Struggling with nymphs and wet flies...

[JackAttack99 0]

I can tie dry flies all day, wether they are half a dozen size 8-10 parachute adams and quill gordons or stockpiling dozens of wulffs and reg adams dry flies. I have gotten midges down too, ive dabbled in wet flies and started making ground but i cant tie a half decent nymph to save my life. Im horrible at using biots and pheasant wings and making wing cases, i always end up crowding the hook before i can start a set of wings or a wing case and my biots never look right the always sit on top of each other or crease and im seeing other tyers make it look effortless. ive read a bunch of books and magazines but nothing ever works for me. so i signed up to see if anyone had any tips for a smoother fly.

[SilverCreek 0]

From what you have written, I think you are having problems with proportions.

This means the correct AMOUNT of material placed in the CORRECT place on the fly and in the correct LENGTH and SHAPE.

There are are fly proportion charts and articles. Charlie Craven has written one for FFM:

https://www.flyfisherman.com/editorial/tying-flies-beautiful-flies/151957

Here is another:

 

What I did when I started tying flies well before the modern internet was to buy a fly I wanted to tie and use it as model for the both the materials and the fly proportions.

 

[Poopdeck 0]

1 hour ago, SilverCreek said:

What I did when I started tying flies well before the modern internet was to buy a fly I wanted to tie and use it as model for the both the materials and the fly proportions.

This! I did and still do the same. 

[JackAttack99 0]

thank you i will try using these

[Mudfish620 0]

SilverCreek and Poopdeck are right, correct proportions and reverse engineering are the way to go. Another trick you might fry for hackle is to soak the feathers in water before you wrap them. I’ve found that it keeps me from breaking the hackle stem when tying them on.

Hope this helps!

 

AG

 

[SilverCreek 0]

Buy packs of single edge razor blades, and use them to cut off the materials on patterns you tied up that are really bad, then you can reuse the hook.

I used to cut materials off the fly I was tying when I was learning and messed up.

https://www.amazon.com/Pack-Razor-Blades-Replacement-Blades-Single/dp/B07NS7BK45/ref=asc_df_B07NS7BK45/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=692875362841&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15203635568800112377&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9019186&hvtargid=pla-2281435179338&psc=1&mcid=bbfd8271f3a531a3a532bf26114475ab&hvocijid=15203635568800112377-B07NS7BK45-&hvexpln=73&gad_source=1

[chugbug27 0]

On 8/20/2024 at 6:21 PM, JackAttack99 said:

my biots never look right the always sit on top of each other

Charlie Craven put out a very good video on this

https://youtu.be/YN4a9qM3r0E?feature=shared

[niveker 0]

Biots tails have always been a struggle for me, but I have found that putting them on damp paper towel or sponge to moisten them, they are sometimes a bit easier to manage.  I also tie them in one at a time, putting a thread wrap under the first biot and around the hook shank before tying in the second one seems to help keep them in position.  Learning to gauge/account for the torque that the thread puts on the materials is the hardest part.  I think my method minimizes that.  YMMV.  

[KnottaFly 0]

I don’t know if this will help or not, but when Uncle Arthur is giving my fingers a fit, I’ll hold biots in a pair of tweezers to tie in. It gets my fat, aching fingers out of the way.

[Sandan 0]

Chugbug27 with Charlie Craven for the win.  I'm thinking that when you're tying in biot tails and/or wingcases you might be anchoring them down at a point where the biot is too wide for the size and bulk of the fly you're tying.  In other words you don't always have to anchor your biot at the base of it.

[chugbug27 0]

😁

For biot wings you can translate what Tim Flager shows here for tails, if you are looking for tricks to help make it easier.

https://youtu.be/-NfQyZecNl8?feature=shared