The Art Of Fly Tying, Mastering The Basics

The art of tying flies goes back hundreds if not thousands of years with the earliest recorded example dating AD 200. In a book written about nature and animals, Claudius Aelianus a Roman descibes how people fly fished in the river Astracus in Macedonia. Throughout the ensuing centuries flytying has evolved from basic patterns bound on heavy irons into detailed and finely executed imitations that represent insects such as the Mayfly, larvae of dragonflies and indeed small fish themselves.

Tying your own flies can be very satisfying, especially when you are lucky (or skillful) enough to catch fish with them. Patience is a definate requirement of any fly tyer (which should not be a problem if you are an angler!) as is a deftness of hand and nimble fingers.

To tie flies you are going to need a few basic instruments. \r First and foremost is the fly tying vice. Without a vice you will find it nigh on impossible to make a presentable fly. At this point it is a good time to decide if you want to bells and whistles model or something basic that gets the job done. The former will have a few features lacking on the basic type such as a multi angle tilting head, perhaps it may also include a steel plate (allowing it sit freestanding rather than having to be clamped to a table), or maybe it includes an extra arm to hold the spool of thread or tying silk. You can also buy a vice that comes with several different sized jaws that accommodate larger hooks (for bass or slamon fishing for example) and also ones for tiny hooks that you would tie a midge pattern.

Having decided what vice you want next are some essential tools you should have, they include a Bobbin Holder, Hackle Pliers and Scissors. When you become more advanced you may want to consider buying a Dubbing Twister and Dubbing Brush.

Next to consider is just what type of flies you are going to create. This will depend largely on what type of fishing you regularly do.

Flyfishing can be broken down into two disciplines, wet or dry fly fishing.

Dry Fly fishing it could be argued is a pursuit of purists, however there is no reason for this to be as anyone can master the dry fly. As the same suggests the flies are not submerged in the water, rather they float of the surface of the lake , river or stream. The Summer months are the most productive time of year for dry fly fishing as insects abound, however spring (the mayfly season is often referred as duffers fortnight!) and autumn time are also good times so should not be dismissed.

More common is Wet fly fishing. This can be broken down into further categories which include nymphing and the use of larger patterns known as lures. It is this type of fishing that produce the most results probably because it is the style more often used.

If you are new to fly tying then you could do no worse than starting with basic patterns such as the Pheasant Tail nymph or a Stick fly. These are not hard to master at the vice and they are great flies to use on Trout Fisheries or lakes.

Now enter the wonderful world of; Hooks, Beads, Dubbing, Capes, Furs, Varnishes, Glues, Epoxy & Waxes, Tinsels Wire and Weights, Threads & Flosses. Your choice of what to buy will include some of the factors discussed above. Have fun at the vice, start with simple patterns and enjoy using the fruits (or flies!) of your labour.

Howie James. Article first published on http://www.thecompleatangler.co.uk one in a series of websites owned by domainvend and the sister site of http://www.collectablefish.com an antiques site focusing on fish related collectables.

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