So, my son and I are searching the internet looking for sandy/lady mite weave patterns and I found this on the MRB website.
https://localhost/mrb/index.php?page=Fly-Tying/Matt-Watrous
Over the years I've found few that can actually weave, and many that aren't willing. I joined this forum because of the link above. This MRB website says that weavers are a special breed and only a few in the western US can tie the "Potts Weave" like this - Matt was named specifically.
What a surprise to hear that name after some 25+ years. Matt and I grew up a few blocks from each other but didn't really know one another until our teen years. He got me started on and then addicted to fly fishing and tying and I have been an addict since - in fact I still have and use the same old Browning graphite pole I had back then. I'm grateful to Matt for introducing me to fly-fish and tying. I learned from a master and didn't know it. I don't fish Big Cottonwood Canyon out of Salt Lake that I don't think of all the time we spent fishing and camping and fishing up there.
I've passed this passion down to my son. I can out-cast him in distance and accuracy but he is a much better tyer than me - which isn't saying alot.
This is the pattern Matt taught me. I can still tie this pattern with a minimum of cussing if I take my contacts out and really concentrate. Only if I remember right he used white horse hair on the body and tied the hackle by stacking horse hair strands tied to the floss with an owl-foot knot, then wrapping the stack on the head of h ook, similar to a feather hackle, and covering the knot-stack with a whip finish - if any of that makes sense. He either learned the Potts method on the head since then or he knew I wasn't going to be able to handle the weave as a novice.
That must be why every fly fishing show I go to and ask the tyers for a lady mite, they just smile and tell me that is an old pattern that isn't any good. I used to think they were smarty pants punks, and some are; but maybe the smart ones have learned to keep a few secrets for themselves.
If anyone see's Matt on the river, tell him hi and ask him if he's been to Lake Blanche lately (thats where I lost the last lady mite Matt tied for me). Then tell him to wipe that $&)# eating grin off his face.