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Fly Tying
- Thread starter CTnympher
- Start date
WBDluver
Official NEFF pot stirrer
danme
Cast Drys over them Enough They Will Rise
Been Tying Flies since im 15 years old -- 32 years of feathers fur and thread I never buy flies -- There is nothing I repeat nothing like catching a trout on a fly you made. It's even better when you develop the pattern yourself
:give-the-finger::give-the-finger:
:give-the-finger::give-the-finger:
NJpatbee
Can be found on NJ/NY/PA waters!
For as long as my eyes hold out, I will continue to tie my own flies. I have purchased flies from exceptional tiers, but these are for framing and not for fishing. When I think back at the flies I haven't purchased! I watches Elsie Darbee tie Catskill flies and learned a lot, espically about the wood duck wings. Did I but one? No!, I insisted on tying my own. The last few years I have made a point of buying some of our contemporary master's flies.
I've been tying for 40 years and tie most of my flies, but buy plenty. Also, nothing beats bumming a fly from a fishing buddy.
I have a lot of reasons for buying flies, here are some:
1. There are some flies I just don't like tying - like quill bodies. I buy all my red quills these days.
2. Professional tiers generally tie better than me and sometimes I have more confidence with a better tied fly.
3. Local flies. For shops that tie their own you can get some great local flies and support the local fly shop. local flies make great, inexpensive souveniers.
4. Get a collection of reference flies. For patterns originated by a certain tier or shop it sometimes pays to buy the original. I like a knock-down dun from the Baxter House, a biot sulphur or electric caddis from Biot, a Shenks's white minnow from Ed Shenk, a Mr Rapidan from Harry Murray etc. Can be either a reference, a piece of history, or just a good fly.
5. Can be cheaper if you need only a few and the fly takes special materials that you don't have.
In addition to buying flies, there is nothing like gifts from your fishing buddies. I have a lot of stories of using flies given to me. Biot gave me a Iso spinner that was my confidence fly last summer that I must have caught 50 trout on. Once at the Little Lehigh I was confounded by a midge hatch and the late Al Miller gave me a simple brown midge that solved the problem. Part of the fellowship of fly fishing is trading flies. Getting a fly that turns your day around after your buddy has been slaying them while you caught the skunk is a treat (although the price may be be teasing for a season or two) and bumming some flies when you forget your fly box at home or dropped it into the water and watched it float away can save your trip and make some new friends. Of course, you need to give flies out too so the kharmic forces are in balance.
I have a lot of reasons for buying flies, here are some:
1. There are some flies I just don't like tying - like quill bodies. I buy all my red quills these days.
2. Professional tiers generally tie better than me and sometimes I have more confidence with a better tied fly.
3. Local flies. For shops that tie their own you can get some great local flies and support the local fly shop. local flies make great, inexpensive souveniers.
4. Get a collection of reference flies. For patterns originated by a certain tier or shop it sometimes pays to buy the original. I like a knock-down dun from the Baxter House, a biot sulphur or electric caddis from Biot, a Shenks's white minnow from Ed Shenk, a Mr Rapidan from Harry Murray etc. Can be either a reference, a piece of history, or just a good fly.
5. Can be cheaper if you need only a few and the fly takes special materials that you don't have.
In addition to buying flies, there is nothing like gifts from your fishing buddies. I have a lot of stories of using flies given to me. Biot gave me a Iso spinner that was my confidence fly last summer that I must have caught 50 trout on. Once at the Little Lehigh I was confounded by a midge hatch and the late Al Miller gave me a simple brown midge that solved the problem. Part of the fellowship of fly fishing is trading flies. Getting a fly that turns your day around after your buddy has been slaying them while you caught the skunk is a treat (although the price may be be teasing for a season or two) and bumming some flies when you forget your fly box at home or dropped it into the water and watched it float away can save your trip and make some new friends. Of course, you need to give flies out too so the kharmic forces are in balance.
I have been flyfishing for 40 years and never wanted to tie.
Probably ADHD
Suddenly,in the past three months,for some unknown reason,
I've had a desire to learn how to tie.
Thanks to the patience of several ff buddies,
I am able to tie a few simple patterns and will branch out
as i get more proficient.
