How Long Have You Been Tying?

[Arkansas Mike 0]

I began "playing around" with tying about 3 years ago; however, I never had a decent tying area (the edge of my computer desk or TV tray) and kept all my materials in a big black travel case which I had to drag out and unpack/repack each time I wanted to tie. Eventually, everything ended up in storage. Then about a month ago, I got the bug again bad and built a 12X14 "tying shop" so I could set everything up and leave it up. I've been tying passionately every day since. It's far more than a hobby/past-time now... It's an obsession. I wish I'd started 30 years ago!

 

 

 

[Futzer 0]

I began "playing around" with tying about 5 years ago; however, I never had a decent tying area (the edge of my computer desk or TV tray) and kept all my materials in a big black travel case which I had to drag out and unpack/repack each time I wanted to tie. I'd pull everything out once or twice a month and tie a few flies. Then about a year ago, I moved closer to the rivers and got a bigger place. I got the bug again bad and built a 12X14 "tying shop" so I could set everything up and leave it up. I've been tying passionately every day since. It's far more than a hobby/past-time now... It's an obsession. I wish I'd started 30 years ago!

 

 

Be carefull what you wish for Mike, I did start 40 yrs ago and now take up 2 rooms with tying stuff. :-) Cheers, Futzer.

[Jeremism30 0]

Almost 5 years for me. I was at a book store when I stumbled onto a book about fly tying, and said hm... tying flys looks like fun. I bought the book, but it was about another 2 months before I went out and bought my first vise and tools and some materials to get started. I wasn't sure it was something that I would like and didn't want to go to the expense if I didn't. I sure am glad I did. :headbang:

 

It was a great feeling the first time you catch a fish with a fly you have tyed.

[Charlie1947 0]

Hi Folks,

I started tying 2 months before my wife was diagnosed with cancer. That was 7 years ago. It keep

me sane. It really took my mind off of everything except the fly in my vise. It's still very soothing!

[troutguy 0]

I guess I fall into the old fart category. Wow this survey makes me feel VERY old. It will be 46 years this July. I have been fly fishing since I was five. My grandparents lived on the Wilowemoc and I was taught early. My sister got me a Knoll kit for my for my eighth birthday and I will be 55 this July. My first vice was the junky thing in the kit. I liked tying and it came easy. My grandfather liked what he saw and had my Dad take me for a real vice. I got a Thompson shorty. Still have it and used it for five years. One of my grown kids has it now, it is still being used. When I was a teenager I was given a Thomas Catskill vise. They call them Xuron's now. I have two and when I want to tie a bunch of flies, the Traveler is replaced. It is much easier tying a couple of dozen flies on it then the Renzetti. Don't get me wrong, I like to play on the Renzetti, the old vise has no rubber bands or little adjusting screws or material holders and it ties from a 5/0 to a 28 with the same jaw adjustment. I used it until I was 50.

[Arkansas Mike 0]

I guess I fall into the old fart category.

 

 

Not old, Troutguy, just lucky. Or wise. I'm just a little more than a decade behind you. Unfortunately, I didn't "discover" fly tying/fishing until my mid-30's.

I equally envy all of you "old farts" who've been doing this all their lives, and you youngsters just kicking off your lives. The only consolation is, I'm not

that old yet and, as long as our arms, backs, and eyes hold out, we can all tie and fish until the day we die.

 

 

 

[troutguy 0]

My sister is ten years older and she is truly a good sister. She had no interest in the outdoors, she worked for the telephone company during college and walking home from work saw the kit in a store window and just knew I liked fishing and that the kit would be perfect gift for her 8 year old brother. It was my number one gift. I think my parents got me a BB gun (oh how times have changed) and the fly tying kit was better. Still is, with gifts of flies, people will give you ducks, deer and anyother game in return. Most people can hunt, very few can tie.

 

I prefer natural materials to synthetics when given the choice. I still slow down and look at roadkill. I used to carry a kit in the car of gloves, bags, borax, scalpel, oatmeal, deodorizer, water and hand cleaner. I pretty much have triples of any native animal, so I stopped. If I know you and like you, you never have to buy flies. I once sent a wood duck skin inter-office mail to one of the upper level VP's at work for her husband. Her secretary opened the package even though it was marked with all sorts of personal and confidential warnings. She now knows not to open squishy packages as they really aren't for her boss. LOL

[brianh 0]

I have been seriously tying for just shy of two years. My first attempts were back in the 1970s, when I tried copying a steelhead pattern onto the long shank flounder hooks that my dad used to make surf fishing jigs. I thought they would be just the thing for the stocked trout the New Jersey DNR dumped into the local lake. My how times have changed...

 

I now live near Atlanta and most of my fishing is warmwater. This week I'm tying up a bunch of #18 foam ants for our local TU chapter to use on our 'Ultralight Night Out' at a local lake where the bluegill are hitting hard.

