bookseller and take a look at some old-school fly-fishing.

My primary reason for tying and fishing wet flies, however, goes well beyond tradition and memories. It’s because this somewhat forgotten niche of the fly-fishing arts remains an effective method for catching trout throughout the year. In addition to their traditional downstream presentations, wet flies are equally adaptable to the upstream fishing techniques many of us employ to tempt trout nowadays. I frequently tie on a wet-fly pattern as a dropper above a weighted nymph and fish the rig with an upstream, dead-drift presentation. For those who like fishing tandem rigs, wet flies are perfect in combination with a dry fly. One of my favorite strategies is to fish upstream with nymphs or dry flies and then rig a pair of wets and fish my way back downstream with them.

One type of wet fly continues to be popular with contemporary anglers: the so-called soft-hackle flies, although I’ve never liked that designation. These simple patterns are merely wingless wet flies and, ironically, represent some of the oldest known fly patterns. As anyone who has fished them knows, they can be deadly effective at times, which accounts for their continuing popularity. Most fly shops are likely to stock an assortment of soft-hackle patterns such as Partridge and Yellow, Partridge and Green and March Brown Spider.

Finding some of the classic winged wet flies might be a bit more difficult nowadays for those who don’t tie their own. For a basic assortment, I would recommend stocking a few patterns in dark, medium and light colors along with a few brightly colored attractor patterns. Dark patterns could include the Black Gnat and Leadwing Coachman, which is a great fly when the Grannom caddisflies are hatching in mid-April. The Gold-Ribbed Hare’s Ear and March Brown are great medium-colored flies, while the Light Cahill and Pale Evening Dun are good choices when lighter-colored bugs are on the water.

Next Saturday, March 28, I will be presenting a fly-tying demonstration at Cove Creek Outfitters located at 111 East Pitts Street in Bedford as part of a special daylong fly-fishing event from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.

Also on hand will be Doug Bear from the Orvis Company to show all the new fly rods, reels and other tackle; professional fly-fishing guide and master casting instructor Dave McMullen to present advanced casting techniques; and members of Trout Unlimited chapter to discuss local and regional projects. The event is free and open to the public, so stop by and talk fly-fishing with us.