Tips for beginners

You recently returned from a trip to the river. He caught a fish or two, but couldn’t help but notice the success of the older man upriver. Arriving at his car, he can’t resist asking this sage, “Hey, what were you wearing today?”

This is how most fly tyers start. They are in awe and bewildered by the success of those around them, who tie their own flies. Certainly, the river should reward those with such talent, right? If you could figure out the hatch, hackle patterns, right hook, etc., you too would become a river sage. So with such determination, he heads to the big box store ready to dump his credit limit on every fiber, feather, hackle, hook, and whatever else he can find. The answer must be in these precious materials!

It’s stories like these that inspired me to write this short article on fly tying. While it may seem like I’m writing from my perspective as a fly shop owner, I’m actually reflecting on how much time and money I wasted tying flies as a hobby. When I look back, it would have been a lot easier to follow a basic set of guidelines when starting out. So, here are my basic tips for the beginner.

First, don’t spend a lot of money. My first trip to the department store cost me almost $ 1,000. I bought everything in sight! I ended up with enough feathers to make my own pillows. I bought all kinds of thread, wire, ribbon, etc. In my scope. I bought some vices to find the “right one”. And I bought about 500 hooks. Hey, I was going to tie flies day and night! But after my first dozen, my hands hurt. A little arthritis set in, and those production flies started looking awfully good! So I repeat this, don’t spend a lot of money when you first learn to do something. The Smart Fly Tether will tell you that the most important thing to start with is a good rotary vise. A bad vice can really hurt your efforts when trying to learn. So buying a solid vise is probably a reasonable investment. Maybe budget $ 100 for a decent vice. But put pens, string, wire, copper, flashing, bending, and everything else back in your cart!

So what else do you need? Besides a vice, it is advisable to have a decent toolkit. This includes the necessary bobbins, scissors, tweezers, hackle pliers, etc. A small set can be had for around $ 40. Finally, get a table lamp with a lighted magnifying glass. The one I used cost me $ 25. Now it’s ready to start tying, all for under $ 200.

This is the crucial next step. Choose only one pattern for tying. And make it a simple pattern. A St. John’s worm is quite difficult to spoil. You may not learn much about the tying technique, but you will certainly learn how to attach fibers to a hook, belaying with head cement, and similar basic skills. Plus, you’ll have something to put in the water right away. That’s a great self-confidence builder. From there, start a slightly more complex pattern that requires more ties. It is important to start by tying larger hooks. I would advise using nothing smaller than a size 14 hook. When starting your next pattern (a large pheasant tail nymph might be a good one to work with), focus on learning how to secure your tie with a half hitch or whip end.

When you start tying your first patterns, it is important to buy only the material that you need for that particular pattern. This means a spool of material to make the fly’s body (thread, wire, etc.) and fibers or hackle to create the fly itself. There are two pitfalls that often occur at this stage. First, beginning knotters will often buy very fine and brittle threads. You want to make sure to use a thicker thread that won’t break easily. Nothing is more frustrating than completing the perfect flight and breaking the thread before you can finish the tie. Better yet, start by using copper wire. Don’t be ashamed of using larger materials. Fish like those flies too! The second mistake is when the beginner buys hackle. The number of options seems endless. Is the $ 40 pack of pheasant tail feathers worth it? Just remember, buy by the pattern. Don’t load your cart with every conceivable option. You are learning to tie a pattern. You may find that you hate tying flies, so why start the world’s largest hackle collection?

Lastly, there is a known secret among experienced fly tyers. Simply put, fish eat badly tied ugly flies. My first Kebari fly with copper wire (a Tenkara fly fishing pattern) looked awful. He was just thankful that it held together through multiple drifts. And then one day on the Provo River, a lunker ripped it off his tippet. There is a famous saying of unknown origin; “Everyone has to eat.” Yes, fish eat ugly flies. I’m not saying you shouldn’t aspire to have perfect flies one day, but don’t be discouraged from tossing your fly just because it doesn’t look like it came from Orvis.

Certainly, there is an infinite amount of advice more experienced than I could give to beginners. I hope these little nuggets of wisdom can help you get started in a fun, productive, and profitable way! Tight lines!