Tom
Probably ADHD
Suddenly,in the past three months,for some unknown reason,
I've had a desire to learn how to tie.
Thanks to the patience of several ff buddies,
I am able to tie a few simple patterns and will branch out
as i get more proficient.
Tom
I have been fly tying a long time and feel that nothing is more satifying than catching a fish on a fly you tyed yourself. Tying your own flies has a lot of benefits over buying them:
1) Seasoned to very good tyers tye better quality flies then you can by from a fly shop.
2) You can create your own pattern to imitate insects you see hatching in your area.
3) You can take proven patterns that work in one area and variate them to match what the insect looks like in your area.
4) Force yourself a little to tye flies that are difficult to not so fun to tye. This will improve your skills and allow you to broaden your tying experience and aid in the construction on other flies that you love to tye that might involve a few techniques from the one you did'nt like to tye.
5) Tying allows you to stay connected to the sport in those long winter days. You start tying flies and start to think of where the fly will be used and upcoming trips for the spring and summer.
6) When you become a better tyer you can create your own fly plates and shadow boxes for display on your wall.
Tying is fun, relaxing and for some of us that tye for show challanging. Tying your own flies in not cheaper than buying them. You have to look at the cost of materials, tools, vise and hooks. However tying your own flies is a whole lot more fun than buying them in any ol fly shop. It's really up to the individual if one wants to collect flies and if so for what reasons, history, display, a fun little hobby and so on. Lastly I am the kinda of person that does not like to bumb flies off friends mainly do to I like to tye them myself. You see if I get skunked and realize a fly that is abundant and working I will tye them up the night I go home or back to my hotel and fish with them the next day and do quite well. It's the self satisfaction again that one gets with tying there own flies and catching fish.
In closing I tye alot of really quality flies, it's the pattern that I am using that gets my confidence up. You see if I believe the pattern like a Greenwells Glory will work I will fish with it better far as presentation and skill. It has nothing to do with if the fly will catch three fish and fall apart or catch fifteen fish and fall apart. It's all in the pattern and feel and not the construction.
1) Seasoned to very good tyers tye better quality flies then you can by from a fly shop.
2) You can create your own pattern to imitate insects you see hatching in your area.
3) You can take proven patterns that work in one area and variate them to match what the insect looks like in your area.
4) Force yourself a little to tye flies that are difficult to not so fun to tye. This will improve your skills and allow you to broaden your tying experience and aid in the construction on other flies that you love to tye that might involve a few techniques from the one you did'nt like to tye.
5) Tying allows you to stay connected to the sport in those long winter days. You start tying flies and start to think of where the fly will be used and upcoming trips for the spring and summer.
6) When you become a better tyer you can create your own fly plates and shadow boxes for display on your wall.
Tying is fun, relaxing and for some of us that tye for show challanging. Tying your own flies in not cheaper than buying them. You have to look at the cost of materials, tools, vise and hooks. However tying your own flies is a whole lot more fun than buying them in any ol fly shop. It's really up to the individual if one wants to collect flies and if so for what reasons, history, display, a fun little hobby and so on. Lastly I am the kinda of person that does not like to bumb flies off friends mainly do to I like to tye them myself. You see if I get skunked and realize a fly that is abundant and working I will tye them up the night I go home or back to my hotel and fish with them the next day and do quite well. It's the self satisfaction again that one gets with tying there own flies and catching fish.
In closing I tye alot of really quality flies, it's the pattern that I am using that gets my confidence up. You see if I believe the pattern like a Greenwells Glory will work I will fish with it better far as presentation and skill. It has nothing to do with if the fly will catch three fish and fall apart or catch fifteen fish and fall apart. It's all in the pattern and feel and not the construction.
Johnny Utah
You're no daisy
I tie all my flies, I never buy. I dont generally copy patterns, I prefer to create and think outside the box. Its a great feeling when you catch a trout with a fly you tied. The feeling is 10 fold when you devised the pattern.
I say tie by technique not pattern.
If one follows instructions at all times, then one will never know innovation.
I say tie by technique not pattern.
If one follows instructions at all times, then one will never know innovation.
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