Learning the Art of Fly Tying

Right, I will volunteer this information up front. I am no fly tyer. So please be gentle.

I want to improve my tying this year. Fly tying must surely add a whole extra dimension to fly fishing which I am currently missing out on. I don’t quite feel like the kid not invited to the party but on the few occasions I have knocked together a handful of the garishly coloured feathers from my starter kit, I have felt a sense of creative achievement I suspect will only get better when fish start taking a partial view to them, enough to have a nibble. It will also mean getting full value from my magazine subscriptions, rather than skipping through the fly tying pages.

So with this goal in mind I hauled down from the attic my starter kit which I had purchased some years ago (rediscovered after a recent move). Its contents include little in the way of natural colours. Some of the items look more suited to making Christmas decorations than flies. It’s clear I will need to purchase new materials to progress.

The following comprise my first efforts of the year, using perhaps the most un-fish-frightening materials I possess:





Any bets on their fish catching ability? Any tips welcomed too.

Comments

  1. Look very good! Only thing I would change is the tail. Not sure golden pheasant suits that kind of pattern but that is just personal taste. Perhaps try a bunch of the seals fur as a tail or do away with the tail altogether (makes the nymph sink a bit faster as well then).

    Well done for joining the slippery slope, say goodbye to that bank balance lol.

    Dan

    ReplyDelete
  2. I hadn't even thought of using seals fur for the tail, I will bear it in mind for my future flies!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thank you for taking an interest in my fishing diary. I appreciate your feedback.