i know this is nothing special, but it is the first fly i ever tied without a vise… i am tired of getting down to the water and not having the right fly in my box… figure if i get better, i can tie stream side, possibly match the hatch better.
for no vise, what do you guys think? ever try it? tips or suggestions?
since this was the first time, i opted for a size 2, in hindsight, i shouldn’t have any problems tying on a size 10.
sincerely,
spoof
Very nice. I started tying my Tenkara flies all by hand. It is really tricky getting your fingers to manipulate the materials. I must say, I am getting better every time.
Hi Spoof,
I have tyed w/o a vise for many years. I do not mean to infer that I do it a lot - I don’t. But I tried it years ago just to see if I could and could. If you want to see someone tying w/o a vise try getting a video of Lee Wulff entitled, “I Was Born To Fish - Lee Wulff on the Beaverkill”. In it he ties 5 flies, all by hand w/o a vise. That includes a size 28 Grizzly midge. Tying w/o a vise is sometimes fun and always a change of pace.
Allan
I believe Wulff stuck the hook bend under his thumb nail to hold it at some point in the tying process?
Tying streamside would be nice, but I don’t think I will have room for this in my vest…
I must be off!!
Brad
Brad,
That’s all you’ve got. You ain’t no fly tyer! LOL.
Allan
Allan
Thats just my hook supply…I keep the rest in the wifes walk in closet…
Brad
hows the desk working out for ya anyhow, i remember a while back you posted about making it (or am i confusing you with someone else?)
Wulff tied primarily in hand didnt he?
-spoof
Hi,
Yeah, I tried that. Almost got me killed. Revamped a small room in the basement but had to expand my storage space into another room and then an annex in the garage. Looking for some things is a treasure hunt in and of itself. This ain’t no hobby! It’s a sickness. Tying season is coming and I’ve gotta get a fix. Think I’ll put in a call to a hackle breeder. I think I know one! Hey ‘D’! Ya listening, LOL!
Allan
Nothing wrong with tying by hand, but, for me, streamside tying was a wasted effort. Impossible to carry enough material to cover any eventuality, and a total waste of time when fish are feeding. Much better to study the insects in your area and tie imitations when you’re not fishing.
valid point, but my problem seems to be not enough time on the water in the first place… i can go down study like crazy, go home match the best i can… next time i get down to the river, my box is mostly useless…
when i do get out though, its not usually for an hour or two, its all day… and stopping to go back to the house, tie like crazy, and go back out… my wife would kill me for “wasting the gas,” on top of that, im the only fly fisher i know personally, everyone else is spin fishing… they use worms, and end up complaining if i wanna head back to the house for a couple of minutes…
still you make a valid point… and im sure my flies would work better if i was more experienced…
if u had to choose say, 8 different materials to take to the stream, what would they be?
spoof,
Given your desire, or defined need, why not just create a good travel kit. You can fit an extraordinary amount of tying stuff into something like a Plano tackle box. You can also get a vise that has a spike which allows you to put it into a log. Or, just get a good hemostat, or better yet what’s called a needle holder (hemostat w/o serrations), and figure out a way to attach it to the steering wheel, your knee, or something. Just remember, your imitating not duplicating the flies. KISS.
Been there, done that!
IF limited to 8 materials, here’s my selection:
I’m sure others will choose other materials, but why 8?
Allan
I was speaking of some long term research, and also doing some reading or net surfing to find out what would likely be hatching in your area at any specific time. Taking a tying kit on a trip is a good idea, assuming you are going to tie what you observed after you are done fishing for the day. I can tell you from experience, that streamside tying, at least for me, was a total waste of time, and very frustrating. I know several others who tried it in the past, and all have come to the same conclusion I did, and have abandoned the idea. Just trying to save you some time and frustration, but if you feel the need, go for it.
First hint: You’ll need a whole lot more than 8 materials, and many of the patterns you will need to tie will be pretty small.
Here is an obvious thought.
