Must read articles for beginner fly tiers

[Silver Creek]

Invariably, a major problem a beginner fly tier has is fly proportion. Fly proportion = the amount of and length of materials and where they are placed on hook to form a fly where the individual parts have the correct relationship to each other.

Here is a must read article by Charlie Craven on dry fly and nymph proportions.

http://www.flyfisherman.com/2013/12/...autiful-flies/

Here's a related article on tying hair wings.

http://www.flyfisherman.com/2014/01/...ng-hair-wings/

I suggest saving these articles as PDFs that you can refer to as needed. FF often takes done the articles after they have been up for a while. The above URLS may not work in a few months.

[ScottP]

All of Charlie's tutorials on his site http://www.charliesflyboxinc.com/flybox/index.cfm stress proportions and make it so much easier to get flies right consistently. Love his stuff.

Regards,
Scott

[whatfly]

Both good articles, which does not surprise me considering Charlie Craven's books and tutorials. However, the problem with beginners typically is not the lack of knowledge, but the lack of experience, in my opinion. You can tell them what proportion is, you can have them read about it, and you can show them what the proportions should be, but until they actually learn what the proportions should be by tying a requisite number of flies (my best guess is 10 dozen or so), they never seem to quite grasp the topic. Does not matter how many different ways they are showed something, they have to learn by doing as best as I can tell.

The most frustrating part of being a tying instructor is not the lack of teaching resources, it is the lack of students who actually follow through and continue to tie after the class is done. I average about 1 tier for every 20 or so students, which is a lousy return on investment in my mind. But of course, that is another thread...

[Steven McGarthwaite]

How about the "Al Campbell Beginning Fly Tying" Series, I took that course and sent Al Campbell each of the flies in the series for his opinion!

Each year when I host my Beginner's Fly Swaps, each member of the swap receives a "FAOL Fly Pattern CD" and a "FAOL Tying Tips CD"

~Swapmeister Parnelli~

[melk]

I second Parnelli's comments. I refer to the CD constantly. Charlies stuff is good also, don't think I am dissing him.
Mike

[gerri]

I agree with the value of all of the above but when I began tying I made a very inexpensive purchase which I used continually. Skip Morris authored a very simple chart: Fly Proportion Chart available through Frank Amato Publications Inc. It is a plasticized card type measuring approx. 41/4 x9 inches and demonstrates with photos and diagrams the correct proportions for each of the fly types listed below. At that time, I paid $3.95 for it. It covers proportions for traditional dry flies, Parachute dry flies, Comparadun Dry, Stonefly dry long shank, Caddis dry, Nymphs, soft hackles, streamer & bucktails long shank, Steelhead and Atlantic Salmon. I still keep it on my tying desk as it is small enough not to be in the way. Hope this helps.
Gerri

[Ray Kunz]

In response to Whatfly and his comment about his "batting average" on student progress I'd like to add a note. While I don't claim to be a good instructor I have had an acceptable success rate. What I think was a contributing factor was that my students were given materials and the loan of a vise when they signed up with the Park Department so that they could practice at home.
The real breakthrough came when I added homework assignments. At the end of some sessions I would ask them to go home and tie a couple more of the same fly we just did and see if they could make them all look alike.
I think that helped a lot.

[whatfly]

We're moving away from the thread but "success" is not measured by how they progress in the class, that is easy. "Success" in my case is measured on whether or not they become true fly tiers, i.e. people who tie on at least a semi-regular basis. Have tried all the techniques you mentioned and it did not change the end result at all.

[gerri]

Ray, I agree that the methods used in teaching flytying/flyfishing are extremely important. When the Mid Atlantic FFF had their annual daycamp,The kids were given materials, use of a vise and tools, a small box of flies, and specially prepared manual that was brief enough to cover all subjects that were discussed and demonstrated. Subjects included were brief instruction on entomology, knot tying, flytying and the last part of the day was hands on instruction at pondside. Most of the instructors had very nice display of the flies to be tied during the instruction which I thought was a great way for the students to see/understand what the end result was to be. Not all students can learn from the same teaching methods and sometimes the amount of instruction needs to be abbreviated.....not too much too fast but geared to as many of the channels of learning as possible..see, hear,touch etc. Just my two cents worth!

[AlanB]

Frank Amato Publishing still has stock of those cards. Sorry no current price info.
Cheers,
A.