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JOHNWSeptember 12th, 2007, 12:51 pm
Chambersburg, PA

Posts: 452		OK so I have been reading LaFontaine's Proven Patterns again and the Double Wing has once again caught my attention. I've never tied them but am considering it.
Do any of you have experience with this pattern?
Even more importantly have you noticed a significant difference in performance between it and Kaufmanns Stimulator pattern? It seems the stimulator would be slightly easier/quicker to tie but if the Double Wing is generally more effective then it would be a worthwhile trade.
JW

"old habits are hard to kill once you have gray in your beard" -Old Red Barn
SmallstreamSeptember 13th, 2007, 5:36 pm
State College, PA

Posts: 103		I always thought that the stimulator was a brookie fly, is it supposed to represent something specific?
JOHNWSeptember 14th, 2007, 11:16 am
Chambersburg, PA

Posts: 452		Smallstream,
Both flies are general attractors (in other words brookie or cutt' flies) however the stimulator can also be tied to imitate various adult stoneflies. It is also a passable hopper imitation on less pressured waters.
JW
"old habits are hard to kill once you have gray in your beard" -Old Red Barn
MartinlfSeptember 14th, 2007, 12:57 pm
Moderator
Palmyra PA

Posts: 3233		John, I believe Jason posted on the double wing a while back. Perhaps he'll point us to that thread?

(Edit by Jason: Here's that other Double Wing thread.).
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"

--Fred Chappell
JOHNWSeptember 14th, 2007, 7:36 pm
Chambersburg, PA

Posts: 452		Louis,
Read that thread, even went as far as chemically treating a calf tail as someone suggested (with very nice results). I was just hoping to glean a little more annectdotal info before I decide on going whole hog with double wings.
As an aside the treated calf tail will be very nice in my brookie Wulffs.
JW
"old habits are hard to kill once you have gray in your beard" -Old Red Barn
MartinlfSeptember 16th, 2007, 8:18 am
Moderator
Palmyra PA

Posts: 3233		John, what did you use to straighten the hair in the tail?

I''m tempted to give this a try myself, though I've been using, with good results, turkey T-base feathers (some call them flats; I understand A.K. Best makes a careful distinction) for Wulffs.
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"

--Fred Chappell
JOHNWSeptember 16th, 2007, 2:46 pm
Chambersburg, PA

Posts: 452		Louis,
I used hair straightening treatment that they sell in the hair care section of the local mega mart.
I bumped the original "Double Wing" post to keep it current. The technique was described by Invicta.
JW
"old habits are hard to kill once you have gray in your beard" -Old Red Barn
MartinlfSeptember 17th, 2007, 2:49 pm
Moderator
Palmyra PA

Posts: 3233		Thanks, I'll be checking out Wally World soon. With my shiny pate, folks will wonder why I'm spending so much time in the hair care section.
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"

--Fred Chappell
DavezSeptember 18th, 2007, 9:12 am
Pennsylvania

Posts: 59		...they both spin endlessly....ya, I know, heavier tippet.... but they both work. matter of taste.

good luck.

JOHNWSeptember 18th, 2007, 7:11 pm
Chambersburg, PA

Posts: 452		Dave,
Naw heavier tippet not required just a slower casting stroke. Yet another reason for a slightly softer rod. ;)
JW
"old habits are hard to kill once you have gray in your beard" -Old Red Barn
DavezSeptember 20th, 2007, 9:23 am
Pennsylvania

Posts: 59		JW,

Oh yeah... slow rods AND heavy tippet! speaking of, I have been having fun fishing a grass rod on the pond....

see my post about the yough.. man, the isos have been on.
SayfuOctober 17th, 2011, 11:21 am
Posts: 560
The double wing escapes me. I remember reading about it, but now unretrievable. Maybe off subject, but when I want the natural look for the wing, and what the fish sees, I pinch down a couple of the big, fan CDC feathers, and place them as an underwing to my deer hair downwing on my stimmies. And I have lots of CDC when I shoot where I am looking.
TroutnutOctober 19th, 2011, 3:49 am
Administrator
Bellevue, WA

Posts: 2737		JW,

As I said in the other thread, it's my favorite attractor fly, and I would certainly recommend that you tie up a bunch of them. They're a joy to fish because they're so easy to see, durable, high-floating, and effective on all species of trout and grayling. I haven't done any sort of controlled test to see whether they really fish better than a stimulator or a trude, but I do think you'll never regret tying the fancier fly unless you lose a lot of them in the bushes.
Jason Neuswanger, Ph.D.
Troutnut and salmonid ecologist
JOHNWOctober 19th, 2011, 5:52 am
Chambersburg, PA

Posts: 452		Old thread here but it was extremely effective for the trip I went on. In fact an orange double wing on #8 tmc 200R was the only surface fly I used for well ove 100 trout in a week.
Unfortunatly my local trout don't seem as receptive to pure attractor patterns so they live in my western box just waiting for their next opportunity to shine.
JW
"old habits are hard to kill once you have gray in your beard" -Old Red Barn

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