I hear ya, dry or die, but I do succumb to the dark arts on occasion. Those like great, I might have to give those a try.

Roy, thanks for the nice words. Both are simple, quick ties.

Casual Dress is made solely of muskrat fur and guard hairs. Bird's nest is opposum, gold wire rib, and woodduck flank.

Sweet. That style, by the way, especially if tied with a water-resistant fur body, is easily false cast to dry enough for a few good floats over a rising fish. If that seems more effective at the moment, it can be trimmed astream to reduce bulk and even out the fibers so it floats even better. Often that one style will outfish an specific imitation conventional dry fly pattern. Same later on for a spinner fall.

Start a day with a size range of that style in various colors (for example, beaver instead of muskrat) and you can fish all day through several hatch cycles without ever changing pattern.

Wing material as shown is kind of a constant for me, but those are good for experimenting as well. The pattern makes a good quick float as a caddis imitation, but if that is a frequent or expected need, deer hair adds float there and is then trimmed away astream when it's time to go under again.

Great patterns, nicely shown.

Those are some beautifully tied flies. The birds nest is one of all time greatest nymphs ever conceived. It’s my go to fly and has accounted for numerous bass, trout, carp, catfish and panfish over the years. It works equally well in lakes and ponds as well as streams and rivers. If I could only fish one fly this would be it.