best fly for a beginner

[bugaboo 0]

What would you recommend for a beginner to ty and try to perfect. Consider this will be my first time and I like to practice to make it right? This fly would be for cold water and it will be for trout fishing? I live in the northeast.

[flytire 0]

My answer would not be a fly pattern but it would be a tying technique. Learn thread control. Break your thread to get a sense of breaking strength. Thread wraps are the foundation of fly tying.

 

otherwise here is a good place to start

 

http://cpsflyfishingandflytying.blogspot.com/2011/10/videos-for-my-tying-classes.html

[utyer 0]

I agree with Flytier, the first things you need to learn are basic thread handling techniques. Tying on with a crossover wrap, tying in a second material (wire in this case,) and making smooth touching turns down the hook and back up are all things you should learn properly. Carl's video shows the Miracle Midge, which uses nothing but the tying thread, and some wire. All you need to buy is some hooks and thread.

 

I get most of my wire (both copper and silver colored,) from old electronics and computer cables. The copper in these is finer than most wire strands, and works very well on most small patterns. Then for larger wire, I salvage copper from electical cords.

 

For thread, I use white or other light colors like gray, yellow, or tan. You can always darken the heads when you finish the fly. The thread on most flies should not show except at the head, and a light color thread will not darken the patterns as much as brown or black thread. I only contimue to use black because I purchased 8 ounces of it about 25 years ago, and I still have about 3.5 ounces left.

 

Midges are great patterns for catching trout, in the spring, and you can quickly tie up dozens while mastering the thread application and control techniques you will use every other pattern you go on to tie. Learning these techniques now will pay off as you continue.

 

By thread control, we are referring to two different things. First of all, you want to work with a very short thread between the hook and the bobbin (spool holder.) Only keep as much thread out as necessary to work around the bend, or other materials. You will at times need to extend a little extra thread to apply dubbing, and wrap the resulting dubbing noodle, but that comes later.

 

The most important thing about thread control is to learn to keep your thread FLAT. Most thread will be twisted from smaller fibers, and as you start to wind the thread it will lay flat, but, as you continue to wind, the thread twists up tighter and becomes more round. Every dozen turns or so, you will want to spinn your bobbin (clockwise,) to untwist the thread. The flat thread will lay down smoothly, and just a turn or two of flat thread will hold materials securely with less bulk.

 

Before you even begin to tie your first midge, you should work on winding the thread up and down the hook in sooth (flat,) touching turns. No lumps or skips should be noticable. You can always unwind and start over until you get it right. Learning this will take only a little time, and then your ready to tie in the wire, and make your first midge. After a dozen or so Miracle midges, you should have thread techniques mastered.

 

Best of all, for less than $10 bucks in hooks and thread, you can tie up dozens of fish catching midges.

[rstout 0]

Bugaboo,

 

I agree with the previous posts. I can say that Utyer is an excellent source of information. He has helped me in the past.

 

I do understand the excitement of just learning to tie a fly so practicing your techniques may or may not be your thing. A very long time ago my first ties were dozens of wooly womrs. Any color. Some were ghastly but at least I was tying. I teach 8th graders how to tie during the school year and then during "field day". I have them tie a wooly bugger at picnic tables at the lake. We then take the flies they tied and see if they can't catch a fish from the lake.

 

My advice to you is to tie a tail. If it looks good, then move to the body. If it doesn't, unwrap it and try again. Be patient Compare your tail to a quality fly already tied. If it doesn't look right, unwrap it. Check length. Check material quantity. Do you have to much or to little? Keep working on the same fly until it looks like the fly you are trying to imitate. When you are starting out, you may be able to whip out 3 bad flies for one good one. Take the time to tie a good one.

 

Rob