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Making Flies

Spoonersuk

By Spoonersuk
in Fly Fishing

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Hakai Junior Member

Hakai

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Hi Guys,

 

I am new here and have just started to make fly fishing flies.

Any tips?

 

 

Spoonersuk

The internet has tons of information for tying flies. I'm not sure where your located, or what type of tips you are looking for.But if you do some searches online you will find tons of patterns,and more than enough information to get you started! You Tube is as good a place as any to get you started! Try

This is Lesson 1 for Beginners with David Cammiss . Its pretty much where I started, before picking up books on local patterns for my area ! I wish you the best of luck ... Cheers
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OwdTrout Member

OwdTrout

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The two rules that have served me well are

"Get one thing right before moving on to the next." e.g. If your rib isn't right don't wind the hackle, undo the rib and get it right.

And...

"Like in computing. Garbage in garbage out". Get the best materials you can. Along with this trust the person who devised the pattern. If they used a material for a particular property and you use something else your fly will not have that property. This is especially true with hair, particularly deer hair.

 

Better attention to detail = Better fly tying.

Cheers,

OT

"Not a shred of evidence exists in favor of the idea that life is serious"

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John S Member

John S

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Don't use too much material, little is best. After winding the shank with line and tying in the tail and other body materials, but prior to winding them onto the shank, coat it with a thin layer of varnish. That will make the fly somewhat stronger than if you just relied on the ribbing to hold the main material in place.

 

This is a great site for finding patterns, most of which have full instructions.

John S

Quanti Canicula Ille In Fenestra

 

Species caught in 2017 Common Ash, Hawthorn, Hazel, Scots Pine, White Willow.

Species caught in 2016: Alder, Blackthorn, Common Ash, Crab Apple, Left Earlobe, Pedunculate Oak, Rock Whitebeam, Scots Pine, Smooth-leaved Elm, Swan, Wayfaring tree.

Species caught in 2015: Ash, Bird Cherry, Black-Headed Gull, Common Hazel, Common Whitebeam, Elder, Field Maple, Gorse, Puma, Sessile Oak, White Willow.

Species caught in 2014: Big Angry Man's Ear, Blackthorn, Common Ash, Common Whitebeam, Downy Birch, European Beech, European Holly, Hawthorn, Hazel, Scots Pine, Wych Elm.
Species caught in 2013: Beech, Elder, Hawthorn, Oak, Right Earlobe, Scots Pine.

Species caught in 2012: Ash, Aspen, Beech, Big Nasty Stinging Nettle, Birch, Copper Beech, Grey Willow, Holly, Hazel, Oak, Wasp Nest (that was a really bad day), White Poplar.
Species caught in 2011: Blackthorn, Crab Apple, Elder, Fir, Hawthorn, Horse Chestnut, Oak, Passing Dog, Rowan, Sycamore, Willow.
Species caught in 2010: Ash, Beech, Birch, Elder, Elm, Gorse, Mullberry, Oak, Poplar, Rowan, Sloe, Willow, Yew.

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Toady Member

Toady

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All the above are good tips. I would stick to a few patterns that catch reliably and are reletively easy to tie at first and just enjoy catching on them - it's a big buzz to catch fish on your own tying.

 

Look to proportion and try to get it right eg. size of head, number of ribs, hackle length, thorax to body length etc. etc.

 

The list will be different depending on where you fish.

 

Don't buy a 'kit' because you will end up with loads of stuff you will never use. Best to buy what you need for your simple killer patterns. If you already have a kit don't worry lots of stuff will still be useful.

 

Don't give up it is well worth persevering.

 

Don't skimp on hook quality either. The main reason I tie is because I can tie what I want, how I want it and ON THE HOOKS I WANT.

Sleeping we image what awake we wish;

Dogs dream of bones, and fishermen of fish.

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CHILLI Junior Member

CHILLI

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Fly tying for beginners by peter gathercole is an excellent book, it has some great patterns and step by steps as well as tying tools, techniques and how best to use them.

Everything is explained and photographed cleary its this book alone that helped me crack the whip finish after a lot of frustration

invaluable imo

hope this helps

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