Left Handed Tyers

[billbond]

Are there any other lefties out there who have any ideas on how to translate recipies and instructions tho get the flies to look right. I have been to many show and have not seen anyone who is trying to do this art form from the "south side"! Help!

[WarrenP]

I teach a Beginner's Fly Tying class and when I have a student who is left handed, I have them sit directly across the table from me and they have no problems. I also have a friend of mine who owns a fly shop and he is left handed and he has experienced the same problems you are and he now just ties flies right handed. He said that teaching himself to tie right handed seemed like the thing to do and was a lot easier then trying to follow the instructions and tie left handed.

Welcome to FAOL

[misterpaul]

I'm a lefty and I tie left-handed - well, sort of. I use my scissors right-handed. It's not too hard to translate the majority of patterns into lefty style. Once in a while, something will be difficult, like trimming spun deer hair, but other than that, I do alright. One trick I use is to copy fly tying instructions into Word, then reverse the images to look like a lefty is tying it. Try it. It works.
Wouldn't it be nice if there was a choice of scissors for lefty tyers? That would convert me to total left-handed tying.

[gerry l]

I am a lefty and have been tying for over 50 years. There sure was a shortage of teaching material back then, although J. Edson Leanard is still a greast source. I guess that studying the pictures and reading instructions from a short supply of literature produced a right handed tyer. I never felt handicapped or any form of deprivation. When I look at this subject from time to time it does not appear to be a left handed/right handed issue. There is plenty of work for both hands to do. That is my opinion, of course. About a year ago I responded to a similar question as yours. One commenter to my reply took strong umbrage with my comments and saw fit to scold me. I still tie the way I learned as a young boy. I would suggest trying some simple operations first ,in the "right handed" mode Compare "left handed" and determine for yourself if the mountain is too high to climb. You might find this investment of your time might make it easier to learn more advanced processes directly from their original presentation.

Gerry L.

[Jayatwork]

You might checkout http://www.charliesflyboxinc.com/flybox/index.cfm

I just posted a link to one of his tutorials the other day. The tutorials are shown from a left hand perspective. They are very well done, even for us righties.

[billbond]

I was just wondering if the fly was tied "in reverse" would it not resemble the bug that I was tying!

[Normand]

fly recipes are not right or left hand specific.

the first item mentioned in a recipe is the first item to be tied in

EXAMPLE ONLY

thread
tail
rib
body
wingcase
thorax
legs head

[Sagittarius62]

One of the things I had trouble with was using a whip finish tool. I just couldn't get my brain to make the transition. You lefties know what I mean. After I finally figured it out, as an aid to others, I made this.
http://www.geocities.com/neogeek62/

Only one of the many things we need to flip in our head, but one that really threw me for a loop.

One of the hardest things for me to do, is teach my kids tying techniques. There isn't a lefty other than myself in the house. So, when they are sitting at the vise, and want some help, I am forced to do it "bassackwards". That can get a little messy.

[Scruffy Fly]

You might checkout http://www.charliesflyboxinc.com/flybox/index.cfm

I just posted a link to one of his tutorials the other day. The tutorials are shown from a left hand perspective. They are very well done, even for us righties.

Charlie is right handed. He ties left handed. I can not remember the reasons why he teaches people to tie left handed.

I am left handed but I started tying right handed because I found it easier to sit in a room of right handed tiers and duplicate their hand movements.

Later on I switched to tying left handed. Now I tie mostly right handed even though I am left handed.

If you practice right handed by yourself I bet you will be able to get it fairly quickly. If i have been tying right handed and then immediately try to teach someone left handed I get it flubbed up for the first little bit.

[Flyandtie1]

Misterpaul, They do make scissors for lefties. A google search will get many results.