Consistency

[MuskyFlyGuy 0]

What are some tips people can give about increasing consistency among flies? For swaps, I tie extras and send the best. What do you do to only tie the best? Does size matter in matters of consistency?

Tom

[josephcsylvia 0]

I tie mostly saltwater so larger flies here, what I do when tying multiples is put the first one I tie right in front of me and tie every other one using that one as a reference

[eastern fly 0]

If I am tying large amounts like swap flies, I do them in sections. I don't try to do the entire fly. If I have one part that needs to change I take notes. Sometimes I make notes for the completed fly and follow them for all.

 

Kevin

[flytire 0]

pay attention to details

 

if a tying step isnt working out dont continue to tie the fly. undo whats going wrong and redo it

 

dont bite off more than you can chew

 

consistency = repetition

[BuzFly 0]

Consistency is more about material prep than the actual tying of the fly. Layout all the material and precut/portion it for every fly in advance. For example, having to much/little of a material or three strands of flash vs 5 strands can make a difference.

[Guest rich mc]

a ruler and notepad to take notes as to length of material and WRITE it down if the fly need changing rich mc

[BuzFly 0]

Another thing that will help is to tie three or six of the same flies at one sitting.

[Wetsock 0]

Thing that works best for me is prep material for all flys at 1 time. I also use a Golden Mean tool to check tie In points and Che k proportion. I write it all down one the first fly then can check everything g on the others

[djtrout 0]

scratch

I don't worry about being too consistent in swaps; I like to experiment as I go along, actually. I don't mind the variation as long as the quality is there. When I want consistency:
- First decide to produce a consistent batch
- Experiment and determine a pattern (materials, order of materials, exact specifications of materials) and method (how and where to attach thread, exact same procedure to lay thread foundation, where to attach each material to the hook, define the head profile, step by step procedure for stacking hair …). Once the batch is started, do not deviate from the pattern and methodology.
- Material prep and selection: use the same quality and spec of material for every fly – lay out these materials before starting the batch. Dry fly hackle can be quite variant within the same saddle or cape sometimes, ensure each feather is an exact replication in size and webbiness. This step was huge when tying in large batches for fly shops. I took it one material at a time and selected and laid out. Some material cannot be pre-laid, like deer hair for stacking or bucktail for streamers. During tying these, select the hair consistently: same density of hair clumps for spinning or stacking, the same straightness and clump size of bucktail. Note on bucktail, fibers from the tip are very different from fibers close to the base (base hair flares more) – try to select hair bunches from the same area of the bucktail.
- Reject and redo mistakes. Consistency is achieved by completing the prescribed process exactly as defined, and hampered when I try to “repair” a mistake mid-tie.
As I said, I don’t shoot for consistency very often. Tying is an art, each piece may have, just as a piece of fine top grain wood, its own character or variation. I permit this, even in the swaps.
I’m working though on being more consistent with my hair stacking. I still need to improve my method; haven’t found one that works consistently for me yet. The “artful” variations in my hair work are the result of a work in progress.
This year I’m focusing on using up materials I’ve accumulated over many years. This impacts consistency to some degree; challenges my creativity.
If I am inconsistent because I got in a hurry (happens) or for some other reason was just sloppy, I criticize myself for it. Sloppiness if often the result of not rejecting and redoing mistakes, but trying to over-wrap/repair them or outright just letting it go. Hmmmph. Nonsense.

 

commit to consistency-determine pattern and process-prep and select materials-reject and redo mistakes

 

I also often do batches in sections as Eastern Fly suggested. That tends to discourage sloppiness.

[Crackaig 0]

Now right after Djtrout has told you why it isn't importan,t I'm about to tell you why it is to me, and how I go about it.

 

If I tie a fly for a customer I need to be able to re tie it at a later date, sometimes much later. I may not have tied that pattern for a year or more. It doesn't matter the customer wants the fly the same as he had it last time.

 

All sizes are specific to the hook you are tying on. That is why I do not have a hackle gauge on my vice, as many do. I would need a different hackle gauge for each model of hook I use. There isn't a one size fits all gauge. Over time you will develop an eye for proportion. You should tie flies that look good to your eye. What looks right comes from experience, it may look over or under hackled, for example, to me, but if it is what your experience says is right for where you fish then it is right.

