Since my last post and before the Holidays brought winter colds to our house (shared by all), I spent an afternoon playing with another style of flies that I never tied before – balanced flies. I’d never really had a use for them in NY where I rarely fly-fished lakes*. If you are unfamiliar with balanced flies, they are tied on jig hooks with the eye bent down below the plane of the hook shank.
A pin with weighted bead is lashed to the shank with the head extending beyond the eye of the hook. The fly will be tied on the hook and pin so that the bead is pushed up against the head of the pin. The length of the extension needed is kind of trial and error, but the goal is to have the finished fly orient itself in a horizontal position when hung below a float or strike indicator (a.k.a. bobber).
I believe the original balanced flies were tied to imitate leeches, which exist in most lakes and are a favorite trout food. Now balanced flies are tied in all sorts of styles, both imitative (i.e., dragon fly or damsel fly nymphs, small fish) or attractor patterns. Infinite possibilities.
*Balanced flies, particularly small streamers have become popular in fishing rivers under a strike inidicator.
Landing In The PNW 