Frozen water,...

Tommo! · Jan 1, 2009

And I'm not talking about all the DIY jobs I put off year in year out.

Fly Tying.

I realise I am resurecting an old topic and I have been through the archives.

I want to get into this but I don't have the first clue. Being a newbie to the chucking of fluff I feel that I am a prime target to the canny salesman and flashy advertiser and I hate the feeling of being had.

So here are a few questions;

What do you really need a clamp be able to do? Apart from hold the hook while you dress it.

What are the reasonable prices I can expect to pay for the dressings and trimmings and where do you get yours?

At this time I am mostly concerned with fishing a small stocked (but not so easy) still water but with the opurtunities to fish rivers aswell.

Any advice is warmly received.

Tom

Baz (Angel of the North) · Jan 1, 2009

Right Tommo.

First off you will need a fly tyers vice to hold the hook in. And a bobbin holder.

As for dressings. Let's talk plain English for a start. What you need is different coloured cotton, pheasent feathers, different coloured wool. Road casualties will also do. Rabbit, hare etc.

A Walkers Mayfly Nymph for example only uses a couple of strands of Pheasent tail fibres and wool. There are those amongs us that will try to overcomplicate matters by getting too technical. Practice on a Baby Doll type lure /fly. It is made up entirely of wool. and use large hooks to begin with to make it easy for yourself.

If there are no tyeing classes about where you are. There are some good video's on the market with easy to follow instructions to get you started. Once you have the basics, you can tye most fly patterns from a book.

Tommo! · Jan 2, 2009

Thanks Baz.

Just purchased a clamp, scissors, bobbin holder, finishing tool and a poachers waste basket of dead things.

Although I am eyeing up the two dogs, the Huskey should provide white, grey and tan coarse hair and the undercoat a white dubbing whilst the Lab X will give good black hair and a grey and black dubbing.

Don't worry no dogs will be harmed in the making of flies.

Tommo! · Jan 14, 2009

The lid has come off today and I have had my first fish (3 Rainbows) on flies I tied myself ('Little Devils' or the Welsh that I can't remember).

Out of the three of us fishing five were landed.

Well chuffed.

Baz (Angel of the North) · Jan 14, 2009

Nice one Tommo.

One instrutor that I had (Dave Plummley) once shown me one of his best catctching flies.

It had caught a good number of trout, but was batterd beyond recognition. And it still keeps on catching for some unknown reason.

Must admit tying your own is a great passtime. I made a couple of small picture frames up about 10 inches by seven inches and mounted my own flies in them.

Just add an extra piece of wood moulding at the back of the picture frame to give the frame a bit of depth.

Tommo! · Jan 14, 2009

Cheers Baz.

I havej had a look at the fly that did the job and compared it to another I made.

The herl is almost non existant.

I think I will keep on trying with it (superstition in the making) until I lose it in a tree that is.

Tommo! · Jan 14, 2009

I have also made my first variation of a pattern, GRHE is now GRLC (Gold Ribbed Labrador Coat).

Baz (Angel of the North) · Jan 14, 2009

Another fly that was his own creation was one called a rabbit nymph.

Cut a good wadge of rabbit fur, and hold it very tightly between your thumb and forefinger.

You need good finger nails for this next bit. With your other thumb and forefinger pull all the fluff and blue fur out of the wadge of hair. This is all you ned to tye the rabbit nymph.

Make its head body and a good bunch of hair for the tail.

I was then told to drop it in the mud and stand on it before casting out. it is almost indestructable.

Oddly enough I was showing a bloke my box of flies one day. He went straight to the rabbit nymph and said, now this one looks really good. And that was out of a box of around fifty flies and lures.

Wobbly Face (As Per Ed) · Jan 14, 2009

GRHE, good alround fly for both lakes and rivers. Greesed with silicon mucelin it wil float and can be used like a dry fly.

Bare hook nymph, developed from a Pheasants tail nymph where the Pheasant tails split and came of the hook and only left the copper wire under body.

Another good tying material to have is Peacock herl. Also cock and hen hackle feathers.

Baz (Angel of the North) · Jan 14, 2009

What does anybody think about genetic capes? Pricey but nice.

Frozen water,...

Tommo!

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Baz (Angel of the North)

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Tommo!

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Tommo!

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Baz (Angel of the North)

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Tommo!

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Tommo!

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Wobbly Face (As Per Ed)

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Baz (Angel of the North)

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