A Rookie's perspective

[Horseshoes 0]

First off, I voted and my head did spin a few times. Great flies.

 

I'm a rookie and I will be for a little bit yet. I discovered this forum at the same time I started tying. As a matter of fact the forum was the last push in making my decision, so thanks to everyone for giving me hope just by being here and being so giving.

 

As a rookie when you see the possibility of entering a contest you feel excitement, even if your flies turn out to look like dust bunnies. No matter..you are allowed to enter the contest and lo and behold they have a prize catagory just for you. Rookie of the year.

 

You get confused with the terminologies ( becaused when you fished you only bought what you saw floating on the water) and you are not quite sure about the filling out of the entry forms and the task of catagory is daunting because of your inexperience and blindness from the excitement. But you enter.

 

You almost don't send them, how many times? You really would love to win but you know different. Yet you put your flies out there for all to see. Talk about feeling naked in an arena of strangers. Contest ends, then comes the voting. You feel excited and priviliged that you get to vote and be part of the decision making. You see the flies . Then you know that there is no hope for you.

 

You bite it and vote, others are depending on you and respect you decision. It is huge and you must constantly go to the heading to remind yourself what exactly it is you are to vote for. You do your best, the same best you did on your rookie flies months ago. You try to focus on voting while that cringing feeling creeps up on you because you feel you can do better now. You bite it and focus.

 

:yahoo: You did it, you voted. Now you read the comments from the members and feel great just for entering, you don't really care if you win or not. See they understand where you are and what it took you for to enter.

 

Then you read something is wrong. You question whether you put something in the wrong place, no you didn't ,did you? You didn't do realistics, did you? What exactly do they mean by realistics? All of a sudden you not only forget every terminology you ever learnt but through fretting you can't remember what you entered and where.

 

Even though you just saw them 5 minutes ago. What would you think? Don't enter again? I don't know what others would do. But for me, I decided not to sweat it and went ahead and entered my second swap. I am getting used to being naked in an arena of strangers. So to speak of course.

 

Just my insight.

[iso18 0]

you r a wonderful writer and your outlook is great.Good luck

shane

[Horseshoes 0]

Thanks Shane, much appreciated.

[flykid 0]

I see what you're saying. But don't get too worried. This is a friendly forum and even if you goof up a few times no one really cares. This is a good place to just chill and relax. And most importantly learn and have fun. Best of luck!

 

 

[Old Hat 0]

I think you are spot on with most beginners and experienced alike. I also think you attitude is just right for this forum and tying in general. Contests are one those things, some love'm some stay as far away from them as possible. I'm leery of contests for beginners and young tiers, because so much depends on the individual's personality. What makes a good tyer is the constant drive to gain knowledge and apply that into skill. It's a constant learning process. Even those that can tie the best full dress salmon fly, might not be able to tie a size 20 midge dry worth beans. There in lies the attraction, there is always something more to learn no matter where you are at in your skill level. A person accepting of constructive criticism (help) will greatly shorten the learning curve. I think all contests in this field, as I think the FTOTY contest strives to do, should challenge oneself to do the best they can at a given time. Not challenge you to tie the best fly, but challenge you to look at yourself, and step up to the challenge to learn more and apply that knowledge to the next time around. It's not so much about what you can do now as what lies ahead.

[Horseshoes 0]

'Old hat' I agree with you. I look at this new adventure, adventure is what I call learning to tie flies using this forum, as a opportunity to challenge myself. This is my new mountain to climb. ( since returning East to my roots I seem to have left a few mountains behind.) Every time I conquer a fear or another mountain I love the feel of the wind as it whispers.. "you did it".

 

So.. yes 'Old hat' I thrive on finding out what lies ahead. It is sort of like when you are fishing and you turn in a direction you don't normally cast in and then proceed to wade up and around the corner. Just to see.. You know.

 

If it takes standing naked in an arena...so be it.

 

Thanks a lot.

[GunnerDonn 0]

What a hobby we have and share. I'm a long time tier and sitting at the bench can be very humbling at times yet very rewarding. One of the beauties for me is that fly tying has been like a very personal friend and lover to me over the years and a refuge where I can find solace and peace. Five minutes in front of my vise/vice and the worries of the day and world are a distant memory. There is always something to learn or try at the bench and it has a way of making amateurs of us all at times. Stay with it and your God given talents will be rewarded many times over.

