Fly Tying: A Couple Tips

Tying your own flies can be an undertaking at first, but once you start to gain confidence it can be pure fun. A lot of people I talk to about tying either don’t have enough time or would just rather buy their flies. I feel the same way at times too, because I have not begun to tie fishable dry flies. Here are a couple tips to get you started and help you find success.

Start Small:

The first couple of times you sit down at the vise, begin to learn the basics. It can be easy to watch Youtube videos and then attempt to tie a number 16 Adams. Trust me, it will help you skill level and sanity if you start by tying some simple midges and nymphs first. Learn the functions of your tools and how to use them. Learn about the all the different types of flies you can tie. Learn about the materials needed for simple and complex patterns. Also, you don’t have to have all of the fancy materials as soon as you start, for this will make the process almost a bit more complicating. Begin to tie with simple equipment, and know how to use it before purchasing some of the higher end products. Starting small with equip you with the tools to succeed long term, so you can fish your own dry flies to overzealous rainbow trout on that spring creek you visit every Saturday.

Utilize Different Resources:

When I first started tying flies, I was reading tying instructions out of an Orvis catalog. Although a great resource, there are multiple other online and written platforms out there to help you learn the basic flies to the advanced patterns. I find a lot of success from watching Youtube videos of fly tiers. These channels put out great content and will give you everything you need to tie that pattern. Everything from the materials needed to tie the pattern, and step-by-step of the process behind the pattern to completion. There are also quite a few fly tying books that give you the same amount of information and will assist you in learning. I find Youtube as the better source because I can learn better by repeating someone’s actions over and over again. I also like Youtube because you can get some inspiration on patterns you didn’t know about that do indeed catch fish. I find this most frequently in midge and nymph patterns because there is so much you can subtly change to make the fly look completely different.

Find Time:

Even if it is a couple of midges a night or a whole box in a week, find the time to sit down and tie a few flies. It can be nice after a long day at work to relax and focus on something else, or really exciting if you are headed out for the weekend. Before you know it you will have half a box of nymphs you didn’t know about that catch fish.

When I first started tying flies it was frustrating, complicated, and something I didn’t like to do. Over time, I began to enjoy it more and more. It came full circle for me when I started to catch fish on flies that I tied a couple years back. That is one of the coolest feeling in this sport, I believe. Something that you crafted by hand tricked that trout to be hooked on the end of your line. I learn something new every time I sit down at the vise and watch a video or tie a couple of patterns. I am currently based out of Bozeman, MT, and a lot of the dry fly hatches are happening and or around the corner, so I am focusing my attention on tying some dries.