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 :))
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.
Why tie your own? - You'll catch more fish. Simples :D
Norm
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.
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.
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.
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
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 :)
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
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
Catching a fish on a bought fly is like paying for it. Catching one on a fly you have tied yourself is the real thing.
(I'm told)
Tim
Why tie? That's easy, I can get the flies I want, exactly as I want them, when I need them.
Bog standard wet flies like Butchers and stuff I just buy, I really could not be bothered tying those. My go-to flies like parachute dries, Klinks etc I tie, not because I particularly enjoy fly tying, but because I can't get them as I want them and I can't get them if I need them, at short notice. Commercial flies, by and large, tend to be far too bulky and overdressed in my experience.
Fred has the same philosophy to myself. I buy muddlers as I hate tying them but do everything else myself hust the way I like them like most fly tiers a lot of my flies don't conform to established patterns.
I tie for several reasons (most of which have already been covered) including enjoying it as a hobby in its own right, being able to tie flies the way you want when you want. Being able to come up with your own flies or even copy those in magazines is another advantage.
In my experience saving money by tying your own flies is a difficult thing to do, I thought I would when I first started but the chest of draws full of materials at home says otherwise.
Hi guys,
Hmmm, looks unfortunately like I'm in for a scowling at from the lass when I turn up with more stuff to clutter up the flat just shortly........
Next - are there any good sites containing guides for tying different flies? Or should I look at books like "the fly tying bible"?
Cheers for the hints and tips already guys!
Davie McPhail has put a lot of excellent videos on you tube:
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=davie%20mcphail&search=Search&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&spell=1 (http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=davie%20mcphail&search=Search&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&spell=1)
The step-by-step guides on here are first class as well. I learned how to tie klinks off them last year, and have now got them looking half-decent - still don't catch too many fish on them mind.
As a good few have said above - for me tying allows me to get them the way I want them (all helps with the old confidence aspect), and I really enjoy it in it's own right. Knocking up a few of what you think might work the next day and then using them to good effect is a real Buzz.
If you're worried about the time aspect, next time you find yourself about sit infront a cr@p TV program for an hour, or even half an hour, get up and go and knock up a few flies - you'll soon have a decent enough selection.
Andrew
Why Tie?. I tie for the sheer enjoyment of it. I disagree with others that it saves money if anything it will cost you more because if you really get the bug you will always be on the lookout for more and more materials. I tie also because I like to tinker with standard patterns. I also like to tie and photograph my flies but I have still to get a proper wee studio set up. And of course its a great feeling to catch fish on your own patterns. As Malcolm said earlier I too tend to buy muddlers from my local shop when they are available because they are time consuming to tie and very messy too but now and again I will have a go at tying htem. I would recommend to anyone who is thinking of tying their own , to go for it. Apart from going to a class and having someone show you how to tie the next best thing is You Tube especially Mr McPhails site.
Much as other folk have said I'm going fishing tomorrow and have some specific requirements for my first river outing of 2011 so I tied this
(http://i1000.photobucket.com/albums/af127/fishinscotland_co_uk/WhyTie.jpg)
I could probably get a fly similar to this from a shop but not with some of the trigger points I've included. Now that I've photographed it ( and I'm not the best photographer in the world ) I can see a few things I'd like to change so will be able to ammend this for future outings.
QuoteI generally really enjoy making things myself and the satisfaction that comes with it compared to paying for someone else to make the effort.
I think you have answeared your own question.
Tight Lines
It's worth the effort! I started tying a few years ago but was really shite. I then got together with a few other forum members and started a local fly tying night, my fly tying has improved 1000% over the course of a few short months, meeting for a couple of hours every second week. Catching your first fish on the fly is really nice, but catching one on your own home tied one is even better.
It also really doesnt cost that much to start, the simplest of vices can be had for a tenner, a decent pair of scissors for the same, add in some basic materials and essential tools like a bobbin holder and you'll be amazed at what you can make for well under ?50!!!
The only downside is it can be addictive, but well worth it in my opinion.
daz
Quote from: Highlander on April 14, 2011, 10:08:51 PM
I think you have answeared your own question.
Tight Lines
Aye true enough - but its always fine to be able to blame the internet for convincing me! :D
Quote from: daz on April 14, 2011, 10:38:12 PM
It also really doesnt cost that much to start, the simplest of vices can be had for a tenner, a decent pair of scissors for the same, add in some basic materials and essential tools like a bobbin holder and you'll be amazed at what you can make for well under ?50!!!
