New tyer

[bigpopper]

Tying flies is an art form that I've been seriously considering for over a year. I spent some time gathering info on vices and materials ect. just last week. On Christmas morning I opened the present I received in the mail from my parents. Inside the box was a beginner fly tying kit! Lots of good materials and tools, but I still need more hooks, bead heads, eyes ,some better scissors, a ceramic lined bobbin. Between birthday and Christmas money I should be able to get all the supplies I need. I'm also considering a pedestal vice. The kit I got has a c-clamp vice I could use as a back up. I will greatly appreciate any tips/advice. I have tyed a few flies allready. Here are a couple of the buggers.

[David Knapp]

Great stuff! Fly tying was something that I got into very early on and haven't looked back. It is such a challenge to figure out what the fish want and then catch them on a creation of your own. Good luck and enjoy the experience!

[MadisonBoats]

Good job and good for you! You will love fly tying. Search YouTube for tutorials.

Some tips:

• learn the whip-finish first
• Try to tie your chenille small so that you can wrap it forward and maintain a consistent shape. You can do this by stripping off the chenille down to the inner thread. Then; tie it in with the thread and you can keep from getting that large hump in the back of the body.
• Also; I like to lightly wet my marabou tails and twist (Oliver Edwards Tip) the material when tying it in to help it spread better in the water. This keeps it from coning back to a small tail when retrieving.
• less is best material wise. You will end up throwing away most of the feather you using for tying. Learn to strip the quills of feathers down to the best part of the feather.
• visualize your tying sequence before starting
• keep a pair of sharp scissors just for the fine tuning
• I use a pair of toe nail clippers for trimming wire
• check out some of the hobby shops for a magnifying lens for tying small flies
• learn to gauge hackle sizes with a hackle gauge. After a while; you will not need the gauge any more.

*keep a scrap box of the flies you do not like. I had 100s when I started. You can use a lit candle, tweezers, and an oven glove to reclaim your flies. I drop them in a cup of water. Then use nail clippers to remove any excess material. This works great for tinting copper hooks too...

Here are a few of my instructional flies I posted a while back. These are super easy to tie.

1. http://littleriveroutfitters.com/for...ad.php?t=14902
2. http://littleriveroutfitters.com/for...ad.php?t=15622

[Kytroutbum]

Invest in tying lessons!! You will actually save money over time. Also, Get a couple of A K Best's Tying DVD's. Welcome to the ADDICTION!

[olesmoke]

bigpopper you have made a wise decision in taking up an art form that has no bounds.I may not be the one to give advice but first---" let me apologize to those I don't know" and then begin by saying "look at what the true top guns like Hugh Hartsell-Randy Ratliff and of course flyman himself put in the fly box.These flies are what you see on the water and not from a pattern book.Spend the time out there looking at what the fish are eating...turn over the rocks look in the trees and bushes...take samples home and learn to match the colors and sizes and then find the confidence to pitch the hairballs you tie and know that's what they want.Oh yea take out another mortgage on your home to pay for all the money your going to save tying your own flies..Welcome to the jungle.Be safe

[Knothead]

Wise decision! To me, part of the fun of flyfishing is tying flies. I stick with a few basic patterns and experiment some. I caught a rainbow on the Middle Prong with a pheasant tail made from heavy button thread! Either a good fly or stupid fish!
I think turning over rocks in the Park is a no-no. A good hatch guide will suffice.

[bigpopper]

Thanks a lot everyone! I really do apreciate all the tips and encouragement. I have invested in a quality vise, more tools, and more tying materials. Thanks again!