What would you do differently?

[adamrunne 0]

Hey guys - I'm new to the forum.

 

I'm trying to make my way into the world of fly tying, but there's so much out there! I'm looking for advise from people who have been doing it for a while. As of now, I have no fly tying tools or materials. I've simply looked over some websites and a catalog from Orvis.

 

I was wondering...

 

What's the best way to go about accumulating materials and tools? Does it make more sense to by a bunch of materials before sitting down and tying some flies? Or should I figure out what flies I want to tie, then try to find all the material for those specific flies?

 

 

Also, if you could go back in time and start fly tying all over again, what would you do differently, knowing what you know now?

 

Thanks for your help.

[utyer 0]

Your first step would be to identify your target fish. Do you intend to fish for trout, bass, panfish, or salt water fish. Once you know what you intend to fish for, then go to a library, and learn about what flies are tied for those fish. Learning a bit about the natural food of most of your quarry will go a long way both in tying and fishing. The library will be your most usefull resource.

 

We can't tell where your from, but if possible, find a club or shop that offers lessons. Join or sign up for lessons. During these lessons (hopefully the first night,) you should learn about the essential tools necessary. These items should be your first purchases. Also during the first (and other lessons,) you will learn about the materials for the patterns you are learning. Purchase just those materials.

 

By the end of a basic tying course, you should have a good understanding of what different materials are, and how they are used. You will have a basic assortment of basic tools and materials, and some knowledge about where to go from there, and maybe a fishing buddy or two to learn with or from.

 

If you tell us a little about where you are, and what you want to tie flies for, we should be able to help more.

 

As for myself, I would not want to do anything differently. The process (even with all the mistakes,) was worth it.

[Mr. Vegas 0]

utyer hit it right on the head. A little more info from you and we can swing you in the right direction. Do use your library to your advantage. Everything might get overwhelming at first but once you get started and tying everyday you will learn something and everything will start coming together.

[gaeronf 0]

The process (even with all the mistakes,) was worth it.

 

You didn't make any mistakes if you are tying flies.

 

[adamrunne 0]

Hey thanks guys -

 

I live in Northwest Vermont, and I fish for trout in many of the larger rivers around here. I also fish the Battenkill a few times each summer when I visit that area of the state. I mostly target Browns, Rainbows and Brookies, and I occasionally hit Lake Champlain for Bass and Pan Fish in the shallows. I typically fish the rivers with nymphs (Hare's Ears, Prince Nymphs, Stoneflies, etc) and streamers (Buggers, Mickey Finns, Grey Ghosts, etc)

 

While I would like to attain the skills necessary to make these flies myself, I would also like to broaden my selection of flies with perhaps some more unconventional patterns. (Not just the old basic patterns I've been using since I was 12)

 

What I want to know from this topic though, is how to go about the process of acquiring materials. I've done plenty of reading on trout diet and habitat. (I'm a junior at the University of Vermont's Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources studying natural resources biology, focusing on fisheries management.) I think I'll seriously consider taking a tying class this summer in order to sort out what i'll need in an organized fashion. Thanks for your advice.

[tidewaterfly 0]

What I want to know from this topic though, is how to go about the process of acquiring materials.

 

These guys have given you perfect advise for starting to tie. To answer your materials question, there are many sources around that you can get materials from. Local fly shops are a good source. Online suppliers are a good source. Hunting friends can also be a good source if you want to spend the time processing the raw materials.

 

Here's a recent post about where to buy materials, and there have been others posted in the past. http://www.flytyingforum.com/index.php?sho...c=56948&hl=?

 

You just have to decide what you need, and purchase from reliable sources. The fly database on this site is a great place to get pattern recipes & the accompanying materials list. Also there are tons of patterns there, many are not the standard fare that you're used to using!

 

Since you're a biology student, once you get the basics of tying, you can pretty much do anything you like as far as other patterns. Copy what you see, but keep in mind, and no disrespect to those on here who tie realistic's, exact copies are not always the best fishing flies! Do some experimenting with materials, that's how most of us have learned & you may be surprised to find that you can catch fish on your "creations". You'll likely also find that creating something completely "new" is not easy. There are a lot of good tiers around the world & they're all doing the same thing.

