Jump to content
Fly Tying
indiglofish61@gmail.com

What fly for a beginner to start with?

Recommended Posts

I think i got all my fly tying things ready to tie my first fly. I am stuck on what fly to start with. I was thinking of the wooly bugger? But also was thinking of a nymph fly. Any suggestions? Thank you.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

The Woolly Worm or Woolly Bugger are often the first flies in a fly tying class. Another option is a Zebra Midge. It doesn't get much simpler.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
39 minutes ago, [email protected] said:

I think i got all my fly tying things ready to tie my first fly. I am stuck on what fly to start with.

What do you like to fish with?  I hope you bought the right materials! : )

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I really want to make like bluegill,  crappie , bass, and some trout, flys. Mostly bug like flys for the bluegills and crappie. I am planning on going out west where i used to live hopefully not too long from know. Ive been looking at some of them bug parts for the flys. But i want to start like on something more simpler. 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I'd follow the guidebook in order at least for the first several flies. Beginner books are usually designed to help you build a set of skills, using the flies selected to focus on one or two skills at a time. The easier skills are usually addressed by the first few flies.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
3 hours ago, [email protected] said:

I think i got all my fly tying things ready to tie my first fly. I am stuck on what fly to start with. I was thinking of the wooly bugger? But also was thinking of a nymph fly. Any suggestions? Thank you.

Most beginners start with wooly buggers.

You get two sizes of beads, six sizes of hooks, six spools of veevus thread, copper wire, gold wire, silver gold mylar tinsel, yellow floss, pearl krystal flash, sparkle emerger yarn, parapost wing, Mcfly foam, three colors of chenille, a half Hare’s mask, five colors of dubbing, rubber legs, elk hair, comparadun hair, rabbit strips, crosscut rabbit strips, marabou feathers turkey tail feathers, keough saddle feathers and grizzly saddle feathers, tailing feathers for dry flies, saddle feathers, ringneck pheasant feathers, partridge soft hackle feathers, a half grizzly cape suitable for tying wings and all sizes of wet fly collar hackles, peacock herl, two colors of bucktail hair, Loon water based cement, and a Hareline drink coaster, all contained in a useful plastic box.

 

Screen_Shot_2020-08-08_at_7_44.12_PM.png

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
3 hours ago, [email protected] said:

I really want to make like bluegill,  crappie , bass, and some trout, flys. Mostly bug like flys for the bluegills and crappie. I am planning on going out west where i used to live hopefully not too long from know. Ive been looking at some of them bug parts for the flys. But i want to start like on something more simpler. 

This may sound silly, but I think I can tie almost anything I can draw/sketch. And on the other hand, expecting someone to tie something they can't sketch sounds like a lot to ask. I sketched many flies in the margin of my notebooks during some of those long high school classes.  I sketched a few fish too! : )  It may have been convenient that I enjoyed drawing in general at the time.  I think my point is that I have internalized what a typical fly is supposed to look like, and that includes proportions.  Once you've done that, I think actually tying a fly is not a very large step to take.  I guess, in a nutshell, I'm suggesting that there is an "artistic aspect" to tying--or, at least there can be.  I suppose some people enjoy this aspect, and some people wouldn't want to go there.  I am guessing the first group will have an "easier time" of it.  Anyway, that was my experience; YMMV.  Maybe sketch a fly in your notebook before you start tying it (then, you'll be ready--and will encounter no surprises!)?  I will be curious as to what others think about this (strategy/guidance). I think that it's a good way to "learn your flies" too, and their names! :)

Bill

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Ok bil_729 , to me it s like o can draw it. I used to draw alot llke outdoor scenes and fish. But if i draw it first my fly probably will be worse then my drawing. Lol.  I just did my first wooly bugger, the hairs are a mess! Lol.

20200808_212719.jpg

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
8 hours ago, [email protected] said:

Ok bil_729 , to me it s like o can draw it. I used to draw alot llke outdoor scenes and fish. But if i draw it first my fly probably will be worse then my drawing. Lol.  I just did my first wooly bugger, the hairs are a mess! Lol.

If you didn't sketch it, how am I supposed to know whether it came out right or not?  What stands out to me is the "cut" feather in the tail.  Cut feathers almost always don't look right in a fly because they are not tapered anymore.  Did you wrap  ("palmer") a feather around the body?  The barbs of the feather should be at least 1.5-2 times the distance between the shank of the hook and the point of the hook.  For most dry flies I aim for 1.5 times.  If that was your first fly, then I'd say you were somwhat-successful.  Now try to tie the same one again!   Since you said you used to like to draw (like I did), I think you should use that to your advantage.   For the next one, lets see a sketch and a fly.  In my experience, the second time I tie a fly it almost always comes out better than the first time.  Save this fly for comparison purposes!   You're off and running---congratulations!

Bill

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

🤪  You need to frame that.  In a few weeks or months, you'll look back at that and say, "Um, did I tie that?"

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
2 minutes ago, mikechell said:

🤪  You need to frame that.  In a few weeks or months, you'll look back at that and say, "Um, did I tie that?"

+1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Yea i did trim the tail, as for the palmer feather when i did wrap it the points of the feather was sticking out in different directions. As for drawing the fly first its been too long time ago i cant even come close to drawing like i did back then. The distance u was talking about  u mean the hairs of the feather being 1.5 times longer then the top of the hook to the barb of the hook? And another thing is i couldn't figure out by the pictures what part of the feather. Anyways i will try again. Thanks for the input.

 

 

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...

×
×
  • Create New...