Just joined and already have a question

[Dondi12 0]

Hello everyone, I just joined this forum a few minutes ago and think I'm going to really enjoy the experience. Ive been into fly fishing for some years now, mainly panfish and bass. We don't have much trout down here in the south but have done some trout fishing in Montana a few years back.

I own two ponds that are great for testing my fly's. Although I am terrible at tying and in no way would win any competitions I have been successful in fooling the fish and that's all that matters to me.

My question is; I am left handed and although I can do many things with my right hand when I tie and cast I use my left hand. With that being said I cannot for the life of me figure out how to use that funny shaped tool that is supposed to tie off the thread upon completion. Is it for right hand only? Is there any videos that SLOWLY explain the procedure?

Thanks

[mikechell 0]

Welcome to the site, Dondi. This has been brought up before, which you cannot know without going through hundreds of posts. But one of the members put up a video of left handed whip finishing.

I suggested watching a Youtube video in a mirror ... would be a perfect rendition of what it should look like left handed.

 

[tidewaterfly 0]

Welcome to the forum! I'm right handed but learned to tie lefty.I have a cheap whip finish tool & never learned to use it either.

 

I've learned to tie whip finish knots without a tool. I use only my fingers. If you understand what you're trying to do with the thread, it's not difficult to learn.

 

Hopefully what Mike has posted will be some help to you!

 

Good luck!

[FlaFly 0]

Welcome left-handed Dondi! You mention being from the south but your profile doesn't tell us anything about you, or where you are from, etc. That kind of info is very helpful to all of us when we're posting replies to your questions, to have some idea who you are, where and how you fish and so on. You'll find everyone is very open hearted and helpful here. Happy left-handed tying! :-)

[flytire 0]

learn to do it by hand

 

[Dondi12 0]

Thanks everyone for the info. I apologize for not being specific on my location. I am from South Carolina. I mainly fish for bream and bass. But mainly bream (pronounced "brim" in S.C.) the word bream represents all panfish. As I said earlier I have two farm ponds I fish in mostly. It keeps me in practice for maybe one day actually wading a blue ribbon stream somewhere. Bank fishing makes you learn to cast longer than you normally would stream fishing that's for sure.

I will watch the video attachments with great enthusiasm and thank you for your support.

[tidewaterfly 0]

What part of SC? My wife & I are buying a house down there & relocating. I'll be 5 minutes from Lake Marion!

[Dondi12 0]

Lake Marion is about 70 miles south of me. Will you be in Santee?

[tidewaterfly 0]

Manning! Other side of the lake from Santee.

[Dondi12 0]

I know exactly where you'll be. You must be going for those Santee-Cooper Stripers!

[tidewaterfly 0]

Well, that's one reason! There are Stripers here in the Chesapeake Bay, have caught plenty of them over the years.

Since I like both freshwater & tidal water fishing, especially bass & Striper fishing, Manning puts us close enough to both. I like being close enough to chase Redfish, Flounder & Seatrout too.

 

Also like the slower pace & less cost of living down that way.

 

Plus, one of my son's lives in Charleston. I just didn't want to live there, it's as congested there are it is here.

 

This will be a pre-retirement move for us & a change of lifestyle.

[Dondi12 0]

Sounds awesome. I was in Manning about a month ago. My job has me traveling all over S.C. Two more years and I'll join you in retirement! I've never done any saltwater fly fishing but I've heard those red fish can be a challenge.

[Foxy 0]

I m left hand as well, no problem with any tools in the market at all

[FlaFly 0]

Dondi

I'm glad Mike found those videos for you... like he said, most questions get asked repeatedly over time, and someone is sure to remember where he saw the answer. I recall an issue last year from a lefty who had trouble with untwisting his tying thread. When one winds the thread right-handed around the hook, each wind actually adds one more twist. Conversely, winding lefty tends to subtract one twist per wind. The best solution offered so far is, when you've done a lot of winding, let your bobbin hang free, and it will (hopefully) wind back up on its own.

 

Good luck. I know there's several nice reservoirs in your vicinity (Wylie, Waterlee, Fishing Creek), and a number of bigger ones further west. You should have good fishing in them for perch, walleyes, smallmouths, crappies etc etc.

[Gene L 0]

learn to do it by hand

 

 

Why?

 

I'm not sure why learning to finish by hand is important. I can do it, but I can do it at least as quickly and neater by using a tool. Therefore, I use a tool. I'm not turning out a fly every five minutes; I have the luxury of taking my time, picking up my whip finishing tool, and taking care of business. A hand whip finish is neat to know, but so is tying "in hand," but I don't see much advantage to doing so. I use a vise, use a tool, use a bodkin and don't feel at all bad about doing so. I believe fly tying should be as easy as possible, which ain't all that easy anyway.

 

My fishing buddy who is a lefty uses a tool and doesn't have any problems with it. Pretty simple tool, but I say this being a righty.