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Hello Everyone! A little about myself...I am an older guy (retiring in a month from a 38 year railroad career) and looking forward to spending some time behind a vise for fun and relaxation (has to be less stressful than golf). I have been fishing since I was a small boy and have always had a desire to learn more about my quarry and what makes them tick so to speak. I believe fly fisherman have had that figured out for a long long time and so I eventually migrated to fly fishing and have found it to be an experience like none other. Catching (and releasing) my first wild trout on a dry fly was an experience I will never forget and the only way it could get better would be if the fly was tied by my hands. So here i am, eager to learn what you as a group are willing to teach. I look forward to being a member of this group and the expert opinions and advise (as well as criticisms), that you all may offer! Trampus

Hi everyone, I am very glad to be on this forum. I have wanted to join for a while but never did it. But, I am surely glad that I decided to do it. I am from the Cumberland Valley area of the great state of Pennsylvania. I fish streams like the Yellow Breeches normally at least once a week. Also, I fish other streams like Big Spring and the Letort quite a good bit as well. I tie 95% of my flies and I truly am an addict. Other things I like to do is hunt deer, turkey, and pheasant; and spending time with family. I hope to bring some knowledge and some questions to this forum. Thanks!

Hello all! This is my first attempt to tie any flies since I was a kid. Back then I had no idea what I was doing, but tied some fairly convincing poppers with small corks from the hobby store. I also tied a couple based on what I thought flies looked like. My dad had very few materials, and I still haven't bought any more so I am just using what I have for now. My first fly fishing experience was in a small pond. I caught upwards of 20 fish that day, both bass and redear. I am finally back and ready to start at fly fishing/tying in earnest! Now I have my own fly rod and I am getting back into the sport. My wife's grandparents have a house in Pentwater, Michigan and I have taken to spin fishing for trout up there, but this year I will be taking my Orvis Clearwater, 9' 6wt up there to try and bag a couple trout. I have only been out a couple times this year so far due to college and a full time job, but I hope to get some fall bass and panfish. I will be going up to Michigan at the end of august and hope to be able to throw some line and get my first trout on the fly. I am looking to get better at casting as I am terrible so far, and in the winter focus more on tying. Any and all critiques welcome! P.S. I have a friend who has about 5 varieties of chicken. Is this a potential source of feathers that are worth anything, and if so how should I harvest them?

Here are some of the new flies i tied Today and that I tied for the International fly tying competition!

Hello I'm 14 years old and have been really into fly fishing recently! But I really want to get going on fly tying, this art really intrigues me! I have been using my mothers sewing thread and my father gave me his grandfathers fly tying feathers I have made many flies so far i recently ordered popper kits, fly tying thread, and some bucktail and some more flashy feathers. I tie the ties with a cut straw as a "bobbin" I believe it's called and I must hold the flies with my hand while tying. I would love any of your tips you all have so much more knowledge and I'd love to learn the art of fly tying! Thanks so much any tips or recommendations help me a lot! (I want to tie poppers and flies for largemouth and stripped bass) (and some trout flies for rainbows) thanks

Hi all, I haven't been on this site for long (only a few minutes to be exact), yet I'd like any feedback and advice any of you experienced tiers can give me. I've only tied about a dozen or so flies in my life, all of which have been in the last week. So far I'm really enjoying it, but I'd like some constructive criticism on how I can improve. If my pictures attach, here's a few of my better flies that I've tied, at least what I think are my better ones. Thanks a lot.

Hi, I'm a new to fly tying. My vice arrived yesterday and I've bruised the bandwidth watching youtube. Here is my first fly, a black woolly bugger. I've done a mashup of tightlinevideo, david mcphail and intheriffle's techniques. ANY and ALL advice and criticism would be much appreciated. I've been watching this site for sometime (while I plucked up the courage to invest in the vice) and I know there are lots of helpful, experience people out there. Thanks.

Greetings to all, Just got my first, real, actual rotary vise, a Renzetti 2200, that i got for the same price as the Peak, which was the other one I was looking at. It came yesterday, and it sure seems 'delicate' compated to some other vises I have had. No matter, it appears to work just fine but I am curious, are there any other accessories for a Renzetti rotary vise that I am going to need? I have the attachment you put the tying spool of thread over, but is there anything else? I don't need a waste basket, and this is the Renzetti with the C-Clamp, so nothing for a base. Anyway, if anyone knows of an essential accessory, please let me know. Also, any suggestions on the best item to purchase that shows how to get the most out of your rotary vise? DVD? Book? Thanks again to all.