Tie a series of sparkle duns in size 20 - 14. Tie them in a near-white color - tail, body and bleached wing material. Take them and a set of permanent markers with you to the stream.
This of course is for dry flies.
You can “match the hatch” on the stream by selecting the correct size and then coloring the fly to the actual hatching insect.
A mayfly blank slate:
Might do the same with some Elk Hair Caddis in sizes 16 and 14.
allan: im surprised you didnt pick pheasant tail, tiers preference i suppose 
i say 8 because i have an obscene amount of small tackle boxes with 8 compartments, other then that, if i would say 10 some guys might suggest white goose biots, kind of one purpose, ive found in a pinch pine needles make a great substitute.
byron: excellent idea, i have been buying mostly white materials anyhow. nice fly by the way.
flyfisher: i appreciate the insight of your experience, i’ll probably try it 4 or 5 times, finally get frustrated all the same :),
as for a hatch list, i have one right in front of my keyboard for the river i fish the most, unfortunately it was about 1 1/2 months off this year… still good to have. at least i know what is hatching.
When I was on the demo circuit I did a demo entitled, The Travelling Fly Tier. I would start the demo with three plastic boxes each of smaller sizes inside each other. Work down the sizes saying “…but you may not have room for that.” Then put each aside. When the table was clear I would then say, “You will surely have room for this.” And pull this small pouch from my shirt pocket. Its about 2 1/2" x 4" x1 1/4".
Now the rule I set. For each fly I tied at the demo, a dozen in all, I had enough material in the kit to tie a dozen of each.
Here’s the contents.
You need to Tailor the contents for your situation. Mine was based on river trout flies.
What you need to do is to think very carefully about your flies. The same dressing method but with different coloured material on a different hook size represents a different species. Thinking like that can drastically reduce the quantity of different materials you need. All wings were either Polly yarn or deer hair. If I needed a trailing shuck, I used the same yarn I did for wings. A couple of feet of yarn takes up very little room. I used saddle hackles in various colours and sizes. Dubbing can be stored in 3" lengths of plastic drinking straws. You’ll be amazed how much will fit it. If you want to include head cement then the smallest of medical viles with a screw top can be included.
Being a production tier I use a minimum of tools. This is faster for me. A tool I don’t use is one I never loose or drop on the floor.
If you want to go even smaller in kit size, then you can loose the vice, and place the hook in your hemostats to make tying “in hand much easier”. Donald Downs tied all his flies in hand using midge jaws (the kind with a tang at the end that fits into your vice jaws), which he set into a block of wood, that he carved to fit his hand. At the other extreme there are the LAW and ATH travel vices. The LAW, if you can get one, will set you back a large fortune. I’ve lusted after one of these for many years. The ATH is a recent addition, coming with its own bobbin holder. That will only set you back a small fortune! You can also get an adaptor to use the J Vice midge jaws in hand.
Tying stream side can be fun but there is one factor that makes it a real pain… Wind! Fortunately streams come with nicely rounded little weights that you can use to keep your materials from blowing away. I knew pebbles had a purpose.
Cheers,
C.
The hatch list generally is only a guide, and can be adjusted for your locale. The best strategy, now that you have a good idea of what is hatching, and when, is to tie up what you need over the off season, and you will be set for next year. Add to those patterns some of the “generic” sparkle duns and pens described in a previous post, a few tan EHC’s in #14 - #18, some Adams Parachutes in #14 -#20, a few Hare’s Ear and PT Nymphs in #12 - #16, and you should be pretty well prepared, and avoid the frustration of fumbling around with a tying kit while fish are rising, only to have the hatch end before you finish.
Hi Spoof
I am a newbie . whatever you wish to call me… I just looked at your fly and looking at it is looking good, the fact you tied it without a vice I do commend you. Don’t think I could do that, saying that I have yet to tie my first fly yet… Just building up with a few materials and stock to copy some of the hard work done by others and hopefully give them justice…
Gebear