 

You can tell by my signature that I've used a lot of the same math you guys have used to 'justify' getting into tying

[jimk 0]

I've been tying for about 25 yrs, started with a very cheap Sunrise vise which should probably be illegal to sell - more frustration than productivity. Several yrs later, I bought a Regal and never looked back. I tie mainly for relaxation and creative outlet, most of my flies have never seen water but every once in a while I find a pattern that really brings in the fish. These days, I'm having fun tying parachute patterns on a new 720 vise - a novel solution to an awkward process.

[fishingbobnelson 0]

In 1956 my 6th grade teacher Dick Miller had a fly tying/ fly fishing club at Lincoln School in Grants Pass, Oregon. We had these old $1.00 vises and we cut lengths of thread, bees waxed them and used a clothes pin for tension, no one had a bobbin. Mustad were the only hooks available. We learned to tie a Grey Hackle (grizzly) Yellow and a Red Ant before moving up to a Royal Coachman. I have tied to one degree of seriousness or another since then, including a stab at tying professionally and teaching at a community center. My two older brothers took me fishing and bought me my first fly rod and reel when I was about 10. I owe them and Mr. Miller a great debt of gratitude for teaching me this wonderful sport. I am proud to have passed it on to my son Chris and now to my grandchildren.

[Hellgrammite 0]

Ive been tying for about 2 years and have really enjoyed every minute of it. Try as i might, i cannot think of any other pastime that combines art and the outdoors so well, and its a way I can enjoy fishing even in the dead of winter, on a rainy day, or on all those days when I simply cannot get to the water. Im a pretty decent tier but a relatively horrible fly fisher (I started tying before i started flyfishing...wierd) but this dosent hinder my enjoyment, and I still manage to catch some fish.

 

Im 33 now, wish id started younger (like so many things) but Ive got a looong time left ahead of me to get the most out of it.

[yellow bomber 0]

I recieved some "hand me downs" (ie junk) last year from a fella i know from work, his wife was putting the heat on him to cull the junk in their basement. I bought a few things from wal-mart since i had no clue what i was doing, and got frustrated because i had no clue how to make any of the flys i wanted to and no clue what materials to use.

 

April of this year, the fishing bug started to set in again and I stumbled onto this incredible site. I found a great local shop with one of the best tyers in this part of the country, and between his advice and the great info here, I've been tying atleast 2 hrs a day since and see no end in sight. I've accumulated a wealth of quality materials, and this has grown into a passionate addiction.

 

Thanks to all of you great tyers for your pics and tutorials, you guys are amazing!

[DanM 0]

I've been tying for about 5 years. I've been a part time taxidermist for almost 25 years, so I have accumulated a ton of material for tying. I enjoy tying in my "spare" time, I find it relaxing and I like sharing with my fishing buds. I just wish we had more time to fish!

[Alpinefly 0]

How long have you been tying? Drop a line when you are done.

 

 

I myself have been tying since March 14, 2004 (my b-day). You do the math

 

 

I am 52 years old. Started as a real little tyke (can't quite remember at what exact age), as a hobby.

In college, I had professors that were also fly fishermen that said my flies are great and I should sell them.

The hobby changed into a part time business. Alpine Custom Fly Fishing was born. Now this is starting to move to a full time business, as a fly designer, production fly tyer, and educational fly fishing and fly tying consultant.

Hank Roberts was a fishing buddy of my Great Uncle Homer Pennock (both well known fly fishermen in the Boulder, Colorado area). I was great friends with this fly tying and fly fishing legend up to the time of his death.. In college I tied for Don Dogenbaugh (a tough mentor indeed who was a stickler on proportion). I have come to know as friends and even mentors greats like Charlie Meck, Rick Takahashi, Roy Christie, James Matthews, just to name a few. I have certainly been blessed to come to know many great fly tyers and fly fishermen (& women) as friends and mentors over the many years.

[Bumpkin68 0]

I was reading the post from "Arkansas Mike" about his tying out of a bag and progressing to his own dedicated place. I found it ironic that I have ended up where he started. I started tying when I was about 15 and I've always dabbled in it, but a few years ago I REALLY got back into it. At 40, I now have my own "Man Cave", complete with my grandfather's antique oak desk dedicated to tying, storage containers up to the ceiling, every tool you can think of, more materials than I really need, etc... However, my job just went from 7 days on & 7 days off (offshore) to 14 & 14 so I thought I would put together a kit to take offshore to help the time go by. I now have a travel setup that will tie most everything I want and hardly ever tie at home. When I'm home, it's time to use the roughly 10-12 dozen flies I tied the 2 weeks I was at work! I still slip out to my hidey-hole every night but only tie for fun and new ideas for next time at work. This stuff is addicting!