Fly Tying 101

A little background - Please bear with me.

I started fly tying back in 1973. I had been fly fishing since about 1960, off and on. I don't remember why I started tying but I still enjoy it. Some evenings I may only tie one fly, or even just clean up the tying bench. It seems like the tying room is just a place to relax before going to bed, a time to forget about the days problems.
I still have the vice I began tying on. It was part of a kit I ordered through the mail. If there were any fly shops in my area at that time I didn't know about them. The kit came with a book of instruction, tools, and some materials. I still have the vice, its goes in my small traveling kit for vacations. The flies I tied never quite looked like the ones I could buy at Roaring River and Bennett Springs. Now I know why.

1- I firmly believe that a person can tie a great fly with inexpensive tools.
2- No one can tie a great fly with second rate materials.

In some respects getting started fly tying is like having kids. If you wait until you can afford it you may never do it.
If you wait until you can afford that beautiful Dyna-King vise and 6 ceramic bobbins you may be waiting for a long while. For most of us this starts out as a hobby. The available money must be split between rent, food, clothes and other necessities such as fly tying .
So, if you are working on a budget (by that I mean a small budget) start out with inexpensive tools and spend the majority of your cash, or credit, on the best materials. The main thing is to get started! Now, if your decisions are about which Renzetti to buy, or should I get an A.K. vice or a Dyna-King then your budget is big enough that you really don't need to be reading this. A lot of us don't have that kind of money when we start tying ,or later for that matter. Just looking at one of the high-end vises is a good feeling. You can tell they mean business. Like a new fly rod, they feel good. You have to appreciate the thought and design work that went into some of the tools available. But, don't hold out for a Cadillac, get the old VW. A lot of people had a lot of fun in an old VW! The Caddy comes later.
Now, before we go to far and start getting a lot of e-mail that I don't want to have to answer let me go back and cover myself. I have been reading Bulletin Board postings long enough to know that no matter what I say at this point someone will take exception to it.

What is posted on this site is only an opinion.
My way is not the only way.
Lots of times my way is not the best way, its only my way.
My ways change.

Every time I teach a class or watch a demo I learn something. Some of those things I use, some I file away.
I like nice tools. Trouble with some nice tools is they cost more money than I can justify. I have some mid-range vises and some very nice tools. I also have some low end models. I use them all. Some things one does better that the other. A professional tier has different needs than does the hobby tier doing a dozen flies a week. But if you read enough articles and postings you will soon figure out that even in the pros and semi-pros the likes and dislikes vary.
Buy what you can afford. In the end its the fly that counts.



SELECT TOOLS
Learn about tools before you buy.

Vises

Some vises may take a moment longer to adjust when changing hook sizes. Some may hold a bit better than others. Some will have more features than others. Only you can decide what options are needed and how much you are willing to pay for them. Think back to the 1950's. I know not all of us can remember that far back. Use your imagination. There were a lot of very nice flies tied on some fairly unsophisticated vises.
Some of the vises available today can hold a hook while both you and your buddy pull on it. Others may require a bit more delicacy. In general a vise should hold a hook past the breaking point when adjusted correctly. But, I have had hooks slip in every vise I own at one time or another.

Bobbins

Bobbins hold the thread. Some hold it better than others. You need to be able to adjust the pressure applied to the spool. You usually do this by spreading the legs a bit farther apart or squeezing them together a bit. We are talking about the basic "Y" type bobbin. You can't tie with a bobbin that is cutting your thread. If this happens make sure the bobbin is the problem and not a heavy hand.
Switch bobbins.
Still happening?
Could be your thread or your heavy hand.
Switch threads.
Still happening?
Lighten up! Your pulling too hard.
Now if the bobbin is the problem it is usually a rough spot on either end of the tube. Burnish it smooth. Perhaps use your bodkin to rub the inside edges of the tube. Or something else that will get down into the end of the tube. (Very fine sandpaper rolled up to fit) Not to far, and don't scratch the tube and create another problem.
Do you need a ruby bobbin? Maybe you need a ceramic bobbin? Maybe you need more money. Fix the one you have or get another one. There is nothing wrong with nice tools. As you can afford them, buy them!

Scissors

Don't cut wire with your good scissors! Get a pair of small diagonal cutters to cut wire and lead. I have more scissors than any other tool. I got them trying to save money. Buy a good pair of scissors. Serrated is great. I don't have any of the $30 ceramic bladed type. I want a pair that will clip one (1) hair from my arm with no problems. Clip it with the very tip of the blade. If it won't do that easily then I don't want the scissors. The holes need to be big enough to fit over my knuckles. I learned to tie without laying the scissors down. It really does save a lot of time. The hole fits over the middle joint of my ring finger, resting between the middle joint and my knuckle, hanging in my palm. When I want to cut something all that is needed is to slip my thumb into the other hole and I'm in business. No hunting all over the table.

