Fly Tying 101: Part 2

If you missed “Fly Tying 101: Part 1″ you can catch up here.

So you’re back, eh? Alright then. Let’s get to it!

When we last parted, I was just about to get into the heart of what you would need to tie flies. Oh yes, and what you wouldn’t need. That “what you don’t need” part is almost as important as the “what you do need” list. Alright, alright, just the facts, huh? Well then - buckle up, fly tying noob! 

Let’s start with what you don’t want. You’ll just have to trust me on this, because you’re going to think (and perhaps your local fly shop is going to tell you) that you need “one of everything.”

The first thing you absolutely DO NOT WANT is a pre-made “fly tying kit.” Why? Well, because most of the time they are going to have materials and/or tools that you will never, ever use. On top of that, the stuff they do have usually isn’t worth what you’re getting charged, even though it seems cheap.

Yeah, but I can’t afford all the different fly tying stuff a kit has if I have to buy all that stuff separately, Owl!?

Wait a second. You’re not doing this to save money, right? I mean, we covered that last time, didn’t we? Let me refresh your memory a bit: You are never going to “save money” tying your own flies. There. Ya got it?

Well, I knew a guy once that tied only one fly and used materials he found on 34th St. and borrowed someone’s pliers for a vise and he saved a ton! 

Yes, and his flies looked like crap and fell apart during the process of being tied onto a tippet. Let’s get back on track, shall we?

You don’t want a kit. Got it? The second thing you DO NOT WANT is a high dollar, wood handle, anything. I’ve got nothing against wood. Some of my best friends are trees (or Pinecones) but there is absolutely no reason that a beginning fly tier needs a $29 Bobbin. Why not? Well, for one thing it’s $29 (or whatever). Tying flies is alot like practicing photography. People see your photos and, if they’re good, ask you what kind of camera you use. When you tell them a $300 D-60, they scratch their heads and curl their lips and make a sound like a sick cat. It’s not the tools (or the vise or the accessories) that tie the fly, noob – it’s YOU.

Alright, continuing down this path, the next thing you DO NOT NEED are 145 books on Fly Tying. You know that thing you’re on right now? No, not your couch – the internet. It’s a space-age weapon in the War Against Fish. You can look up just about anything you want. You know, I originally wrote that as “You can look up anything you want” but then I couldn’t find a website about the frequency of butterfly defecation, so I had to add the “just about” in there.

Use the internet to find lesson after never-ending lesson on how to tie everything from your basic ant or egg pattern, to the most complicated salmon flies. It’s all out there. You don’t need to spend money on books. Unless you just hate the internet, which at this point in your reading this I would find both highly ironic and extremely unlikely.

Finally, what you DO NOT NEED includes the following:

• bobbin threader ( suck it through the tube, noob.)
• hackle pliers ( nice, but not necessary)
• “head cement” ( Five words: Sally Hanson’s Hard as Nails)
• Fifteen pairs of scissors ( one will do, just make them fine tipped and keep it under $15)
• Crazy vise attachments ( back plates, material clips, or one of those ridiculous ”parachute” hanger tools.)
• A “Whip Finisher” ( I love mine, but a half-hitch knot works just as well, esp. if you’re using Hard as Nails)
• A special “daylight” lamp. ( Again, I have one, but to begin your journey in tying – skip it. You don’t need it.)
• Fancy wooden tool caddies ( You’ll start with one or two tools. Worry about more tools and where to put them later on, ok?)
• Microfibbets, tungsten beads, jungle cock, Gold grade hackle or anything else that costs more than you think it should. K.I.S.S. ( Keep is super simple.)

Wow, this is getting pretty long Owl. And we’re just into Lesson 2?!

Hey, do you want to learn how to tie flies without needing a second (or third) mortgage or not? Calm down, we’re half way home on this one…

So what DO you need? What do you absolutely need to tie your first fly? Here’s a suggested list:

• A decent vise. I recommend the “Danvise” model. About $90.

Wait, wait….but I can get a cheap vise for about $28. Shouldn’t I buy something really cheap in case I don’t like it?

Listen, noob…..by now, you should have already figured out if you’re going to like it or not. I mean, you should at least have a good idea about the thing. A 75% chance you’ll enjoy it. You know? If you’re not at least 75% sure you’ll like tying  your own flies, I suggest you find someone near you that will let you watch them or help you tie a few up – just to make sure. Why do that when you could get a really cheap vise and just throw it away or sell it on ebay if it turns out you hate it? Because if you spend $30 on a vise, I can almost promise you that you will hate it.

The same way I see people who hate fly fishing because they bought a $50 combo and can’t figure out why they can’t cast past their shoelaces. It’s important to not over-spend for all of us, but especially for the new tier – because face it – everything looks so cool and so potentially useful. But it’s also important not to get the cheapest garbage out there. What you turn out of the vise is up to you – but only if you have a vise capable of getting the job done. And, if you hate it you can always sell a good vise that’s lightly used for about 50-70% of what you paid for it. You’ll be lucky to get $2.95 for one of those “big box” cheap-o vises. On the other hand, I don’t think most people try to sell those after they fail to work for them. It’s hard to sell something that you can’t find because you threw it as far as you could one night in a fit of rage.

OK, back to what you DO NEED:

• A good vise ( Again, you can’t go wrong with the Danvise model)
• One pair of good, sharp, smaller sized scissors
• One spool of RED fly tying thread ( don’t go cheap and try to buy sewing thread. Spend the $2.65 on this item)
• One CERAMIC bobbin ( no ceramic in your bobbin = broken thread and mini-strokes)
• 1 package of hooks from walmart. ( I suggest Eagle Claw crappie hooks or similar)

Whoa, whoa, whoa…you want me to buy crappie hooks from Walmart? 

Your first flies are not going to be works of art.* Crappie hooks are cheap. So are “baitholder” hooks, but they have little barbs that you might find frustrating. Any cheap hook will do. Don’t spend $7 for 25 “fly fishing” hooks for your first flies. *See above. 

And once again…

• 1 package of possum or hare’s ear dubbing
• 1 small patch of elk hair ( natural color, not bleached – and try to get the patch with the straightest hair, too)
• One 1/4 saddle (or a “100 pack” ) in tan or brown ( THIS is a saddle )

And that’s it. Yes, we’re going to teach you to tie an elk hair caddis for your first fly. No, don’t worry about the wire. We’ll take care of that later, when you figure out you like fly tying enough to buy wire. It’s not usually expensive, but it’s unnecessary for your first few flies. We’ll cross that bridge when we..umm…cross it. For now, just get these items on your desk and we’ll meet back here in a couple of days.

And from here on out, there will be lots of photos and video.  See, this is going to be fun after all!

 

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