fly tying beginner

sniperman

hi folks im going to try my hand at tying my own flys,mostly dry,i have fly fished,and have an idea how it all works,i know i can buy flys,but im looking for a hobby i can do myself,so what tools do i need,dressings,threads,hooks ect,i know its alot to ask,so any advice/help much appreciated,would be mostly on local rivers in tipperary/nenagh area,thanks all,and seasons greetings,keep safe

crusier

sniperman wrote: »

hi folks im going to try my hand at tying my own flys,mostly dry,i have fly fished,and have an idea how it all works,i know i can buy flys,but im looking for a hobby i can do myself,so what tools do i need,dressings,threads,hooks ect,i know its alot to ask,so any advice/help much appreciated,would be mostly on local rivers in tipperary/nenagh area,thanks all,and seasons greetings,keep safe

There's a guy on youtube from the tipperary area who ties flies and does fishing videos. I find them very interesting and he chats to local anglers on their methods. It's called Gundog and fly.

viper123

Look up Davie McPhail on youtube also, the only problem with him is he makes it look too easy :cool:

boomdocker

crusier wrote: »

There's a guy on youtube from the tipperary area who ties flies and does fishing videos. I find them very interesting and he chats to local anglers on their methods. It's called Gundog and fly.

Second that - he ties some very simple but effective flies, especially nymphs

I'm no expert, but my advice is keep them simple - if tying wets tie some simple spider patterns etc.. and those nymphs above

Also follow Piscarifly on Facebook, Peter Driver does live tying these days, usually on a Saturday night and he is an expert fly tier

SeaFields

I would say avoid the introductory kits. A couple of the main tools you'll need, of a better quality than the kits, will make life easier and it all more enjoyable.

When I started out I used tie the same pattern over and over. A teal blue and silver (which I used a lot anyway!). When I had that mastered I was able to tie a raft of other flies of the same type needing the same tying skills. After that just kept branching out. Used even pass the time tying the fully dressed salmon flies for display.

And don't forget one of the rules beginners also have trouble with - if you're not pulling the thread tight enough to break it, you're not pulling it tight enough!

boomdocker

https://www.adultedtiernans.ie/flytying.html

This may be of interest?

whelzer

boomdocker wrote: »

https://www.adultedtiernans.ie/flytying.html

This may be of interest?

Great idea - live online tying classes, there is however a major LIE in the blurb!;)

Your hand tied flies will save you time & money and catch more fish!

Serious fly tiers know this is not the case, I just knocked out 6 size 18 jig hook tungsten bead head red tag nymphs, they probably cost 25cents or thereabouts a piece, they look nice and will all catch fish (if I can ever go fishing again). BUT to get to materials required, I had to wade through dozens of IKEA boxes stuffed to the brim......

• at least 20 cock capes (some cost me over €100 each)
• dozens of hen capes from cheap Indian ones to expensive genetics
• bits of hare, rabbit, mink, elk, deer, moose, seal, mole, artic fox, unicorn*
• feathers galore cdc, crow, magpie, jackdaw, mallard, teal, partridge, grouse, moorhen, jay, starling, phoenix*
• enough thread to get to the moon and back
• at least 1,000,000,000,000 hooks from 4/0 (pike) to 26s (midge)
• Tinsels, wires, glues, dyes, markers, beads (metal, coloured, glass, plastic)
• Blades, needles, scissors, tweezers, pilars, cutters

unicorn and phoenix* fly patterns non existent at this time but we would find an excuse to use them!

Its worse than a drug addiction, I have a roadkill kit (ziploc bags, gloves, craft knife) in the car at all times, my wife and kids are afraid to look in the top drawer of the freezer.... just a hobby they said....thread carefully :eek:

Bellejelles

It cheaper to buy than build your own I did short course a few years ago there's some you tube videos

pullandbang

whelzer wrote: »

Its worse than a drug addiction, I have a roadkill kit (ziploc bags, gloves, craft knife) in the car at all times, my wife and kids are afraid to look in the top drawer of the freezer.... just a hobby they said....thread carefully :eek:

Reminds me of an incident 10 years ago. On my way home from work and I come across a dead badger smack bang in the middle of the road. I'm a photographer, and I just liked the look of the long straight road and the fact that the badger was undamaged. Hopped out to take a few pics.



Next thing a car pulled up and the driver asked if I was keeping the badger. I said no, I just wanted a few photos and he asked if he could have it.
Turns out he's a very keen Salmon fisherman who ties his own flies. Seems the Badger fur is very useful and he was running out. He had a carcass that he'd picked up 25 years earlier and it was getting bare!
"No problem" says I "just let me finish my photos".

Also turns out he had a bad back and had no way of lifting the badger into his boot - he'd just had an operation on it I think. He was going to go home and get his son to come back and give him a hand and get some plastic to wrap it.

"No need" says I and grabbed a sheet of bubblewrap I had in my boot, wrapped the badger and bunged it into his boot.



One happy fisherman for another 25 years

whelzer

Great badger story!