[adamrunne 0]

Thanks for all the great advice everyone!

 

Your time and knowledge is appreciated

[JohnP 0]

I would recommend buying the materials you need for the flies you want to tie, and the site sponsor, J. Stockard, is a great place to find just about all the materials you need. I live in Idaho and it has never taken longer than seven days to get an order, and as far as I can recall, they have never had to back-order anything.

If I had to do it over, I would probably have taken a class, but like Utyer said, even the mistakes are worth it.

Welcome to the hobby and keep asking questions.

[NJ All Day 0]

I would say just find the patterns that work around you, find materials list, then buy those materials and tie flies.

 

If I had to do anything differently I guess I would say not buy a kit... But I feel you have to fail inorder to succeed. So I wouldn't really care to go back and change. It's all in the past and I'm looking towards the future.

[riffleriversteelheadslayer 0]

if I had it to do over it would be buy flies and save money with what I've got in materials I could take an exotic fishing trip every year for 10 years :hyst: seriously I would only say that if I had it to do over I would of purchased all the tying materials I seen at garage sales and auctions when I was younger

[keeper359 0]

Everyone hit the nail on the head about starting slow. Get the best vise you can afford. With time you will probably be like the rest of us ( I really am just speaking about myself here ) you will have boxes full of material to tie with. Always keep your eyes open for that new material that you may be able to use, I find it everywhere. Remmeber you are only limited by your own imagination. Most of all have fun with it, that 's what it's all about.

 

[Jordon W 0]

I just started tying a few months ago and coming from a beginner buy the best vise you can afford and tools DONT go cheap! I bought a cheap kit and have already replaced many of the tools with name brand tools. So front the money and get good quality tools up front. I've found it best to start out with just the materials you need for one fly then once you tie many of the same pattern in different sizes then move on to another pattern at least until you get the basics down. Keeping in mind tie flies you will use for your area. Another idea is go to craft stores or even thrift stores I found a bag full of yarn and 10 foam sheets for less then $5 on my last trip through one of those places. One site that has some good materials is http://www.flytyersdungeon.com/ and there are many patterns with material list free online. Try to find a Fly tying club by your house I found one and you can learn so much in one sitting with them then you can learn in months trying to experiment on your own.

[phg 0]

... Try to find a Fly tying club by your house I found one and you can learn so much in one sitting with them then you can learn in months trying to experiment on your own.

 

Jordan, that's the best advice yet!

 

The one thing I wish I could do over is, go back and spend more time listening to the old timers, and watching them tie. They didn't have all the answers any more than we do today, but they had a lot more experience, and were willing to share.

 

The other thing is, don't buy cheap materials. Cheap materials are cheap for a reason. If you don't have the money to waste, then don't waste your money. Get what you need, but get the good stuff. That doesn't mean that you have to pay top dollar, and it doesn't mean you shouldn't try the less expensive quality brands (like buying Keough hackles instead of Whiting), it means don't wast your time on off brands and no-name merchandise.

[samuraiti 0]

[The other thing is, don't buy cheap materials.

 

This is pretty much the only area I would have done differently. Although, by buying some cheap capes I REALLY learned to appreciate the good ones when I finally went down the right path!

 

Like the others mentioned as well, quality tools can make a huge difference as well. I didn't even know what a bobbin was for many years and learned to tie with just a spool of thread and my hands. Good thing I was still a kid! It does make tying easier and more enjoyable and will make you a better tier.

 

Also, although my Dad was the one who got me into this, I could have (and still could) use some lessons from the pros.

 

Just go out and enjoy now!

 

Todd

[Mr. Vegas 0]

if I had it to do over it would be buy flies and save money with what I've got in materials I could take an exotic fishing trip every year for 10 years :hyst: seriously I would only say that if I had it to do over I would of purchased all the tying materials I seen at garage sales and auctions when I was younger

 

Thats is where I believe I did things right! I would say 95% of all my materials are garage sales and estate sales. I have got some very interesting stuff for very cheap and also so stuff that has value for very cheap! Plus its always fun to go on a treasure hunt