Framed flies

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Illeach

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I friend of mine recently got me in the notion to try tying flies and framing them. I've tried tying flies and framing them on top of a faded image of one of my local lochs. I must say that it is looking quiet good. I was also thinking of making a clock using flies.

I would like to know if anyone here has tried this sort of thing and has any ideas of tips fro presenting them.
 
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member)

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I did a bit of this years ago. Mainly traditional flies such as Invictas, Hairy Marys, Durham Rangers, Teal and Silver, Mallard and Claret etc.

They look pretty mounted on an off white to tan background in a nice frame. You must sign the frame with the date in black ink, (never blue) written with a fountain or calligraphy pen of course.

The Durham Ranger is the most useless salmon fly of all of course, but it does look pretty.

I once did two of the latter on blunt hooks which got made into brooches. Those flies took me hours each to tie. They are not difficult, just complicated and its hard to get all the materials, but you can substitute.
 
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Illeach

Guest
Traditional flies is currently what I'm trying. I think that I will try framing salmon flies next. I like the idea of the making a fly into a brooch.

I don't really know where I can get an nice traditional looking frame. I can't find any for sale on Islay.
 
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member)

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Try the websites under picture framing. Don't skimp on the frame. Cheap frames spoil the whole effect.

I used to get my frames from a tiny little shop near Pietermaritzburg in Natal, run by two Scottish ladies (not laddies) who made them by hand in local hardwood.
 
GrahamM

GrahamM

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Paul Little was tying classic/traditional salmon flies at the class two weeks ago. It took him over two hours to tie one fly. Certainly a work of art and great to look at, but I must admit I prefer to tie flies to catch fish.

Ron, don't tell Ed about the Hairy Mary's. He's still drooling over Doreen's Leeches.
 
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member)

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To some dressers, fly tying has become an art form in itself.

These guys are worth watching however. Some of the tricks they can teach you are worth while learning.

By the way when I was down in Wessex some time ago, there was a frame of **** Walker's flies going for sale for about ?600. I had a look at the flies. They were certainly workmanlike but no works of art.
 
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Illeach

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The main reason I tie flies is to use them to catch fish. However I do like to tie a neat fly though and it bugs me (maybe not other people) when I tie a scruffy fly.

Due to where I live I don't have the opportunity to see any professional (assuming Paul Little is a pro) fly tyers. I once saw a Welsh international do a demo when he returned for a visit after the euro fly fishing tournament. I learned a good deal from that but unfortunately he didn't have time or the materials to tie salmon flies.

I would like to get into tying some featherwing salmon flies (only to display a couple for myself). What would be the best way of learning how to tie these flies? I have never tied a salmon fly before as I've only been trying for 4 years.
 
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NT

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A recommended book would be:
Jorgensen (Poul). SALMON FLIES: THEIR CHARACTER, STYLE & DRESSING.

Also get and see some tiers at the angling shows and branches of the flydressers guild. Paul Little is probably the best in the country and must be seen. He's based in the lakes so should visit shows in scotland.

Links; books: www.anglebooks.com
Guild: www.the-fdg.org
 
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member)

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So what's so special about Hairy Mary Ed?
 
F

Fishing Gimp

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Ileach, don't worry about tying a scruuffy fly so long as they catch fish. In fact my best fish catching flies are really scruffy jobs that get scruffier with each fish they catch but also more attractive to the fish.

Ron I believe Graham is alluding to the traditional material used to tie the Hairy Mary and as this is not a Bait Box site I will leave it at that!
 
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Ileach

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Don't get me wrong I have plenty of scruffy flies in my box. I have no doubt that scruffy flies catch fish but I like tying neat flies (bit of a perfectionist).

I want to tie featherwings not for fishing but for display purposes. I will also be tying hairwings which I will use to (hopefully) catch fish.
 
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Fishing Gimp

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If perfection is your aim then practice, practice, practice is the only way. Start with an easy tie like a PTN, Hare's Ear or Kite's Imperial and get these how you want them and progress up to the more complicated patterns.

Better still if you can actually sit down with an experienced tyer and copy their technique until you develop your own tricks. Sadly there are no short cuts. Remember it has taken a pro tyer many years to reach a good level.
 
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ED (The ORIGINAL and REAL one)

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"So what's so special about Hairy Mary Ed?"


She was an old girlfriend ....
 
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member)

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My marathon Gimp was when I tied 150 boobies in 3 days for a shop in SA about 13 years ago. They all sold in about an hour!
 
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