Re: My First Fly Tied

feeds@yuku.com (CtKenC) — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 15:50:12 GMT

I still tie some "butt ugly" flies when trying a new pattern .... I keep a few of them, cut off the hook, and use them in "lawn casting" so you get a more true feeling of how that line and rod will feel. I end up losing them in the bushes in my yard but don't really care.
Kind of "Going Green" as they say nowadays.

Re: My First Fly Tied

feeds@yuku.com (TnTom) — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 15:03:52 GMT

Just being your first is a good reason not to cut it down

The first rod I ever built left a lot to be desired to say the least but I look at it all the time and I love fishing it. Same thing with that fly maybe fish it maybe not but I'd say keep it nearby when your working. Ive only been tying since last summer and try to tie a few every day. Someties I find cheap materials can often make things more difficult than need be. Hackle and hurl Ive...

Re: My First Fly Tied

feeds@yuku.com (Fatmans1) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 11:14:49 GMT

Ed First of all Welcome fellow Vermonter!!!!!! You're down the road a bit from me I'm in Northfield. I'm starting year 4 of tying and believe me you're first ties can be ugly I know mine were!!!!!!! Keep the first one you tie, keep the first one you ever catch a fish on, doesn't matter what kind of fish. Keep trying and if you want a really good tying course that's free check out Fly Anglers On-Line, www.flyanglersonline.com go to fly tying and then beginner. The...

Re: My First Fly Tied

feeds@yuku.com (mmorris236) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 09:40:45 GMT

I cannot remember who said it but this "quote" sums up fly tying in a nutshell, and should deflate all those imitative purists and hard core fly tying freaks with way too much equipment and a thousand bucks worth of wierd feathers, synthetics and carpet scrapings (I shave my dog too), sorry I digress.

Simply put:

99% of a trouts diet is brown and about an 1/8th of an inch long, match that and you will catch even the wiliest fish.

And Ed, take...

Re: My First Fly Tied

feeds@yuku.com (gt05254) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 22:54:18 GMT

PYohchim gives good advice - I think we all really loaded up the material on the hook when we first started. 99 percent of the time, I think less is better, too. I found that REALLY good scissors helped me create a better fly immensely. Especially at the head. That, and 14/0 thread.

Re: My First Fly Tied

feeds@yuku.com (Soft Hackle) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:36:52 GMT

Ed,

What pattern did you tie for your first fly, was it a dry fly? Keep it and in a few seasons you will be amazed at your improvement. When the flies start actually looking good to you you can take out the first one and compare. Eventually you will be selling some to friends.

Re: My First Fly Tied

feeds@yuku.com (gt05254) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:10:33 GMT

The Burdock (I've hooked a few atlantic salmon with them):

And for the record, I razor bladed more than a dozen of last year's salmon fly tying efforts the other day, just because I didn't like the way I finished the head. It's all fun, Ed, keep that in mind. You'll love landing fish on your own flies!

Re: My First Fly Tied

feeds@yuku.com (mvendon) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 18:14:44 GMT

Hi Ed,

I'd hang on to it too, and maybe the next few also. Even after a month or two, let alone a few years, you can pull them out and see just how far you've advanced. It will really surprise you! I started out with a bass bug tying kit complete with four pieces of colored deer hair among other things. I actually kept a couple of those flies. You want to talk about ugly! I trimmed them with the small pair of Sunrise scissors that came with the kit.

...

Re: My First Fly Tied

feeds@yuku.com (philpsych) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 16:53:43 GMT

You bet ugly flies catch fish. One day on the Crowsnest a friend of a friend caught a huge brown on his 'chair-fly', a chunk of material that came off his tying chair, wrapped around a hook. Chair Fly! ~Mark

Re: My First Fly Tied

feeds@yuku.com (flyslinger) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 15:04:54 GMT

Where I come from, there is an old saying: "Ugly flies catch fish." It's absolutely an accurate truism, because my first flies caught enough fish to get me hooked on fly tying. It's a long, expensive, and addictive path you've chosen. Perhaps you should turn back before it's too late
Speaking of sayings, have you ever heard the term "Bug ugly"? I guess most bugs...

Re: My First Fly Tied

feeds@yuku.com (spiaailtli) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:31:54 GMT

The first flies I tied where pretty crazy and ugly. I didn't even know enough at the time to be aware that they should be cut off and retied. I fished them and caught a bunch of fish on them. A few of them worked better than my better efforts today. I keep tying and keep trying to improve. Every once in awhile if I run out of hooks I select a few of my worst flies and cut them off and start over on them for something to do.

Re: My First Fly Tied

feeds@yuku.com (pvansch1) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 13:08:33 GMT

Hang on to it. Give you a benchmark to exceed.
It will catch something, but keep it. Firsts of most things should be kept.

Re: My First Fly Tied

feeds@yuku.com (creakycane) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 11:41:12 GMT

Ed - yes, I have taken a razor blade to some - but, to be honest, freestone fish are often less discerning than we are, so as long as it floats/sinks, has an eye and a bent pointy piece, there's a fish out there for it. I will say that it is more satisfying to me to catch fish on flies I tie - so, I say put it in the fly box and keep going!

My First Fly Tied

feeds@yuku.com (Ed Pirie) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 11:32:55 GMT

Well, I tied my first fly last night. It will probably catch fish, but, damn, it looks like hell. Did any of you ever get the urge to just take a knife and wack off the mess and start over? It seems terrible to waste a good hook. Well, I can only get better, that's for sure. It was fun and I think there will be better ties ahead. It is a good thing that my wife does not know what a good fly should look like. She complimented the damn thing.

Ed Pirie
West Topsham, Vermont