weird

[ev8d 0]

i'm guessing that's what most of you might call me when i tell you that i have never fly fished but have several hundred flies that i've tied. my name is david, and i live in michigan. i started spin fishing maybe 8 years ago and then a couple years after that started to ice fish. i learned about using flies through the ice maybe 5 years ago and watched some youtube videos on how to tie. i tried to tie a feather from a pillow to a hook, and that started my addiction. i then learned about using a special float to cast the fly out when spin fishing so that got me interested in tying every type of fly, whether dry, nymph or streamer. and yes i learned the hard way that those floats aren't the best to throw a fly with but it was still fun the few times i did. and to think now that i actually thought that i would become really good at dry fly fishing with a spinning rod. i know it can be done but nothing beats a fly rod. work and life in general has gotten in the way the last couple years and i haven't gone fishing but just a handful of times, but i still tied every single night for about a year until last month when me and the old gf broke up and i had to move back in with my parents. very little room here means no tying for now.

 

i've heard of others that tie for the art of it, relaxation, or whatever other reason they may have but i know we are rare. i only put myself in that category because i have barely used any of the flies i have. i've only used flies for fishing a few times but i love to tie either way. its very relaxing and helped me to unwind after work. as well as be left alone from the ex when things started getting rocky. i visit different sites, including here obviously, to see what inspires me or what i wanna copy. i joined a few years ago thinking i'd be active on here and post questions, but i learned just tying was the easiest way to learn. and now, since i have more time at night with no tying, i decided i'd start being active on here and maybe post some of my horrible flies

 

i still haven't made the jump to buying some hackle for dry flies, but i've tied a few no hackle dries. i mostly tie random nymphs, with a lot of them being somewhat flashy for ice fishing. since i don't fly fish and never really even explored a river or lake for bugs i guess you could say that i don't really even know what i'm imitating when i tie. i know a little about the various bugs but i just like to tie as i said so i don't care if what i'm tying imitates something that isn't even found here in michigan. i've seen lots of pictures of the bugs we all try to imitate but not any in person other than a couple mayflies

 

even after about 5 years i still don't and never have owned a vice. i'll have to take a picture of it and post it, but what i tie with is locking pliers. i put three of them together. one lays flat holding one that sticks up holding one that's flat, or at a slight angle, in the air. my "c-clamp" is a bar clamp that i use to hold the pliers to my desk. i thought i was a genius when i first started tying like this but have since learned that others do the same thing or at least something similar to this. i really haven't had a reason to buy a vice yet since the smallest fly i've tied is a 16. i always figured the money was better spent on more materials to tie with. i do wanna know if i could tie smaller than 16. i know i really couldn't with the locking pliers so i haven't bothered buying any smaller hooks. maybe i'll pick up a vice this year and have something to look forward to when i can get back to tying again

 

i just realized that my first few posts on here have all been pretty lengthy. anyways, i hope to try and stay active on here, meet new people and learn a lot. see you around

[Flat Rock native 0]

welcome to ftf ev8d, post pictures of fish, flies, wildlife, whatever, this is a friendly, helpful, EXPERT bunch of folks.

 

Most, of whom, are not insomniacs but there are a few crazy ones, not me- I have valid reasons David, and you will have fun here.

 

You will get a lot of excellent suggestions on getting the most for your money. Keep posting.... Carry On...

[mikechell 0]

Welcome to the site ... and yes, please post pictures of your tying set up. Sounds entirely usable but completely outside what I've ever seen anyone do !!!

 

Naw, you aren't weird just for tying flies without fly fishing with them. There are a couple of tiers on here who don't fish at all. This is, after all, a fly TYING site, not a fly FISHING site. We talk about the fish we catch, but the focus is on the flies. And with that, I extend my invitation and say, yes, please post pictures of the flies you've tied, too.

[shoebop 0]

Where in Michigan are you from? I am in Oakland County.

[ev8d 0]

unfortunately wayne county. i just moved from livingston county. i hate the traffic in the city, but anymore you have to move way out there to really get away from it and even then you still have a decent amount

 

thanks for the welcome mike and flat rock