Hackle Pliers

Kinda like scissors. I think I have tried, (bought) them all. Good thing they are fairly cheap, except for the rotators. I like the springy type with the rubber tips. I also like using the electrical test lead clip type. This is the one I have used the longest and been happiest with. Other people like other types. They all will break hackle at one time or another. (Remember, heavy hand?)

Bodkin

Sure, why not? Everyone says you need one and they come in every kit. I don't use one often, but when you need one then that is exactly what you need. Put a heavy needle (upholstery) in the end of a dowel rod. Or, buy one, their cheap.

Hackle Gauge

Get one! From everything I have seen you have no options available. They fit on the post of your vise and they are great. After awhile you can guess the hackle, and hook, sizes. In the beginning you will need one for sure.

Head Cement Dispenser

Purely your choice. We use the one that is a glass bottle with a screw top and a pointed needle that dips into the cement and gets one drop at a time. We have used the kind that has the valve dispenser that lets out one drop at a time. Didn't like it. Too hard to control the drop size and too hard to get into the head area of a small fly without getting cement on the hackle. Some people like them and have good luck with them. With both my son and myself tying and at times using a lot of cement we began making our own. A quart of clear lacquer and a quart of solvent makes a lot of little bottles of head cement. Acetone is fairly dangerous but dries very fast. (We no longer use this or recommend it). We are currently using Acrylic Enamel Lacquer Thinner. Our local hardware stores carry it, so do auto paint stores. We have used this for 6-8 years with success. If you don't use a lot of cement then it won't be worth making your own. But, if you do make your own you can have one bottle that is thin and one a bit thicker, for different size flies and jobs. The high-gloss, heavy build up type is best bought.

Light

As you get older you need more!

Tying Space

This can be a hard one. Almost as hard as getting all the rest of the tools and materials. You will have more fun and get more done if you can have a space dedicated solely to your fly tying. You will be more efficient if you can leave your mess, I mean equipment, out all of the time. By leaving everything out and set up you can walk in and tie one fly. Search hard for a space. In the beginning you can get by with less space, sort of like the light thing. As you gather more materials you will need more space. Some day you may invest in a TV Tyer or something like that. Most of the folks we know that have been at this for awhile have a room for tying and storage.
The tool list can go on and on. Once you get the basics you can take a breath and lay low for awhile.

SELECT MATERIALS
Help in selection of materials.

Back in the beginning I said that I now know why my first flies didn't look like the ones I could buy. The tools have stayed with me all of these years. It was the material. Not all of the material. It was the feathers. The Hackle for the drys. Don't try to save money on dry fly hackle. Buy the best you need. The best you need may not be absolute best grown. It may not even be the best you can afford. Not all drys need #1 grade neck hackle. A #2 many times will work great and be cheaper. Strung hackle isn't usually thought of as good enough for nice drys. But it may be great for wet fly. Chinese Hackle can be just the thing for bass bugs. Those webby feathers left over after all of the "good stuff" is gone may work fine on a Wooly Bugger. But, for a #18 Griffith s Gnat you need a great hackle feather. Don't practice false economy when buying your hackle. Hoffman, and Metz are both good places to start. There are others. (Let me know what you have tried)

Road Kill

Just how deep do you want to get into this? For me road kill is not worth the effort. That is not the case for everyone. If you have access and the knowledge you can save money (?) and get materials in large quantity. I have a friend that hunts Pheasant. I help him out with some flies and he pulls the feathers in the field. Another friend is a duck hunter. Same deal.

Thread

Use fly tying thread, not the stuff hanging around the sewing machine. Learn to use the smallest size available that will let you tie the fly. Most people can't spin deer hair with 6/0. So, use the recommended thread size for the fly. As you get better you will often drop a size.

Hooks

This can drive you into bankruptcy. Look through any fly fishing magazine and count the number of different hooks needed to tie that months patterns. Purchased by the 100's is cheaper than 25 at a time. Buy the standards by the 100's. Find a good hook interchange chart. Without one you will never know when the hook you have is "close enough" to the one listed. Light wire for drys, heavier for nymphs. That funny little bend for grubs can often be put in with a pair of needle nose pliers. Remember that a heavy wire nymph hook is that way to help it sink. If you add weight to the dry fly hook it will sink faster also. Always remember - Pinch Those Barbs!!

ALL THE REST
You knew there would always be more.

This list could go on forever. There is always another material you need to tie that new pattern. I'm convinced that some of the materials listed is simply because that tier had some laying around and he wanted to use it. I know, that is not always the case. With the standards stick with the listed materials. These are proven flies, usually, and they work with the materials listed. Substitute when you have to.

Buy what you can afford. In the end its the fly that counts.