One of my hinderances to tying is mental. I want to tie up some (quite a few actually) olive gold ribbed hare’s ears. They are under way, but I also want to tie up some classic bucktail streamers.
The problem is I really want to tie the streamers. I really don’t know why it is so much more appealing to tie up the streamers, but I just have a lot more desire to tie them, and always do.
At any rate, the desire to be tying the streamers is a bit of a distraction from getting in there and finishing the nymphs. I will get them done, and then tying the streamers will be kind of like a reward for finishing the nymphs.
The question I have, is that what kind of mental distractions slow down your tying?
Gandolf:
I share your mental hindrance. I will need to tie something to replenish a box, give to a friend, or a swap. Only to discover a really neat new pattern. I have been tying a lot of bass flies lately and have really enjoyed tying the larger sizes. However, one of of the swap themes was “#20”.
Two other things seem to slow me down when tying; the first is when I don’t think I tie a pattern very well no matter how many I tie or how hard I work at it. The second thing is thinking I don’t have a material, particular hook, adhesives, etc. for a pattern. The advantage of this “issue” is a trip to the fly shop. The disadvantage is to find I do have a bottle of ZapAGap (or some other supply) buried in the bottom of some box or drawer.
If you have no deadlines for the patterns, does it matter which one you complete first?
One of my hinderances is the same. Patterns which I need to replace are ones that may work, but which I have tied before, and know how to tie. New patterns or ones for which I have rekindled an interest are just more exciting to do.
My solution is to get out the materials for the one I NEED to tie, and only those materials. Then I just make 2 or three whenever I have the opportunity until they are done. At least I am not tempted by coming close to the ‘other’ materials for the pattern that really attacts.
One of the great things that helped me, especially when I was doing this full time, is never leave the vice empty. If you want a coffee or a comfort break go part way through a fly. Then when you come back you finish that one and move on to the next. If the vice is empty you end up doing something else. This even goes for the end of the day.
Another great tip is, when you do go to take a sip of your coffee, PUT YOUR SCISSORS DOWN FIRST!!!
Cheers,
Alan
I like streamers, too, and yes, clousers and epoxy minnows and leeches and such often usurp the time I should be spending tying other things. Sometimes I just force myself to tie the other things, but more often I just fish a lot of streamers because they are as much fun to fish as they are to tie, even on days when the thing I should have tied instead might have been more effective
Wooley buggers are my thing. Love to tie them. Small midges are a second. Soft hackles third. Sow bugs? Ewwww. Tough little critters to get right. I find tying with a friend makes the time much more productive, but not always practical to do. Having the TV on helps also. A ball game of some type is a great combination because you don’t really have to watch it to know what is going on.
Boredom is a key factor. It’s just isn’t all THAT much fun to tie.
I’d also bet many of us are the same in the fact we suffer from some bit of ADD also. That is why we like fly fishing. There is always something to grab our attention. Fly tying…not so much.
Tie the streamers, get it out of your system, then tie the nymphs. I no longer LIKE to tie anything, but as you know I tie a lot of flies, just to keep the boxes stocked. Try tying while you chat some evening. We will offer encouragement.
Wulff, once you get that NorVise set up you will be a bugger factory. I have had a couple of manual rotary vises, it make the bugger so much easier. And a bugger is about as easy as it gets.
I try to keep my boxes full. it does seem however that i am getting more & more boxes of streamers. lately i can not seem to stop tying soft hackles. Maybe i need a few more empty fly boxes
