COMike

Ok so I ran out of Wooly Bugger hooks......RATZ! Here were my last four that I tied today. I really need to get some more hackle and marabou.....However, I used Curtis Fry's vid and some Fly Fish Food inspiration and tied these up! Thanks Cheech!!!! I really love the sparkled (?) chenille you sent...... Will see if they catch fish this week!!!!! Here is the pic.... Mike

I like Cheech's technique.......it gives me the ability to tie both the top of the marabou and then utilize the sides (blood quill)..... sometimes I can get two buggers out of the same feather! Mike

I am going to use our dogs hair shortly!!! Undercoating seems to be the same consistency of the dubbing packs I purchased and have had given to me. The longer tail hairs/fur...whatever someone elects to call them will function perfectly! In the future I am going to take some videos/pictures of the flies and see how they look underwater in the fish tank! Here are some pics of the dogs.....let me know what you think of the material potential!!!! Mike

Cristy, Mike started you with a good source to look into.... You did not mention what type of fish your son will be trying to catch....Trout? Panfish (bluegill, crappie, sunfish, etc)? Bass? This will not alter the types of tools you need but will kind of determine what materials to use. The bare necessities IMO are: 1. Vise - this holds the hook in place so that you can wrap the thread to attach the materials. 2. Hooks - this varies on what your son is going to fish for. 3. Thread - this attaches the material to the hook to create the fly. 4. Materials - the things that make the fly attractive to the fish. 5. Tools - Scissors for cutting materials...there are other tools like in the Kit Mike mentioned above and will serve him well for many years. The beauty of the types of kits Mike mentioned are that they have just about every tool your son would need for a LONG time!!! There is a great book that you can find on Amazon.com for a few dollars that is the one I am learning with.... http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/1878175130/ref=tmm_other_meta_binding_used_olp_sr?ie=UTF8&condition=used&sr=&qid= I purchased this very book and absolutely LOVE IT! I got the spiral bound version so it lays flat on the table. You can get it for under ten dollars and it explains just about everything a new fly tyer could ever want. It also has lots of pictures and tips for tying. It goes over the tools, materials, hooks, etc.... Bass Pro Shops/Cabelas both have kits that come with all the tools/vise/materials that you can obtain as well. There are also many good videos on YouTube discussing things for fly tying. I am happy your son is getting into fly fishing! It took me 45 years to finally get into fly fishing (fished with lures and bait for 40 years) and I am envious of people getting into fly fishing at an early age! As a former Boy Scout, I never considered the Fly Fishing Merit Badge....it may not have been a badge way back when but I salute your son for achieving the award! Best wishes, Mike

Mike, dude,,,, if you've told your wife you are tying flies to save money, you need to confess your lie immediately to the poor woman.... Lol! She's a trooper! She actually spent an hour at the local fly shop with me today! I did end up picking up some lead wire and will give it a shot. The guys there said much of what you folks mentioned as well. They also said try them both and see what I like to tie with better and then use what I like.

Nice job Steve!!!

Thanks RC! You and I are pretty dang close! I'm going to try a gold hare and pheasant tail this week! I still want to do some more woolly buggers though first...get them down before moving on.

It is Very Addictive!!! I am not an expert so my comments should be taken as such... Tail might be a tad long and it appears that there is hackle that is a bit clumped in the front. However, if YOU like it then all is good! I would fish it for sure! I am still working at my wooly burgers too.

OK..... Saving a few dollars can justify my passion! Yes a couple of spools will cost me a few dollars.....However, saving a few dollars for the sake of my marriage goes a long way........ My two cents.....not everyone has funds to spend on materials...... Mike

website?

Steve617, Awesome news you tied it! Can you post a picture of it???? Mike

Nice to know thanks Teeter!

I'll be the FIRST to congratulate you on your 1K post JohnP!!!!! K, Look around the house if you are strapped for funds.....I'm tearing out parts from old electronics and have been VERY satisfied with what I have found! You can also call some of the fly shops around and ask them! At least here in Colorado they are MORE than willing to help! Cheers, Mike PS.....I wish I could tell you dimensions and stuff but I have found there are NO set rules on sizes......experimentation is the best way unless you go to a shop (as mentioned) and SHOW them what you are looking for. BY the way......I may be off base but head out to Michaels/Hobby Lobby/JoAnn Fabrics stores........You will find a WEALTH of information there.......

