A fly tying friend and I had an interesting discussion last week about “classic” flies.
We were talking about tying assortments for blue winged olives popping / soon to pop on Northern Rockies freestones when a guy interrupted us to pose one of those “try to get a foot in the door” tangential questions designed to barge in on a conversation and yet ultimately prove the interruptor doesn’t know shit about the topic they’re working hard to hijack.
By best estimates the guy was somewhere between 80 and 120 (my guess puts him more on the aged end of the spectrum), and with every utterance he proved brilliantly he knew absolutely nothing about fly fishing anywhere north of downtown Dallas and even less about tying flies.
His core premise was that wild trout living north of the Texas border have assimilated a working knowledge of fly patterns, which mysteriously passes from generation to generation (making them in some aspects vastly superior to most humans in that regard), rendering said trout immune to any “classic” fly pattern in the books or occupying the bins of fly shops throughout the West.
He presented his theory in a “classic” slow, numbingly monotone, never-pausing Texas drawl; he lost me pretty quickly but I do remembering pondering if he ever paused long enough to actually inspire or was powered by some cleverly hidden, battery powered oxygen source.
Just as I was pulling my phone out of pocket to take a fake phone call my compadre beat me to it (dammit), forcing me to telepathically induce my wife to pull me out of the black hole I’d fallen into (which worked actually, pretty damned quickly too).
After crafting my escape, I swore to never personally utter the words “classic fly” again, and avoid any use of “classic” for a least 30 days for good measure.
Ironically on the way home a buddy called and asked how to make a Classic Whiskey Sour for a shindig he and his wife were throwing last weekend, nailing the choice for today’s adult beverage post. Some days the classics simply rule the roost.
1 and 1/2 ounces Bourbon
3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice
3/4 ounce simple syrupGarnishes: Cherry, Lime Wedge
Add the three principle ingredients to an ice filled shaker and shake, shake, shake.
Strain into ice-filled (rocks) glass; garnish with the cherry and lime wedge.
Enjoy.
