One Best Tip

[flytire 0]

1. learn thread control

 

break your thread to see what it takes to break it

 

1-3 wraps of thread will hold most materials to the hook shank. u dont need 57 wraps to hold anything.

 

2. the area behind the eye of the hook is sacred territory. it should only be used for the head wraps. stop crowding the eye! your flies will look better.

 

3. already mentioned but learn to tie with only an inch or so of thread out of the bobbin. you can make nice tight wraps instead of loose wraps when the thread is way outside of the bobbin.

 

heres a quote from Charlie Craven from his new book

 

"Please also promise that you will never utter the terrible phrase, "The fish don't care." I most often hear this from someone who ties ugly flies as a way of justifying their incompetence. ~ If you're going to do something, do it right. Don't justify poor technique and ugly flies with the comment "It will still catch fish." Of course it will catch fish--so do worms and cheese. If it was just about catching fish you'd be reading a book on purse seining or long lining. Strive for excellent flies and great technique and do not settle for less. When I take a fly out of my vise, I nearly always say, "I can do better." And on every fly I tie, I honestly try to do that. "

[mark2olson 0]

1. Go slow, concentrate on doing things right. Make sure that your proportions are correct, the tips of your tails are aligned, your wings are upright and match, etc...

 

2. Study and practice the methods for handling materials. If you are learning from a book, note the finger positions and how the materials are handled. Study the pictures, follow the examples carefully. If you are learning from a video, study the methods carefully and note the finger positions, how material is transferred from one hand to the other, how the material is measured, and how it is mounted. If you are learning from another individual, note the same things...

 

3. If you mount the material incorrectly, take it off and try again.

 

4. Don't get frustrated with your mistakes, learn from them. Eventually, things will come together and when it does, you will be amazed at your results.

 

5. Tie flies as often as you can.

[crappie 0]

Take the dubbing you think you need. Split it in half and put that in the bag. Split in half and put it in the bag again. You should have about th\b eright amount.

 

Rick

 

 

[Hairstacker 0]

Get each part of the fly as right as possible (i.e., do over as many times as necessary) before moving on to the next part. For example, get the tail just right (orientation, length, proportion, etc.) before moving on to the abdomen. It is the sum of great parts that yield a great fly.

 

-- Mike

[Bud Guidry 0]

slow down

 

 

haste makes waste of your time if your leaving mistakes behind you

 

 

 

Bud

[tequilatrout 0]

Buy at your local fly shop some of the most productive flies like the clouser minnow or woolly bugger, tie a dozen until you can tie a clone. Then "...battle of the clones begins..."

[Soft-hackle 0]

I would have to paraphrase Leisenring and say tie your flies to please the trout (fish). They are the final judges.

 

Mark

[Fishyman 0]

Do not be afraid of dubbing.

 

Pinch dubbing, ropes, noodles, dubbing loops, these can all seem frustrating and impossible to get right. With practice comes familiarity and with that eventually comes mastery and innovation. After learning to like dubbing and enjoy all the different things I can do with it I very, very rarely use chenile in anything anymore.

 

Scotty.

[Scott V 0]

Do not buy cheap tools, wait and buy good tools. Cheap tools do not last and you will have to buy new ones eventually, so borrow until you can afford good tools.

[flyfishingtaz 0]

quality. whether it be your vise, the tools you use, or the materials you tie with, make sure it is of great quality. Dont settle for cheap knock offs, it will just frusterate you.

[Magoo 0]

:popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn:

 

D'oh. That's a good emoticon. Apparently it's not so animated in here...

 

I'm a beginner and appreciate all of your thoughts and time taken to share. Looking forward to hearing more. If you need any help keeping the thread going, it could seguey (sp?) into "how to answer a dumba@@ newbie's question(s)". I could provide plenty of those :hyst: .

[Ribs1 0]

Tie at least 6 of the same fly when you sit down at the vise.

You will never get any better by skipping around and tying 1 of each different fly.

 

[mswaterfowler 0]

My best tip would be to TIE ALOT. You will learn by repetition. After alot of flies muscle memory will take over and they will be easier.

[DancesWithHeadCement 0]

Outside of wings, never use more than 4 turns of thread to tie in anything. By the time the fly is finished you'll have plenty of wraps over the material to hold it permanently.

 

[TxEngr 0]

Learn that you are the master of the materials. Don't let the materials control what you do - make them do what you want through pinching, nudging, etc. Don't be afraid to push the materials around.

 

TxEngr