Resolution Time - Happy New Years!

In 2016, I resolve that my fly fishing will be completely home-tied supported.

That's right I resolve to only fish flies that I have tied or flies that are given to me. 

The challenge to complete this resolution will be identifying now, in the cold, freezing days of this Denver winter, the patterns that will be needed for the warmer spring, summer and fall months and then tying them all.

As you can see, I have a decent start with one almost full fly box.  But as you can also see, I have the motivation of an almost completely empty fly box as well.

So far, I have completed various versions of xcaddis, adams, purple haze, humpy, griffith's gnat, midge, pheasant tail, hares ear, copper john and prince nymph patterns.

My winter ambition is to fill in as many patterns and sizes as possible starting with at least some elk hair caddis, green rockworm, rs-2 and wet fly patterns while expanding on the copper john and xcaddis patterns.

I am sure that others already do this and the suggestion that fishing only your own flies is a challenge or something to resolve to may not seem that significant, but I challenge myself for two reasons, 1) to prove to myself that I am crafty enough and dedicated enough to tie everything I will need and 2) to force myself to use my own flies as I will usually use a store bought fly before my home-tied flies because I don't want to lose them after my hard efforts.

So for now, it's back to the vise to fill that empty fly box space while thinking of this year's fishing.

Happy New Year and good luck with your resolutions whether they be fishing related or not.