Why Tie?

[StuDoig]

Heyho Folks,
                Now, I'm still fairly new to the flyfishing game (started last year) and have been debating whether or not to tie my own flies.

On one hand there are quality tiers out there that I can simply purchase flies I want / like from and save the hassle, on the other I generally really enjoy making things myself and the satisfaction that comes with it compared to paying for someone else to make the effort.

On financial grounds, I'm sure over a lifetime tying my own would work out a little better once the initial cost of tools has been swallowed, but its not a financial call really.

I think the biggest attraction for me is to be making something myself that I'll then go on to use (assuming its worth tying on!), but I'm also aware of the flaw in the thinking if it winds up being a botched effort and the length of time it can take to become good enough at any craft/trade to make the end effort worthwhile.  Whilst some flies look pretty straightforward (and I'm sure are once you have a few basic techniques mastered) others look horrendously difficult!

I don't have a great deal of spare time with other hobbies, work and hopefully a bit more frequent fishing - does it absorb huge amounts of time to become worthwhile?

What are folks thoughts on how worthwhile tying is? (I'm aware that the fact I'm posting in the tying foum may bias an answer 

[guest]

It's very worthwhile, Catching your first fish on a fly you tied yourself is a great feeling. It might seem a bit expensive to start but it's amazing how far the material goes. Also works out much, much cheaper than buying the mass produced ones. I'm sure you will find a hell of a lot of advice from everyone here. Just get used to the fly tying police moaning about bits of tinsel and feathers being everywhere. Also don't do what I did, they don't like it when you cut bits of jumpers and such, even it was the right fly shade. Hope you decide to tie your own and all the best.

[Clan Ford]

Why tie your own?  - You'll catch more fish.  Simples

Norm

[Fishtales]

If you only buy the materials for the flies you use then only tie them when you need them, I haven't tied a fly in about two years, the cost is minimal and the time is as much as you want to use. Wet days and winter are the times to tie. Generally the flies are better tied than shop ones and hold together longer, I have flies in my boxes that have caught a lot of fish and are still serviceable and used Fish on your own flies also adds that bit more to the satisfaction of catching them.

[River Chatter]

If you can do it you should in my opinion and as Andy says you can tie just the flies you use often if you want.  Probably one of the most useful aspects of rolling your own is that the flies you want to fish don't need to exist anywhere but in your head.  An idea for a new fly can be a reality in next to no time and variations on existing fly patterns are particularly satisfying to dream up and tie.  The only thing that pisses me off about it is that mixed colour packs - e.g. trukey biots - are rarely available, forcing you to spend much more than the materials are worth in order to get some colour options.  You also end up with more material of a specific colour than you need. 

[Black-Don]

Good ad vice  :roll:  from Fachan there. If you're into stockie bashing at the mo' try not to build your kit around rainbow lures as you will grow out of bows and progress into more and more wild fishing.

Try to decide what type of fishing you're doing, river or loch then decide what flies you think you'll use most. Surprisingly few patterns are required to be successful. Ask ad vice  :roll: as you have done. E-Bay have vices which will do you for years for very little money. Try and buy the best materials / feathers you can afford from expert suppliers, again ask advice here but you don't need to go for the most expensive feathers.

You can spend a fortune on tying materials you will never recover but some folk enjoy tying as an art which is why they do this or you can get buy with very little stuff. I used to have half a dozen fly boxes but am cutting this down to 2 , you don't need hundreds or thousands of flies.

Oh aye, if you check some of the patterns on here which won't be available in shops anywhere, that's why you tie yer' own flies. As others have said you WILL catch more fish.  :wink:


Also it's a great way to spend a couple of hours and you will get Hooked.

[StuDoig]

Hmmm, Cheers all - helpful advice and backing up my temptation to give it a try.  Good points about only tying the flies you need / use - though have to admit I've not been at it long enough to find what flies work for me (though my now scraggy looking olive klinkhammer is way out front in the catching stakes - but prob cause it's my first choice hence catches the fish...). 

Its mainly been wild lochs I've been fishing last year (like Wharral, A'an and a puckle on Lewis) though looking into starting river fishing too as its fairly convenient to me in Aberdeen.  That was one of the reasons too - thinking that if I start buying selections of flies, I'll end up spending a fortune anyway and prob have a load of flies I never use.  Where as tying my own I could hoover up advice on what works locally and tie to suit, narrowing the selection a bit.

HAve never fished stockies so not worried about having a box full or rainbow lures

I do like the idea of tying variations etc, but that'll have to wait till I've got a scoopy as to what I'm actually doing!

Cheers!

Stuart

[Fishtales]

Start with the fly database on here.

http://www.wild-fishing-scotland.co.uk/flydatabase/index.php

Put the % sign in the search box to get all the patterns.

Then trawl through the 'What have you tied today?' thread for loads more (that should take the rest of the season )

http://www.wildfisher.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=9025.0

To start, if you fish a three fly cast, you will need a surface fly, a middle dropper, I like a winged fly on here and use a #12 Iron Blue Dun, and a nymph or grub pattern for the tail. This can be chopped and changed for different situations and can be added to as the fancy takes you with other patterns that come up from time to time on the forum. Try not to get carried away though, you wont need every fly that is posted

[Part-time]

I'd say go for it; not because it will save you money but for the satisfaction you will get catching on your own flies.

I'm still a beginner but would definitely agree with the advice to choose a few patterns that you want to tie and just get the materials you need for them to start with. Equipment does not need to cost a lot; regent vice for about ?20, and the same again should more than cover hackle pliers, bobbin holder for thread etc

[Ythanjoe]

Its not too time consuming unless you have a SWMBO who is a tidy freak....if you want to borrow a vice , bobbin and enough bits and pieces to get a start send me a PM. A pair of sharp pointed scissors are invaluable and I have no spare .
Joe