Fly
Tying Tips
Fly
Tying has been around for a long time, mainly because it is an
effective way to catch fish, but also because there is a certain
artistic satisfaction from crafting a well-made fly. It is an
art-form in every sense of the word. The first written reference to
using an artificial fly to catch fish was in Greek Historian Aelean's
commentaries on ancient Macedonia, around 200 A.D. The next real
mention of tying flies was not until the Middle Ages. Believe it or
not, fly tying hasn't changed much since then, maybe because it is
hard to improve on perfection. The differences in modern fly
tying are due mostly to the availability of new materials, rather
than revolutionary designs. The exceptions would be the Clouser
Minnows, Puglisi-Style streamers, and maybe tube flies. These are
truly innovative techniques. Whatever flies you decide to try,
especially if you are new to the craft, these fly tying tips will
make your learning curve much smoother.
- Materials rotating on the hook shank are always a problem. You can alleviate this aggravation by putting a good coat of head cement, and a good layer of thread wrapping on the hook shank before you start to tie the pattern. Make sure you cover the part of the hook shank you will be tying on completely. This gives the material something to 'hang on to'.
- Tying on marabou can be a major pain in the neck, because it wants to go everywhere but where you want it. You can stop this by wetting it before tying it on, by dipping it in a glass of water. This makes it lay out flat and holds it together. It will dry back to it's original fluffy, swirly state quickly.
- If you are having problems with materials rotating on the hook shank, try putting a small drop of head cement under them before tying them on. Hold them in place with your fingers, and take a few loose wraps with the thread before cinching it down.
- Feathers are notorious for rotating around the hook, and spinning in place, when you are trying to tie them on. One way to stop this is when you are trimming the quill shaft, leave a small amount of barbs on the quill, around 1/64" long, right where you will be tying them in. This will keep the feathers from rotating as you tie them down.
- When tying on bucktail, after stacking the fur, trim the head ends at an angle to avoid bulking up the head of the fly, and then dip the ends in head cement before tying the clump in. This helps keep the fur together, stops it from spinning on the shank, and makes for a much neater fly. Also, after tying the clump in, take a few wraps under the clump as well. This makes the bucktail ride up a bit so that it doesn't hide the flies body material. When using several colors of bucktail, take a few wraps under each clump to keep the colors separated. This can make some striking bucktail streamers.
- Closed-cell foam is famous for rotating on the hook-shank. Before tying foam pieces on, brush the bottoms with head cement or super-glue, then quickly tie them on before it dries. This will make them stay where you want them.
- And lastly, I know half-hitches are much easier to learn, but as soon as the last hitch works loose (and it will eventually), the rest will soon follow, no matter many you put on. Always finish your fly with a good whip-finish, and a coat of head cement or lacquer (Sally Hansen's Hard-As-Nails is as good as it gets, and cheap, too....) on the final wraps. This makes the fly as permanent as possible. In Fly-Tying competitions, that is the first thing the judges look for...a well-finished head.
Learning
how to tie your own flies has too many benefits to list here, but
it's enough to say that it can provide you with a very satisfying
lifetime hobby, especially if you learn a few good fly-tying tips.
Happy
fishing.
Fly Tying Tips
