When and How did you learn to tie flies.

[ballingall512]

Was just wondering how some of our forum members and fly tyers, actually got started tying their own.

I started as most tying trout flies as a boy, after seeing a friend of my dads tying flies one night.
I was never that good, and gave up after a year or so.

Then around 5 years ago when I started to get serious about my salmon fishing again, I started to tie my own salmon flies
I have never had a lesson and apart from what I have picked up from countless tying books, and the internet of course, I would class myself as self taught.
I now class myself as a very compitent fly tyer, and would encourage any of our members who don't tie their own flies to get stuck in and give it a go.
Sure there is a certain level of skill involved when you get a bit more advanced with your tying, but it is amazing how quickly it can be picked up, with a little patience and a few pointers in the right direction.


Interested to here how you all got started.

Dave.

[underghillie]

A Friend of grandfather taught me, i used to tye flee's up and take them to show him and he pull the wings out of them so started to use superglue on the wings ;D ;D

He used to tye up wasp looking flee's, if you sat one on the palm of you're hand you were waiting on it to sting you they were that life like. He used to leave them lying round his house and his wife would go mental ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

He was a great tutor and i am indebted to him for his patience , sadly he is no longer with us

Tony

[Andy]

I started around 4 years ago tying salmon, sea trout & trout flies.
I manly tie salmon & sea trout flies rather than trout flies as i tend to fish more for salmon & sea trout.
I have never had a lesson and apart from what I have picked up from countless fly tying books, and whats on the Internet , I would class myself as self taught.
I also have taught a couple of mate's offshore how to tie flies.

Tight line's

Andy

[kingfisher]

I used to be a professional blagger of salmon flees, but after experiencing some withdrawal problems when the supply dried up, decided to turn into an honest man and I am currently turning poacher into game keeper for my fly tying nowadays.

SBSs are brilliant and I have enough patterns I like, to keep me going for weeks or even years

[macd]

My dad taught me.

[kildonnan]

Read books on tying when I was wee - hunners o' years ago and tried tying flees wi' maw's sewing thread and feathers I picked in farmyards. Needless to say - keech but after buying some proper materials years later it's got better.
Saw an old guy once who never used a vice, just held the hook in his fingers and half-hitched all the time.

[laxdale]

A friend taught me about 15 years ago.
I used to enjoy catching fish on my own creations but nowadays I can hardly stay awake long enough to tie a fly. Sitting at the vice has the same effect on me as watching telly!

[Deleted]

Here are 5 of my early efforts from the late '60's or early 1970's plus a Blue Charm I tied about 25 years ago after a lesson.



I started about 40 years ago tying wee Black Spiders and also Yellow Sally's for trout fishing during the time up to darkness. I remember scouring the local Library for books plus I was reading Trout & Salmon magazine which had Tom Stewart's 50 Favourite Flies articles in them at that time. Never used Hackle Pliers, Bobbins or Whip finishers. My Vice was a small Metal Worker's Vice. Used to just measure off about 12" of tying thread and a small piece of about 6" which I used for Whip finishes. Used Cotton thread from Gran's sewing machine for a while but switched to Pearsall's silks after reading that it was the right stuff to use. Hardy's Book of Flies and Farlow's 1969 Catalogue were my standard reference guides to patterns etc. A lot of materials came from an uncle who shot a lot - see the middle 2 flies. The bottom left was my attempt at a Durham Ranger and the bottom right my take on Abu's Chillimps fly

I have only had one lesson about 1990 or so - the Blue Charm. It was them I found out that you were supposed to split Pearsall's Floss silk. Prior to that I had just tied it straight onto the hook. It never occurred to me why my bodies were never as smooth as the flies I was trying to copy!!

Nowadays, I suppose I am reasonably competent apart at most modern Salmon Flies. I really enjoy Flyswaps as they force me to be as consistent as possible.

tweedbunnet

[ballingall512]

Some great reply's guys thanks.

Keep them coming.

Just as another point of intrest, do any of you tie flies in your hand, ie without the use of a vice??

I can tie flies this way if I have to, but it takes me ages,and the quality is not quite as good, although I have a couple of friends who tie most of there flies in this manner and the standard of their flies is quite incredible.

a totally different style of tying is required, often without, tools like bobbin holders, instead opting for a cut length of thread, which I can assure you requires a real skill, not to let the whole lot unrwrap and fall to bits in front of you. ;D
Try the next time when using your vice, only using 1 hand for tying plus 1 finger from your other hand, and your getting close to it

Dave.

[madkeen]

A school friend showed me how to tie wee black spiders with red tails and after we went down to the local burn where we caught a few wee browns and that was me hooked.

[stinger]

Had a fly tying club at school. The guy who used to run it was John Gray who jacked in teaching in the 80's and opened up Gray's of Kilsyth and is still going strong today.

[ballingall512]

Aug 24, 2010 21:35:07 GMT @stinger said:

Had a fly tying club at school. The guy who used to run it was John Gray who jacked in teaching in the 80's and opened up Gray's of Kilsyth and is still going strong today.

Not a bad teacher to have ;D ;D

[love2fish]

i ticked self taught . but i must add badly .. ;D
was in my teens when started tying trout flys . but stooped for a long time untill a few years ago . then tried the salmon flys . and promptly gave up again . no paitence and bad eye sight dont make a good combination ..
but with martins big flee box and my wolly mittens on newtyle ..im never short of a flee or two . ;D ;D

[Deleted]

Dave, thinking further about the poll, I was self taught but definitely improved after watching SBS's and YouTube, esp Davie McPhail. Paul Jorgensen's book on Salmon flies is my guide for the Classics.

I have already posted that I still enjoy tying larger Tubes without any form of Vice as it is a lot quicker and easier to be consistent. Also no Tubes spinning and unravelling!

tweedbunnet

[hagar]

I started tying at the age of 9.
No vice.
Some might say I've learned b*gger all in the last 42 years.
Even with a vice. ;D