 

The way I do this is to take a small slip of card, sit and tie the first fly, adjusting sizes so that it looks right. As I tie I mark the various lengths on the card. Here is an example using my BiColour nymph.

 

Start by writing the name of the fly and hook details on the card. I only keep one model of long shank 14 in stock, so for these I do not note the model just the size.

The first material to be tied in is a bunch of pheasant tail fibres, I find it best to measure the length of the bunch along the stem of the feather. It will create some variation doing it this way, but, other than counting fibres, is about the best way.

These are tied forward of the eye and will make the back and tail of the fly. This has to be measured accurately, or your tails will vary in length.

(There is paralex error in this photo, It isn't possible to avoid it working alone).

Next is a little spot of dubbing that forms the front of the thorax. Dubbing is measured by the length of thread it occupies before winding it. Wind your dubbing adding to it until you get it right, then undo it and measure it. On this fly when it is re wound it is done so with a whip finish as the thread is removed.

The bead is seated and thread restarted. In my example it just happened that the bunch of dyed pheasant tail for the body is the same size as the bunch for the back/tail. That and the rib are tied in as you take the thread back along the body. Let the thread hang at the point you want to start the thorax, Measure these sizes on your card.

Wind the body up to the hanging thread, tie off and dub the rear of the thorax. Measure it as you did with the front. Re wind it with a whip finish, and remove the thread.

Fold the pheasant tail bunch back over the fly and secure it with the rib. Trim out the excess tail fibres. The finished fly and the card with all the sizes.

There is still minor variation between examples but they are similar enough to satisfy all but the most picky customers.

 

This is quite a simple fly, sometimes you will need to use both sides of the card for all the measurements. It is a good idea to cover the card with clear tape once you have got all the sizes on it. (I didn't as it makes it much more difficult to photograph). You can mark every detail on the card measuring from the corners for 16 steps. That is enough for 99% of flies.

 

Now for a bit of fun. The slips of card I use are recycled from "elsewhere". Those three nymphs to the first person who can say where the slips of card are from.

 

Cheers,

C.

[rstaight 0]

I have hackle gages that I purchased when I started tying. Turned out to more of a hassle than a help for me. As Crackaig said, everything you need for proportion is in the hook.

 

When I am going to tie more than a few flies in a session I will tie 3 to get my techniques squared away. Then those 3 flies either have the materials stripped of the hooks or they go in my fly box as cripples. If I tie more than 3 they are for someone else.

[carlp5351 0]

I have been tying 25 plus years consistency did come for me until I tied every day. I was told once by one of my instructors that the best to improve is to tie a fly every day and tie with a purpose. Consistency will come with more time at the vise.

 

carlp

[BuzFly 0]

Consistency to me is very important like Cracking said. Everyone can tie the one hit wonder, few an tie three dozen of them. Consistency in your flies will help with your fishing. If you fish the same fly you build confidence in that fly and not worry about was this the one I put to much flash in or substituted rabbit for fox. It now puts the focus on the actual fishing, the presentation, the cast and studying the water and its surroundings.

[Crackaig 0]

Remember that when people talk of practice AK Best once wrote "I don't really know how to tie a [particular] fly, until I've tied 100 dozen of them". AK would probably do those one after another.

 

Back in August my quack started messing around with my medication, I've been in a sort of haze since then, only in the last few days have I started to come out of it, he's finally getting towards the right medication. I haven't done much tying through that period. It is amazing to see how rusty I have become. Though it shows more in speed than anywhere else.

 

Cheers,

C.

[singletrack 0]

I like being consistent. I enjoy looking at a dozen flies that match. The way I go about it is I tie a prefect fly and I will save it. From then on I use it as my refernce. I do tie a large range of flies from salt to trout flies and everything in betweeen. So I find it quite helpful to have the refernce. I really like hackle gauges it was a big turning point for me in more consistent dry flies. I don't nescerly look at the gauge to tell me exact sizes more as a refernce for closeness in lenght. It is pretty much the only messuring device I use. I also follow pretty traditional proportion when I tye. Like a dry flies tail should be 1 shank lenght and so on. So I will measure off the hook a lot to get correct proportions. Wrong or right this is what I find works for me.