My First Fly Tied

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Ed Pirie	My First Fly Tied		Lead	[-]
Posts: 59 01/06/2009 11:32	Tags : None 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
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creakycane		#1	[url]	[-]
Posts: 1990 01/06/2009 11:41	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!
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pvansch1		#2	[url]	[-]
Posts: 4197 01/06/2009 13:08 Moderator	Hang on to it. Give you a benchmark to exceed. It will catch something, but keep it. Firsts of most things should be kept. Pete "Listen to the river sing sweet songs to rock my soul" Grateful Dead
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spiaailtli		#3	[url]	[-]
Posts: 11 01/06/2009 14:31	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.
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flyslinger		#4	[url]	[-]
Posts: 48 01/06/2009 15:04	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 ain't pretty. One thing is for sure, your flies will get better, and you will learn new tricks and techniques if you stay with it. A great way to learn is to go to a FFF Conclave and walk around watching various tyers. I learn new things every time I attend one. Good luck! Dirk
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philpsych		#5	[url]	[-]
Posts: 137 01/06/2009 16:53 Moderator	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
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mvendon		#6	[url]	[-]
Posts: 31 01/06/2009 18:14	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. Regards, Mark
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gt05254	some flies are even supposed to look bad, Ed.	#7	[url]	[-]
Posts: 373 01/06/2009 20:10	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!
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Soft Hackle		#8	[url]	[-]
Posts: 1178 01/06/2009 21:36	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.
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gt05254		#9	[url]	[-]
Posts: 375 01/06/2009 22:54	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.
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mmorris236		#10	[url]	[-]
Posts: 241 01/07/2009 09:40	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 flyslingers advice to heart, you are playing with fire here. Simple advice would be to quit NOW, immediately and take up heroin instead, It's cheaper, far less addictive and your freinds will find it more socially acceptable.
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Fatmans1		#11	[url]	[-]
Posts: 29 01/07/2009 11:14	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 course was designed by the late Al Campbell and will help you out immensly. You can print out each lesson if you want and put it in a binder and you have a great book after a while. It also has intermediate and advanced. I don't know if the Fly Rod Shop is still offering their free fly tying class anymore, I took it before Bob Shannon bought it but he's a really good guy as are all the folks who work there. Ok looking at the site http://store01.prostores..../theflyrodshop/StoreFront class's are in Jan, Feb and March. Don't know the particulars but you can contact them at angler@flyrodshop.com or call (802) 253-7346. Again welcome aboard. Fatman
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TnTom	Its worth keeping.	#12	[url]	[-]
Posts: 19 01/18/2009 15:03	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 found can break very easily if it isn't good stuff and that gets frustrating. Just have fun and everything else seems to follow........in time. There are some great tying forums also. Over the short time I've been tying I find just doing it helps me get rid of some of the 2 left feet with fingers feeling and I break less material (seems to be the biggest problem I experience). Last Edited By: TnTom 01/18/2009 17:38. Edited 2 times.
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CtKenC	Another use For Them	#13	[url]	[-]
Posts: 492 01/18/2009 15:50	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. Ken Last Edited By: CtKenC 01/18/2009 17:51. Edited 1 time.
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