I have heard from a few people (which probably means it is a myth) something similar, they came across a "dead" badger, picked up an put in the boot, only to get home realise the thing was just knocked out and is now awake and they are faced with an angry badger in the boot...

Have picked up pheasant, rabbit, crow, mallard off the road over the years (I wouldn't mind but I shoot a bit so have no real need to collect these - hard to drive past a freshly killed game bird....

On the non killing front I have been on the lookout for the last while for some heron wing feathers - "needed" for JC Plume Tip fly. I picked up a few in the zoo years ago and the last one is almost stripped bare, shop bought goose is a decent sub but just not the same (the fish have no idea!). They molt in the spring so it is bike journeys up the canals and other herony spots! Kids are too big for teh zoo! I will stumble upon some eventually....

All messing aside, OP tying your own flies is a superb hobby. It keeps me going through the winter and for some a substitute for fishing itself. I am doing it years but there is nothing like the first few fish (of a species) you catch on your own flies. Great advise on here so far, pick a pattern or two that you like and master them. Pretty sure someone said already but avoid the kits, you will end up with lots of materials you never use. Let me know what flies you fish with/intend to tie. PM me your address and I will send on some materials.

sniperman

whelzer wrote: »

Great badger story!

I have heard from a few people (which probably means it is a myth) something similar, they came across a "dead" badger, picked up an put in the boot, only to get home realise the thing was just knocked out and is now awake and they are faced with an angry badger in the boot...

Have picked up pheasant, rabbit, crow, mallard off the road over the years (I wouldn't mind but I shoot a bit so have no real need to collect these - hard to drive past a freshly killed game bird....

On the non killing front I have been on the lookout for the last while for some heron wing feathers - "needed" for JC Plume Tip fly. I picked up a few in the zoo years ago and the last one is almost stripped bare, shop bought goose is a decent sub but just not the same (the fish have no idea!). They molt in the spring so it is bike journeys up the canals and other herony spots! Kids are too big for teh zoo! I will stumble upon some eventually....

All messing aside, OP tying your own flies is a superb hobby. It keeps me going through the winter and for some a substitute for fishing itself. I am doing it years but there is nothing like the first few fish (of a species) you catch on your own flies. Great advise on here so far, pick a pattern or two that you like and master them. Pretty sure someone said already but avoid the kits, you will end up with lots of materials you never use. Let me know what flies you fish with/intend to tie. PM me your address and I will send on some materials.

thanks for the offer of materials,i will be starting to get in the tools soon,ill send you a list of what i might need for some basic flys,and you can give me a price,thanks,ill be mostly going down the dry flys route

whelzer

Global Fly fisher is superb site for all things fly related.... Great article on why you should (or should not) tie flies!

https://globalflyfisher.com/tie-better/dont-tie-flies

sniperman

whelzer wrote: »

Global Fly fisher is superb site for all things fly related.... Great article on why you should (or should not) tie flies!

https://globalflyfisher.com/tie-better/dont-tie-flies

thanks,a good read

swift220

Contact Peter Driver of Piscari fly he has a world of knowledge of all things fly fishing and fly tying, he also sells all the fly tying gear and materials you will need.

He will talk you through any of the stuff you will need to start out with and will help you with any questions you will have

Contact Peter here,
https://www.piscari-fly.com/

sniperman

swift220 wrote: »

Contact Peter Driver of Piscari fly he has a world of knowledge of all things fly fishing and fly tying, he also sells all the fly tying gear and materials you will need.

He will talk you through any of the stuff you will need to start out with and will help you with any questions you will have

Contact Peter here,
https://www.piscari-fly.com/

thanks very much

BarryNumber1

whelzer wrote: »

I have a roadkill kit (ziploc bags, gloves, craft knife) in the car at all times, my wife and kids are afraid to look in the top drawer of the freezer.... just a hobby they said....thread carefully :eek:

That's hilarious. Went through the same last year in between lockdowns. Was fishing a lake from the shore, saw what looked like a dead mallard in the middle. All thoughts of Trout ended there and then, and spent the rest of the day trying to get that Mallard in. Eventually he floated in and thankfully recently deceased and in great condition. Some plucking, home, washed in the sink to get rid of any undesirables, dried... and it's the best bag of mixed feathers I have. My wife is horrified though- you know you're in trouble when they saying nothing, just look at you.

A great hobby though, in some weird way it's very relaxing.

whelzer

Peter Driver made a very interesting comment on the last of his live fly tying thingys on Facebook a couple of weeks ago. He said he could give up fly fishing but not fly tying.

I have been thinking about it since, if I had to pick, which one would I stop...I flick between the two.

I think it is relaxing for a number of reasons;
you can be creative, bright pink thread and the hair off pigs arse, there you go I just invented a new fly (the pinky pig!), it might not catch fish but thats by the by.
it can be quick, I can literally grab the vise of a shelf, tie and couple of flies and have it back and everything cleared in just a few mins.
its useful, I fish some very overgrown streams and lose a lot of flies, I need a constant supply.

And your friends will think you are weird/cool for collecting bits of dead animals.

BarryNumber1

whelzer wrote: »

And your friends will think you are weird/cool for collecting bits of dead animals.

Weirder