Beginner's Full Dress?

[Twist 0]

Are there any resources that have some "easy" full dress fly's along with the materials list to start out with?

 

Thanks-Mark

[Futzer 0]

Easy and full dress are two mutually exclusive terms. While tying full dress is not hard, it is exacting perfection. First I would try something like a Green Highlander, but with material substitions, Stay away from the super expensive feathers until your skills are ready. Learn to marry wing pieces using Goose wings, you will also need some golden phesant crest to start learning the topping and tail proportion. Get Good Tinsel and floss like Lagartun, Pearsalls, and Uni. I like http://www.feathersmc.com/ as a Full Dress source. Have fun with it, learn to tye gut eyes, remember to soak the gut. Also keep posting so the Full dress comandos can comment. Also learn as much about the patterns you tie as you can, Salmon flies have a rich history.

 

Cheers, Futzer.

[Twist 0]

Thanks, Futz,I guess i Should start out with a Simple pattern,and work my way up,I can See this isnt going to be cheap,lol. Even though the patterns are designed for Salmon,and trout will they work on other species aswell? Because i noticed that they are an attractor pattern,more than an Imitator.

[nwstreamer 0]

I can't tell you much about Atlantic salmon flies but I know there are patterns that work on numerous species. My first thought is the silver doctor which was tied as a wet fly all the way to a 5/0 salmon fly. A number of speys can be tied small for trout and other species and can be fished in all types of water.

 

 

[flykid 0]

Go to classicflytying.com (our sister site) and you'll get all the information you need. This question comes up all the time and the guys there have all the answers. I really discourage jumping into a fly like a green highlander. You'll just get frustrated and give up. My advice and many other's advice from classicflytying is to go to ronnlucassr.com and click on the link "how to dress salmon flies" and follow his lesson. Post every attempt over at the site and keep trying till you can't do it any better. YOu'll have a much easier time building up this way and you'll save yourself lots of materials from being wasted. It is definately a fun journey though and there is always something new to be learned.

 

[willowhead 0]

Take the Kid's advice. mark

[Twist 0]

This one is just a random stab,not trying to imitate anything specific. Note that Most all of the materials are Improvised,and came from a Fly tying kit that I got at a sporting goods store.

 

 

Tell me whatcha think...I'll go checkout the website and find some patterns,and plan to get the materials to tie them with.

[willowhead 0]

Hey Twist.........so, you went the old "Kit" route did ya. i never did that and luckily it turned out ok. there's absolutely nothin' wrong with startin' out that wat because if you don't stick with fly tyin'......you haven't invested a lot, only to give up. i actually started my wife out with a kit. Six months later we gave that vice to a friend who only had one, for his wife to use, cause my wife wanted a better one. And she tyes more now that she ever has. Which is a good thing.

Your fly there looks pretty darn nice. but whatever you do, go to http://www.ronnlucassr.com and take the lessons. If you snooze, you looze. His series is as good as it get for you to follow in these early stages........DO NOT waste the opprotunity to get high QUALITY instruction, FREE!

Take you time with everything.........go as slow as it takes to do your ABSOLUTE BEST! You will NEVER regret, takin' your time.........ask any women, ah hahaaahha ahahah fly tyer. There simply is, no need to rush...........you can only tye so many flies in a lifetime anyway. And you'll NEVER use them all.....so why end up with thousands of crappy flies just layin' around collectin' dust. Less you like feedin' the spiders. Any of this sound like the voice of experience? :hyst: Now don't get me wrong.........every minute you spend at the vise is good.......but it'll be way MO good, IF.....you conciously try to do your ABSOLUTE BEST with every single fly you tye. And to do that, you NEED to "take your time." Don't settle for good enough.......maybe every now and again, your just slappin' somethin' together to get on the water fast as possible.........that's different.......but you should still approach even that as a challange, because you can't take the fish for granted either..........you'll figure this all out for yourself.......sooner or later..........or you'll end up regretting that you didn't............or you'll have already quit by then. Don't let that happen. Best of luck, mark.....

[Twist 0]

Hah quit? I'm Hooked for good brother. I would have gotten better material from the start if funds had allowed it, but hey..tough times and all.I will eventually be getting a Bench overhaul,With all the necessary materials to tie a little more seriously,but as you said it takes time,and most all things come eventually,Thanks for the tip willow, I will make it an immediate point to go learn from that site,so when I do get all the necessary material, I'll know what to do with it.

[Twist 0]

Is there a Cheaper alternative to Died White Turkey? $12 A pair seems kind of expensive to practice with. :scared:

[RoyalWulff 0]

You can tie with good quality goose shoulders. They will not be as big as turkey, and they are harder to work with but you can get a good number for fairly inexpensive. You will have to restrict your tying to 3/0 and smaller with goose.

 

[Twist 0]

You can tie with good quality goose shoulders. They will not be as big as turkey, and they are harder to work with but you can get a good number for fairly inexpensive. You will have to restrict your tying to 3/0 and smaller with goose.

 

I tie Fly's Under 3/0 anyhow, Do they sell them dyed or do you need to dye them yourself?

 

[day5 0]

Start with classis salmon hair and feather wings move to classic trout streamers, wet and MOM flies. I think if you learn how to tie them you will be ready to move on to full dressed.

[E. Oregon Midge 0]

I recommend you go to Ronns site . Find the lesson page and start with lesson #1 tie it tell you master it then and only then go to #2 do the same. Ounce you complete all the lessons you will be able to tie any salmon fly there is. The lessons are more for learning tec. you will encounter on more complected patterns after the lessons

After you tie #1 POST IT and we can help you with adjustments before you tie another 1

 

My hook rec. for the lessons would be Alic Jackson 1.5 spey hooks they will work for all the lessons

 

 

 

Rocky

 

http://www.ronnlucassr.com/

[flykid 0]

Yes, do yourself a favor and start with Ronn's lessons. They are the best way to learn and by doing that you don't need to start with expensive materials (like turkey). You will want to master basics before moving on to building large married wings. There really is no better way to start than Ronn's site.