im still kinda new to fly tying but i would like to learn patterns , what are good materials to use, and any helpful tips and tricks that may hep me to tie better than i do
Good place to start would be the Home Page - check out the Fly of the Week for specific patterns, the Tying Tips in the Flytying section. Also, just search through the forums and you’ll find lots of good ideas to get you on your way. Youtube and Vimeo also have a ton of great videos that range from simple thread midges to full-dress salmon flies. Have fun.
Regards,
Scott
thank you very much, ive been mainly tying wooly buggers and pheasant tail nymphs for my uncle for some time now and well i want to learn other patterns to get more of a wide range of fly tying
Your question is soooo broad that you could be overwhelmed with answers.
Peacock feathers are possible my favorite material.
Tail and body hair of animals with antlers.
Feathers from almost all birds have potential, especially chicken, pheasants, turkeys, ducks, quail, woodcock, snipe, etc.
Fur from a variety of small animals, rabbits, squirrels, etc. A good dubbing selection will last you for years.
Only use materials from animals that may be harvested legally sometimes during the year. For example it is not a good idea to use the feathers that fall out of birds around a bird feeder or a road kill hawk. But you probably knew that.
i knew that but yea its just getting the materials for a good price that can me a hassle and also without a hunting licences im kinda limited
fly Tying is a lot of fun, Kraft stores and walmart have many things to tie with, use your imagination, if your looking for inexpensive check out the TCTK http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flytying/fotw2/091007fotw.php
Look at the beginning fly tying section here on faol for basic skills, go through the archives for material ideas. KWSU tv has a fly tying show, you can watch them on line. I would post a link but it is down right now. google kwsu and look on their web page in a few hours and you should be able to watch the videos.
Eric
that was very helpful, thank you
im still tying with a basic/ vintage vice, no rotation but vices are a bit pricey when u have no cash , also my father let me use his bass pro shops gift cards 1ce and spent $50 on materials and now since ive been tying for my uncle and the fishing swapmeets here …all i have left is scraps
is there any alternative thread u can use for fly tying?
Flytying thread is pretty cheap as is, and the spools fit most standard bobbins. If I was just starting up, I’d go with a couple spools in a few colors - black, brown, tan (or cream/primrose/whatever they call it).
Regards,
Scott
Jonathan, stick with good quality thread and other materials for tying, the frustration of trying to use other materials is not worth it. If you want to use sewing thread for the tctk it probably wouldnt hurt. look at this site for other ideas http://edengelman.com
search FAOL for Craft, this will bring up threads that will have a lot of ideas for inexpensive materials
Eric
Jonathan, you can use any thread you like to tie flies. Certainly for larger flies regular sewing thread will work just fine though you may want to wax it for some purposes. Use a nylon thread rather than cotton. It will not rot as quickly when wet. Sewing thread may be too large for smaller flies. For some free feathers try spending a few hours at a boat launch used by duck hunters. Most of the incoming hunters will let you pluck some feathers. Try to get flank feathers from different kinds of ducks and all the CDC you can get. Matched pairs of wing feathers are useful for wet flies. Dryer lint makes good free dubbing. Talk to your parents about processing fresh road kills. fox squirrels are common and make great flies. Feathers from turkeys, pheasants, quail and doves can be plucked without having to bring home the carcass. Generally speaking if a bird isn’t legally hunted you can’t take or use it’s feathers. Make sure you understand how to deal with dead animals safely and that it’s legal to take them in your state. If you have a cord from any electrical appliance that doesn’t work any more the wire from those cords can be used for ribbing.
what i did when first started, and needed different types of fur and natural feathers, was introduce myself to the local taxidermist… you would be amazed at how much they throw out. i had so much deer hair i gave most of it away on the board here… if u are lucky, the taxidermist in your local area is a fly fisherman, then u can trade flies for fur, bartering is soooo much better then buying, not only do you get practice, you might find a new fishing partner… no matter how you look at it, the materials from a taxidermist are going to be free, or cheaper, then store bought.
-spoof
Don’t forget olive. I use mostly monofilament sewing thread, it is less expensive and as I heard a fly shop owner in Montana say, it hides a multitude of sins. It is slick and takes some getting used to using but with some Sharpie pens you can still get heads on flies when you want them and super glue welds it permanently.
Fly Tying the Anglers’ Art on KWSU http://kwsu.org/Offers/FlyTying.aspx will give you some good how to videos and explanations to why they do things. Of course, youtube.
i mainly tie for local swapmeets and my uncle … i dont know how to fly fish cause my father doesnt fly fish and my uncle lives 2 far away
i would love to learn how to fly fish and also would love to barter flies for materials on here as well … right now im at a huge stock of wooley buggers in black straight black and 1s with flash
also i would love to get a vice that has the whole rotation function
when i got my rotary vise, i wasn’t looking to spend 3-4 hundred on something i wasn’t quite sure if i would keep interest in, now im in the market for new desk… anyway, i found the Odyssey Spider vise, its only around 75$ hasn’t done me wrong yet… however if u are left handed, and like me, do everything backwards, the vise comes with right handed jaws… odyssey will swap out the right handed jaws for lefty’s if u send it to them, free of charge. plus Odyssey has great customer service it is not a true rotary vise, but i am more then happy with the results.
-spoof
PS. when i spin my vise it goes in a 1/4 inch loop instead of flat spin… oh to be a lefty…
PSS… 2 helpful sites…
Fly Tying Patterns, Fly Of The Week Archives
Fly Tying Video Channel - the best fly fishing and fly tying videos online - fly fishing video channel - Global FlyFisher
You can find books, in the archieves here for recipies and decide what you want to do. My suggestion would be to pick one or two patterns at a time and get those materials. Build these flies until you can tie them in your sleep and then move on the another.
thank you very much for the advice