All I want for Christmas is to be able to tie my own flies to kick-off my sophomore year of fly-fishing this spring. Answering my call (via email) for advice, two masters of the ‘Art’ have shared some practical advice and recommendations on a starting set-up for fly tying. It will help me finalize my Christmas list for family and friends and it will be helpful for you.
Helping me out with this post are Alistair, from Urban Flyfishing on the Kelvin, and Lee Murdock, from Flyfish Magazine. In their responses to me, both were quick to mention that they are “by no means” masters of their craft. Whether or not this is true (I would say they are just being humble), they can not escape the obvious fact that they love this passion we call flyfishing.
Without further delay…their responses:
Alistair: Urban Fly Fishing on the Kelvin,
The best advice to give is that if you want to save time and money it is to find some fly tying classes nearby. I don’t know about over the pond but in the UK there are various wee clubs that only charge a few pounds and you have experts to question and generally blag information and wisdom from. It is mighty hard learning to tie from a book but sometimes you have to see something done for it to make sense and ‘sink-in’ properly.
Now the basics in fly tying tools involve having:
- A fly tying vise
- Scissors
- Hackle pliers
- A bobbin holder
- A Hair stacker
- A Whip finish tool.
Those tools will get you by most obstacles. Don’t get too exited about spending hundreds of pounds on a vise, they mostly all do the same job anyway. You want to try and get a rotary vise that will allow you to look at the fly from different angles – some people say this is essential but I have a device fitted between my body and my head called a “neck” that is pretty useful for this purpose.
Some people tie flies and make them as neat and tidy and exact from all angles (these flies catch fish!), however, a hastily flung together fly with bits sticking out and looking a bit messy will also catch fish-possibly more which is why expert fly tyers now deliberately mess up their flies using the amazing rotary function on their vice – I cut out the middle part by making my flies look messy from the word go – hey I am a natural!
Save your cash on the vise and get a good quality cape or possibly two – at least a brown and grizzly dry fly. You can pick up some cheap indian capes for wet flies as well. Pick up some mixed dubbing material, a couple of hares masks (in natural and olive) and a good selection of hooks.
You could get yourself a kit but you will always find that you don’t have the materials for the exact fly you want to tie and must go and buy that extra material.
The best thing to do is say…….pick a fly you want to learn to tie – buy all the materials and then learn how to tie that one fly. The added bonus here of course is that you look as if you know what you are doing when you go into your material shop with a list.
Our Next Response is from Lee Murdock, Flyfish Magazine,
- Take a class. If at all possible take a basic class in fly tying at a local shop. It will serve as a good intro and keep you from buying stuff you don’t really need. I would love to have the money I spent on stuff that I really didn’t need. The class will also allow you to learn some tips and tricks that you just can’t get from books.
- Buy a good vise but don’t think that you have to have one that cost a fortune. All it does is hold a hook. Just make sure the jaws will securely hold the size hooks you will be fishing. I would suggest getting a one with a pedistal base (or buy the base seperate) so that you don’t have to worry about clamping on the dining room table.
- As for the tying tools – after you take the class you will have a good idea what works for you.
- Pick the flies that you fish and want to tie and get the materials to tie those first. I order lots of flies online (partly becuase they are pretty cheap and partly because I don’t tie some real well) and tie my own favorites, some of which you won’t find in stores.
- Tie with your friends. I have learned a lot by tying flies with my fishing buddies.
- Enjoy it. In no time you will have piles of animal parts all over the house and the wife will be really upset with you but you will be a much better fisherman.
I really appreciate the time these guys took to help me out. Make sure you visit their sites and add them to your blogrolls. A summary of their responses may have worked, but they had so much valuable information I did not want our visitors to miss out!
My only questions is:
Should I put out an extra stocking for all of this?!
Bill Anderson
Muskoka Outdoors
Bill,
Great post. Alistair’s flies look like those that are tied by a “master of the art”. Mine are just plain ugly!
Murdock