Well, January is upon us and fly tying season is picking up again. The local Fish and Game is having its annual fly tying course, not sure how many new students there will be, but I will probably end up teaching again. My 5 year old son is EXTREMELY intersted in going with me, last year he went with me and sat and watched. I think he is a little young to take the course, he loves sitting beside me watching and passing me stuff.
How young is to young to start flytying? He sits on my knees at home and I help him tie wooly buggers but his dexterity is still developing and I don’t want him to get frustrated (someone needs to inherit my pile of stuff when I am done). I need to get him a vise this year so he can tinker while I teach, do you have suggestions on a vise for him?
Obviously you will see when he is ready. As you noted the dexterity is critical. By the time I was in 7th grade my room smelled like glue and model paint (dope) and was filling up with model planes, both balsa and paper covered “stick” planes. Though he never said it, I think my father thought that my dexterity was going to waste on toys. He got me a Tackle-Tyers Fly Tying kit from the Ward’s catalog so I could make Plymouth Rock Streamers for him. So how old is 7th Grade? It sounds like your son will develop sooner. BTW I tied flies for 2-3 years before I started using them myself. Too bad you can’t get him a Herter’s Catalogue to study when you are at work.
My five year old daughter does the same thing so I set her up with a vise, anytime I sit down to tie she comes and joins me. it is not important that she makes good flies at this point, it is time spent…she picks what she wants to put on the hook. pink is very popular! i dont criticize just watch. you will be amazed at how fast they will pick things up, she now can wrap thread like a champ and is getting better at attatching what she wants on the hook…i guess my point is let them tie when they want. when he gets older girls, cars and friends will take over.
gary
ps anyone have a flyrod for a 5 year old girl will be needed by spring…(yyyeeessss)
let 'em watch … let 'em play … soon enough they’ll ask “Can I try that” … then they are ready to start.
It only took a couple months after I started tying before the son (then 8) asked to try. I buried the hook in the jaws for a while … nothing outstanding, but he ties a mean BHWB.
Remember they’re kids - all else will come in time.
My three year old daughter loves being around when I tie flies but hasn’t yet wanted to try on her own. She likes the colors and the “pretty” Atlantic Salmon flies that I tie and that is probably the most important step in my opinion. Let them be interested and they will pick it up when they are ready. Is a 5 year old ready? I say let him try and if he doesn’t like it you can always try again next year.
My son will be born on the 22nd and I think he will be tying wooly buggers by the time that we leave the hospital.
Let us know how he does with the lesson if you let him participate.
i started tying when i was 14. but i agree with everyone. just sit him down and let him tie away. then at the end ask him how he likes it and if he wants to tie another.
In my experience teaching kids to tie, 8 yrs old is about the earliest they can manage it on their own for most kids. Younger kids just don’t have have the dexterity even if thay are interested.
When My six yr old daughter expressed interest in tying flies I had her go through an apprenticeship first. Basically she got hooks, beads, whatever material I was tying the fly with; threaded bobbins. This way she became familiar with the materials and tools before she started tying. Later she learned how to put the hook in the vice and attach the thread to the hook. After a month or so of her “apprenticeship” she learned how to tie materials on the hook. Easy to tie on materials like yarn, chenille, flank feathers, fox fur.
I’m happy to say she can tie a fishable yarn body/fox fur wing streamer with some degree of skill. She still can’t whip finish so I finish the fly for her. As others have mentioned it’s really not about the quality of fly that the kids tie but the time spent with them that’s important. And with me working 2nd shift and hardly seeing my children during the work week, this is a great way for us to spend some time together
As far as vices go I let her use my old Thompson vice. Their simple to use and set up and she was thrilled when I told her she could use it.
I started a friends daughter at age 8 and by 12 she was tying at the club as good as many of the adults. Her best were clausers. Now a senior in high school spending more of her spare time with boys------ WWFF a rotary would not be a good vise for any beginner.
I guess it depends on the individual kid, my son started tying when he was 5 and now he ties pretty good for a 8yo boy and yes he fishes with his own flies hehe here is a pic of him tying when he was 6
My grandson started at 5. I let him decide when he wanted to start. I never once said that is ugly and always supported him no matter what. I only on rare occasions would not stop what I was doing to let him tie. At age 8 he still ties at his leisure and I still watch him. He uses my vise and tools. I say Let him go for it it sure can’t hurt
I recently read that Brad Befus’s son started tying at age 3 :shock: and is currently doing tying demo’s at shows, has several IGAF record catches and is now age 7! My own daughter expressed interest at about age 8 and still occasionally will ask if she can watch or tie herself. I’d say if the interest is there, let them have at it.
well my 3year old grandson realy likes to help me
when i let him . We wind the thread together . its a bit hard with some one in your lap but look at the kids face
every one moves at there own pace and tyes for there own resons . and when they actualy catch a fish on something they made there hookd .
Good to see I have the same great problem that others have faced…getting kids involved.
I dug out the old AA vise that I started on when I was 13, yeah, well, it is shot. I knew there was a reason I upgraded to a Renzetti. The thing won’t hold a hook and is so loose in the joints that everything moves in a funny way when you try to use it. Oh well, it served me well for 15 years, cannot expect more than that.
I am going to pick him up a new vise, would like to get something that is durable and extremely easy to use and will last him…but for now, maybe just another AA vise. I got lots of tools and material.
I loved the pictures of the kids tying (we had 10 kids learning at last years course), I could not get my picture to post properly of my son on my knee. I agree, it is EXTREMELY difficult to tie, or even help tie, when they are balancing on your knee. Oh well, he enjoys it…off to class again Sunday night.
I was over to Cabella’s yesterday to get more essentials( aka things that catch my eye) and saw a couple of 8 year olds with enough “stuff” to make a very ornate and dangerous pillow (I mean these kids had a lot of stuff and were figuring on using it, not their first time there ). I asked “Do you kids tie”? To which I recieved a very serious “Of course”. So I guess 8yrs
old was not those kids starting point.( I mean they had a pile of stuff! )
