How Did You Learn To Tie?

[Arkansas Mike 0]

I was just curious as to how many of you guys are 100% self-taught, and how many have taken classes or had personal mentors looking over your shoulder, etc. Obviously, if you read tying books or are a member of this forum, you learn and get ideas from others, but for our purpose, we'll still classify that as "self-taught". If you have attended tying classes, would you say you learned more from them, or by tying and studying on your own?

 

 

Thanks for your input.

 

 

Mike

 

 

 

[stonefly1 0]

I learned the hard way! Totally on my own with books and an old video that I picked up at a show (VHS).

[silverbullet32 0]

well, since i just started about a month ago, i learned from this forum and youtube. i would say that taking a class inst necessary, i feel my flies are turning out great, and i spent money straight on materials, not classes. and mike, you have kept me being positive on all my flies, thanks for being such a great guy!

 

Loren

[Arkansas Mike 0]

...you have kept me being positive on all my flies, thanks for being such a great guy!

 

 

You are very welcome, Loren. I wish I'd started when I was your age. Keep at it. If you're this good after only a month...how good will you be in a year?

Or when you are 40?

 

 

Mike

[SearchingSolitude 0]

Self taught....3 plus years ago and counting.

[longears 0]

I took several classes, watched some really great tyers in our craft, read lots of boats , watched tons of video's and practice, practice,practice. I teach others what has been taught to me now and learn as I teach them. You can never stop learning but, I would say at some point , you owe it to yourself to take a lesson (advanced tying, intermediate, Classic's, whatever). This broadens your scope and opens new doors to your tying skills.

[iso18 0]

I learned the hard way! Totally on my own with books and an old video that I picked up at a show (VHS).

diddo...books and i rented one or two videos i think.

shane

[flytire 0]

the recreation department where i worked offered free tying classes. you had to buy your own tools and then materials for each class.

[Denis Lamy 0]

Took a class when I started, tools and materials were included in the price. So if you didn't like it, you only lost your fee and some time. They tought us basic patterns: Adams, Casual Dress, Black Ghost, Blue Doctor, etc. Still have some of those flies in my boxes somewhere (they are so ugly I don't use (lose) them and won't give them away).

 

I bought the tools at the end of the class and learn since from books, magazines and from other tyers (local club). When I started, in the old cave, there were no Internet and Youtube to get videos and step by step photgraph readily available.

[flykid 0]

I tied my first two flies at an intro to fly fishing class with instruction then I took a class at my local shop. It was only $75 and we learned to tie quite a few different flies. I think I could have figured stuff out without the class but it most definitinely helped. I learned a lot of techniques, including how to use a whip finisher, that probably would have taken a while to figure out on my own. It was a jump start to my tying. Then I discovered this site and really got going. But I would say I'm mostly self taught, using a book or two, this forum, and lots of messing around.

[j74snook 0]

I was on vacation at my uncles house and saw a vice and was clueless as to what it was. So I made the mistake of asking what it was and was fly hooked ever since. Now for learning he showed me how to tie a royal wolf and a mosquito. I was so impressed with how you can turn simple materials into a like resemblance. So I bought the art of fly tying book from walmart and learned hoe to tie the different parts of the fly and invested 1000s of dollars later in material. So I say I am 99.5% self tought. Thanks uncle Don for the .5% cause thats all it took. j74snook

[Alpinefly 0]

I've read many books over the years, self-taught at many points, and even have had some first class mentors along the way.

At the age of 52 (having started as a real little tyke), I find I still always have much to learn, and this is what keeps fly tying, and fly fishing exciting !!!! :headbang:

[Futzer 0]

Pure Pity from Jim Poor and the staff at Angler's All in Littleton, Colorado on Santa fe Drive. It is still there and still a fine shop. Back in 1968 when I wandered in for a new spinning rod with birthday money, and saw the display cases, each fly in each size mounted to a needle, no bins full back then. I was captivated. Jim was famous for his tiny dries and the South Platte river. 18s and 20s were the smallest available and seemed impossibly small to tie, no 14/0 thread available, 8/0 was the smallest and painfully easy to snap. The beautifully formed duck quill wings on a #20 black gnat got me, soon I had a Thompson A vice and never looked back to spin fishing again. I remember the shops smell, tanned hide, that little gold can of pine tar used for dubbing wax (can't remember the name) and cigarette smoke. They had a bench set up, as all the flies were tied on site, no umpqua feather merchants. I would ride my bike there on Saturday and watch Jim tie, I could not get enough. Remember the bobbin, you had to wind your thread on the small spools, it was chrome tear drop shaped. No internets, Youtube, DVDs, VHS, you had to be face to face with someone willing to teach. I miss that part, mentors were much better social networks. My Grandfather also knew how to tie, he helped quite a bit.

 

Great times. Cheers, Futzer.

[oatka 0]

About 12 years or so ago I got a kit from Dick's Sporting Goods (Side note: My wife and I nick named this place "Wanker's" last night). It came with the stuff you needed and a nice boring VHS (that was what they had before Youtube and DVDs for all you kids). About the same time a buddy of mine bought the same thing, but besides tying together one night while watching TV, I originally was self taught.

 

 

Everything I learn now I learn from Day5!

[E. Oregon Midge 0]

SELF TAUGHT AND CLASSIC FLY TYING FORUM

 

Rocky