The only downside is it can be addictive, but well worth it in my opinion.
daz
Looking at starter kits on flea-bay etc and it looks like its not too steep to get started ?20 for a basic tool kit (which if I like tying I can upgrade as time goes on) and the same again for a "how to" kit and materials to go with. Granted I'm assuming that the quality of the materials will be pretty pants and the files will not neccessarily be the ones I want, but should do to get the hang of the basics.
Cheers
Stu
I would steer clear of starter kits, Stu.
Most of the tools you wont use and most of the items in the tying kit will be next to useless before long. You would be better to follow Donald's tying kit and the recommendations on that thread. Buy the basics at first for the flies you use most and work up from there.
There are lots of things you can use that will be lying around the house or picked up while fishing. The fluff from the filter on a tumble dryer can make good dubbed bodies, tinsel from the Christmas decorations and ribbon from the presents can make bodies, tails or ribbing. I have used the black nylon fibres from a draft excluder as tails on dry flies. Ordinary sowing thread makes good ribbing material as it is thicker than tying thread. Polypropylene string makes winging material, tails or bodies. The list is endless :)
Why tie?
Why fish?
Ultimately, the answers to these two questions are pretty much the same- and if you don't know, I doubt I can explain.
Just try it.
(?5 says you get hooked!)
Quote from: Alan on April 15, 2011, 07:40:02 PM
not being a fly tyer myself a see a less expensive option, the advice is all here, just pick a selection of flies needed and ask precisely what materials etc is required, and the best place to get them etc, then you dont end up with 523 quids worth of feathers and 7 flies :lol:
He's right.
The danger is that you tie a few simple flies that catch fish. Nice and easy.
Next thing you know, you
need to perfect the perfect feather wing (matched slips of course).
After that, it's a slippery slope. "I started trying Invictas and before I knew it I was on fully dressed Jock Scotts". :)
Why I tie:
I tie most of the flies that I use. None are textbook patterns and they vary with my mood and what is to hand, although in my mind's eye I know what they are intended to imitate.
I catch as many or as few fish as I ever did. For olives, march browns, typical river flies, I have a general preference for a lightly dressed fly and it is hard to find those tied commercially.
If I feel like experimenting, I can for example come up with (poorly tied) upside down flies, which if available commercially would cost a few bob. Sometimes they give another option. I can also experiment with back to front patterns etc., and importantly I can add enough weight as I need to a weighted nymph.
For me tying is like painting a room. I hate the preparation and the tidying up, but once I get into it, I find it quite satisfying :)
Alex
Just agreeing with what's been said before. Catching fish on something you've created really is a buzz.
Definitely decide on a few flies you want to learn to tie and get the right materials for them. I made the mistake of perusing ebay and buying things because I thought they were a bargain - I now have a load of tat materials that are of little use to me. :roll:
Spiders, Red Tags, PTN's and Pennels are a great way to start, relatively simple flies that will catch fish. Use the Step by Steps and have fun :D
Hi All,
Fair points re: starter kits - it was a worry that crossed my mind, they may get me started but not neccesarily ending up with flies I actually want!
I've have a good look at Donalds thread for inspiration. The database on here seems pretty good too now I've looked at it for figuring out what materials I'll need.
Other handy bit will be figuring out what flies I need........ :)
Off for my first try at river fishing tomorrow so cannae wait for that!
Cheers,
Stu
Im pretty new to the forum, though I have been fishing for a few years. I used to tie my own flies when I was a young lad, but havent done so for years. but since reading this I have been inspired to get back into it as I cant think of anything better or more satisfying thatn catching a fish on a fly I have tied, I just hope it happens.
Anybody got any pointers on starter kits? ie what to get and where? how much should i look to spend? that kind of thing.
Thanks,
Chris
Just as an aside... on my backcountry trip last week we caught on flies we tied there based on the naturals hatching as the fish would not take anything else. If we hadn't been tying, we wouldn't have caught.
Start off very slowly Chris. Get some good simple basic tools: vice, scissors, dubbing needle (make it yourself) and bobbin holders to start. Then you'll need some thread, varnish and materials. Start off just by making simple seals fur dry flies or spiders and work up from there. You will probably find a fly dressing club near you but they often stop in the summer.
Steve Parton is very good for basic kit. Call him on 0115 9463 572.
Thanks for the info Malcolm, I might give him a call. I have watched some videos online recently and in fairness, alot of it came back to me, might just take a bit of time to get back into the swing of it. I have the precaution of buying a beginners guide to fly tying from amazon, and also a small pocket book called "match the hatch", which has always been a specific problem for me when out on the water, identifying the hatches.
Cheers,
Chris