Hi Luke,

Good job!

However, don't worry if they don't look as perfect as you would like yet. As my fly tying class instructor, and professional tiers I have known have said many years ago, the fish don't care. You are tying flies to catch fish, not to sell to fly fishermen. Fly fishermen are far more particular what the flies look like than the fish that you are planning to catch.

One of the guys who ran a site for may years wrote about fishing with a friend for many years. He said that he himself was a fastidious tyer, and he wanted his flies to have ever hair and feather barbule in place and the proportions of his flies to be perfect , whereas his buddy was the type that liked to get his flies tied as quickly as possible, and neatness and proportions were extremely optional. He wrote, however, that as often as not his friends flies would out fish his own.

The advise to keep a couple of your first flies is really good advise. Put a couple in a container, along with the date, and look at them in a couple of year. If you are like the vast majority of us, you will be amazed how much you have improved. You will be glad you kept them. I would give you the same advise about your first dries and first streamers.

At any rate, I think your first efforts are nicely done, and they will definately catch fish. Your point is well taken, flies that you tie can cost you a lot less per fly, when they end up in a tree.

Regards,

Gandolf