Are you using barbless hooks or crimping the barb down? I tried a bunch and found that my barbs were getting in the way.... Basic solution but I am a beginner... Mike

Practice Wooly Bugger ....... Not a good fly for a shadow box but I learned a bunch from the video! I am trying to conserve my tying supplies because money is an option but I will show this because I tied it! Here are my own criticisms from tying with the stuff laying around because I am practicing!!!! 1. Marabou was from feathers that I took some time to put together to make them CLOSE to even.......not ideal but I get the point of having them be natural and NOT clipped at the ends! 2. I was WAY to aggressive on the thread tying down the chenille.....I should have used a longer portion but again these are my scraps...... 3. My "tie in point" on where the crappy marabou went should have been MUCH smaller... 4. The "hackle" I used was (again a scrap) was WAY TOO SHORT!!! I ran out and it killed this fly!!! 5. I was a bit sloppy at the head....too much thread going to the eye. I should have made a bigger head, not too much but I wanted to get this up for comments.....(note to self.....don't hurry!!!) 6. I elected to NOT go with wire ribbing on this one......I think it looks better aside from the WAY too big chenille for the hook and my wrapping skills...... So I'm done for a bit until the critiques come!!!! PLEASE SEND THEM!!!!! I learn from them! RCFetter, by the way your suggestion on hackle (the way it faces) inspired me to really look at what I was doing! SEND THE CRITIQUES MY WAY!!! I am bound and determined to learn this!!! Mike

RCFetter you READ my MIND!!!!! I have been watching this over and over for the past 20 min and am trying to incorporate it into my tying! Thanks a TON! Mike PS....I need to figure out the marabou stuff still....I have limited marabou from the Project Healing Waters class last week but am "experimenting" with the lower portions that still look "fishy/buggy" to me.......fun to be creative!

Hi folks! I have been looking for lead wire for weighting my flies...... Not that I can't find things on the net I have a TON of various solders that "seem" to be VERY similar to some of the lead wire I have found in the shops around here. While I KNOW solder very well (I solder RC helicopter and multirotor boards/wires/electronics) I haven't found a reason NOT to use it aside from that it is not quite as dense as pure lead or tungsten. Is there a reason that I shouldn't use it in my beginning stages of tying (have to keep the costs down)..... Thanks! Mike

Great Shots!!!!!

Good on you Steve! Never smoked but have been doing the "mouth candy" for decades! Some day I will quit for good but I enjoy it so my weakness still resides! Mike

Mike, I have been known to do that a TON when I was fishing some tourneys for bass back in the early nineties.....my kit (along with my tackle bag and many rods rigged up) had all the things I would need to adjust a pattern (especially on Spinner baits and Jigs).....I haven't touched it in many years so I am going to have to go through some of the mover's boxes that haven't been unpacked in years..... Mike

RCFetter, Good point....I might have done just that, however I "pulled" the hackle forward a ton to make it look more buggy....I'll try a couple more and see how they turn out! And by the way......beginner and expert....I take all observations and critiques!!!! Thanks for pointing this out!!!! Mike

Here is a review that might help you decide on some waders. Yellowstone Anglers did it and the video portions are pretty funny but are from "real world" tests....aka they run through thickets even a rabbit wouldn't attempt! http://www.yellowstoneangler.com/index.php/gear-review/2013-wader-shootout-best-waders-simms-g4-simms-g3-patagonia-rio-gallegos-orvis-silver-sonic-dan-bailey-guide-ultra-redington-aquaz-cabelas-bootfoots I ended up going with some Simm's Guide waders that were 40% off at the local fly shop (only way I could even attempt to convince my wife that I NEEDED them ) Granted I paid more that you want to spend Bream but I did a lot of looking online and searching reviews and decided to hit up some shops and BPS and Cabelas......I really liked the 2013 Simms waders overall but they were really close to the Cabelas ones I tried. Remember to wear the clothing you THINK you will use on the worst day. In our case here in Colorado...that means snow/freezing precip and VERY cold water. My wife called me the "Muffin Man" when I put on my thermals and a jacket WITH a rain/wind jacket....LOL...it was funny.... Check out the link.....it helped me a bunch!

Great Question! I have saved all of my friggin electronics for decades! I have finally found a use for some of the old receivers and older computers! Thanks Mike

Thanks Piker I like the idea of sticking with one manufacturer for hooks. I have several packages laying around that I got here on the site and from hook and hackle. I also had a really nice person send me some as well! I have found that the manufacturers sizing is not on a "standard" scale. I like the idea of purchasing a size up and down to make certain you get the perfect size for what you are tying! Mike

Thanks Bryon! I'll be back up at LL Bean in July...my parents live 2 miles away as the crow flies! I have to take a peek at their stuff as well....I haven't been back there in several years!