[Horseshoes 0]

GunnerDonn thank you for your words. It is true about the humbling experience. I am tying for a swap right now. I am doing a new pattern and you would think I could get at least a few to mimic the ones before. There is no hiding your talent in fly tying. When you are finished the statement is staring you in the face.

 

At this time in my tying I am not aware of anything or as you say 'finding solace' but I think it is because of the intense focus at this experience and not so much the calming affair. :hyst: I believe that will come later when the plain fact that there will be some materials I will never be able to conquer, but right now I am in major humbling mode.

[mouse6196 0]

Beginners are what makes this forum stay alive. We were all there once. Once you're proficient, you'll be here helping the next bunch of beginners. It keeps fishing alive and tying.

 

For me, when I host a swap or enter one, I love when I see the message from a beginner saying he/she doesn't feel "good enough" to enter. I tell them to enter, and I wait for their flies over everyone else. I still remember my first flies and how bad they were. They still caught fish though.

 

I have three flies from "beginners" that I've set aside ready for the spring. I have the person's name on the fly still. I want to catch a trophy with their fly, get a picture of the fish with the fly and then post it...i think that would be the best boost of confidence to any beginner...too bad you all have to wait unitl the ice goes away.

[iso18 0]

too bad you all have to wait unitl the ice goes away.

 

 

shoot,my son,a beginning tyer hisself,and I r heading 2 the river today.It will be our maiden voyage of the year.

Tight lines

Shane

[letumgo 0]

I am very happy you chose to participate in the FTOTY contest. Although it is called a "contest", I look at it more as a "challenge". A challenge to try a style of fly that you may not have done before, or learn a new technique. I can tell you from experience, that my first attempts at a new style rarely work out the way I hope, but I've gained a better understanding of fly tying with each attempt. We all have to go through the same learning curve. The beauty of the FTOTY event is that it gives everyone a chance to push themselves. Participation is key to its success. Just by trying, you have "won" in my book.

 

Now go put some cloths on...(jk) :j_k: :hyst:

[Horseshoes 0]

That is a fabulous idea Mouse6196 :yahoo: . I believe I will begin to do the same, that is a great incentive to join swaps and get the tying experience I do so greatly need. Maybe we should have a page dedicated to the fish caught on a swap fly. You know, show the fly and the fish it caught and who it was tied by :dunno: .

 

iso18 you are soooooooooooooooooo lucky to be able to go fishing besides ice-fishing. But maybe you could let us know which fly is good for the cold water in your area. I mean, after your young fellow puts you to shame :hyst: .

 

letumgo you and everyone help take the edge off with your words. My province is a pennisula and hangs out in the northern atlantic so I can a take a pretty good breeze but when the winds blows over the ice and gives me a chill factor of -27 I definitely do put my clothes on :hyst: :yahoo: .

[Guest Big E]

I too am a beginner and know where you are coming from. One thing that really surprised me when I first started is that the camera doesn't lie and will highlight many flaws. I know I have a long way to go to be like some of the guys on FTF but because of my type of personality, I continually push myself. I get frustrated and PO'ed a lot but I then just step away from the vice. The days of frustration are getting fewer and farther between until I try a new pattern or technique.

 

I've done quite a few swaps since I arrived as well as entering the FTOTY. Both have humbled me and pushed me to new levels of tying. The best comments I've received have been from those people who have caught fish on my flies and/or those who were impressed with my flies. Those comments really meant a lot to me.

 

I'm very thankful for FTF and do my best to give back through hosting swaps, etc and look forward to giving even more back the better I get.

[Horseshoes 0]

BigE

 

Humble is something I experience through this learning and as far as being pushed well we all need that in many facets of our life at times. I found myself frustrated also at the vise. The reason.. I after 5 mins looked and realised I needed to trim my fingernails. They were the reason for my frustrations. There you go.. :dunno: Always learning.

 

Horseshoes

[steelie 0]

Good Day,

 

Participation is the name of the game. No particiapation, no growth...

 

Steelie