Photo samples of my first efforts............

[Roland58 0]

Keep in mind that I have only been doing this since last week and using whatever I can find and a Gander Mountain beginner's kit. I have to say that I have learned a lot. My best ones were copied from the internet. I did hit it lucky with a few on my own.

 

 

 

I must have tied at least 30 - 35 flies, but, it has been a lot of fun. I like my Bug Eyed Popper (next to last) the best....we shall see if it catches anything!!

[Dave G. 0]

Oh your're gonna catch fish. My first attempts weren't as nice and I caught fish or had whacks at most of them. Good job, keep at it !

[FlaFly 0]

Nice pics. You're gonna get some comments about hackle length, but I'm OK. I like the mini-hopper and the bug with measles. You'll also get cautioned to tie multiples of the same fly instead of lots of different ones, if you want to perfect your technique (not that I ever do that).

[Roland58 0]

FlaFly,

I thought about tying the same fly more than once, in fact, there are a few multiples in that box........mostly the very small ones, as I am primarily after Bluegill. I will begin to work on tying more than one for the purposes of technique. Till now, I have been using my mistakes to make something different a little better, so, I'm still working on the "perfection" in a way.

Thanks for the kind comments. I got a license yesterday, so, I can let you know if any of them attract fish real soon.

[Dave G. 0]

Ya know lb for lb blue guill outscrap many other species fish. Add a 3 or 4 wt rod to the mix and it can be some great fishing. But they hit about anything for a fly that they can fit in their mouth. Don't need to get too hemmed up over perfection to take the flies fishing for them. I get that you might want to work on perfection to some extent in the long run, but I doubt I've tied more than a dozen really almost perfect flies in almost 30 years of tying, just the total bombs never get used. It's nice to tie well proportioned flies, meanwhile go catch fish !

 

You still have a better start than many tiers here who learned the hard way, lol ! Today with internet and you tube we see more more and more early successes in fly tying. I recall going to Boston to fly fishing and tying shows to see the pro tiers show us a thing or two, the show came around once a year. Now you can see it on you tube ten times a day till you get it if need be. With that being the case, we see guys and gals tying by the end of their first week like some of us might have done in the first year. And we too still learn from the same videos.

[Gene L 0]

Ounce for ounce...you seldom see a bream that weighs a pound! I wish.

 

The beetle looks very good. I'd put a bigger hook on it, since all that foam will float a lot of iron and bream aren't hook shy. Very good for the species you're going after.

[Roland58 0]

Dave, yeah, I know Bluegill aren't real picky about what they put in their mouths.......if it is moving, they will hit it. I have watched them hit a piece of a gum wrapper some kid threw in the water! ( he wasn't my kid, but, he still got a lecture on the "dumping of trash" in water he may have to drink!) However, I agree about them being real scrappers. My old rod is an 8 wt., but, even a small Bluegill can bend it over! And, yes, I have watched a lot of Youtube videos and those put out by Tim Cammisa. In fact, I have set my tablet up on my work table and followed everything step-by-step (still come out like the one on screen, but hey, I'm a newbie and that's my excuse!).

 

Gene, you are most correct about the bream seldom getting up to a pound or over......but, when they do!!! Broken Bow lake in Oklahoma has a boat dock and bait station with a feeding machine on one side. It contains some sort of little BB like pellets and for a quarter it will dispense a small amount in your hand. All you need to do is throw a few pieces in the water below and it will look like Piranha on a feeding frenzy! I can guarantee that there were a number of bream over a pound in that school. The problem is that there was no fishing allowed from or around the dock!! Grrrrr. I caught a lot of bream and catfish while there, but, no bream like I saw at that dock! That was about 45 years ago, the dock may be gone by now.

 

Oh yeah, what's this about a "beetle?" Can't you tell a wounded frog when you see one? (Guess I'm going to have to work on my design a bit.) There is another one further down that is made from a foam earplug, with green feathers for legs....I put some sparkles on it for fun. Do you think it will pass for a frog to the fish? The hook on the "beetle" is bigger than it looks......I think I used a #12, long shank, Eagle Claw hook. I have been using whatever I have or can find. It was wrapped with some metallic silver thread I picked up at Hobby Lobby......not fly tying thread. Do you think it will hold up?

 

Where do you guys get your rubber band material for legs? I have been using small wire insulation, actual rubber bands, whatever I can find. The bug eyed popper has a 1/4" rubber band glued to a notch I cut in the bottom of a dowel and then I cut the band into four legs on each side with some scissors. A little touch of super glue between the legs and hold them apart will keep them spread. I'll let everyone know about using dryer lint for dubbing soon, my wife is washing today!

[Gene L 0]

The inside of a bungee cord has a lot of rubber leg-type stuff in it, I understand.

[Roland58 0]

Gene,

Golf balls used to have a load of continuous rubber band material inside the tough cover. I have some rather elderly bungee cords, I'll have a look at them, if no joy, I know there must be a golf ball around here somewhere!

[mikechell 0]

Two items I wish to comment on.

Everyone says sunfish will hit anything. This is true, of small fish. When I watch a video of small trout going after a fly, cast after cast, I think they feed just like young sunfish. All young, "inexperienced" fish will hit anything to test it.

The bigger the fish, the harder it is to fool it. Most people don't catch bluegill over a pound because they aren't fishing for them. They are as hard to catch as any trout or salmon out there.

 

Rubber legs:

1) Bungee cords can provide three different types of rubber "band". Square, round and flat. The one I just cut open a couple of days ago has square pieces in the center, one width flat pieces and then very small width flat pieces. I haven't used them, yet, but they look good.

2) If you need really small round rubber ... work on the waist band of a pair of underwear. (Use a new pair if you're prudish) It takes a little bit of doing, but they are GREAT rubber legs. For their diameter, they're some of the strongest strands I've found.

3) Store bought ... This is one of the items that it's hard to beat the stuff created for fly tying. The best (least expensive) place to get a nice supply from ... http://www.flytyersdungeon.com/

[Roland58 0]

Thanks Mike!! I haven't checked my bungees or a golf ball, as yet. However, I did order some legs from the link you provided to the "Dungeon." They have some very reasonable prices. If their product is as good as the price, it will be great. I ordered some eyes, also. Using a small dowel dipped in some paint is a pain. I've managed to paint a few good eyes, but, it will be a lot easier to just stick them on! (I'm not sure if a fish is looking for eyes when it is looking for a meal anyway. I think the eyes are for catching the "two-legged" sucker fish, of which I am one!)

 

Thanks again,

[mikechell 0]

You're welcome.

FTD has some great deals. Near Christmas, he'll do $25.00 boxes that have a year or more supply of all kinds of materials.

[add147 0]

Hello Roland58,

 

Check out this You Tube link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_26-2bCgO98 to see how to paint eyes on stuff. Kirk Dietrich is on this forum and he seems to have a good idea on painting poppers and other things. Check out his You Tube videos he got some great ideas and advice I think.

[add147 0]

mikechell is the king of tying flies on the cheap. No disrespect intended mike!!! He's a very frugal tier indeed...Like he said the dollar store has all kind of stuff that can be used. I also check the clearance sections at the hobby stores as well. Keep up the good work your flies look great I think!!!

[mikechell 0]

No offense taken. I believe I am still below $500.00 for my entire fly tying history ... including all tools and materials.