Well, dove in yesterday during my recovery of the ol stomach bug.
After deciding what pattern to try first thanks to the help of ROFF. I went
down to the my local fly shop and got a Phesant tail feather some Size 10 -
3096B Mustad hooks, some head cement and a bigger bobbin. It was a ton
easier that I thought it was going to be. With a little practice on figuring
out how to use the Thompsons whip finisher that came with the kit, I managed
to get my first "E-Z Nymph" fly tied (and 6 more to boot)!

I'm sure it's not a Picasso or anything but I do feel great about getting it
right (at least right-enough). I know as with anything practice makes
perfect. If I had a digital camera I would upload it now but sadly i'm
behind the times as far as technology goes so i'll upload the pic it at a
later time.

Anthony

"Mike Bernardoni" wrote in message
...
I have been an avid tyer for a number of years. What would you suggest
for the beginner as his/her first fly?? I started years ago and my
first was the "Wooly Worm". Thanks!! Mike

Mike,
When I was doing this teaching of the fly stuff, I started with a woolly
bugger. Heh . . .heh . . .yesterday I started responding to this post with
teaching objectives for a woolly bugger. I quit after about half an hour.
Too much stuff. If you are really interested, and aren't just trolling
around, email me, and I'll certainly look at it . . . from one" avid" tier
to another.
DaveMohnsen
Denver
( not that much smart, but experienced :)

Anthony wrote:
Well, dove in yesterday during my recovery of the ol stomach bug.
After deciding what pattern to try first thanks to the help of ROFF. I went
down to the my local fly shop and got a Phesant tail feather some Size 10 -
3096B Mustad hooks, some head cement and a bigger bobbin. It was a ton
easier that I thought it was going to be. With a little practice on figuring
out how to use the Thompsons whip finisher that came with the kit, I managed
to get my first "E-Z Nymph" fly tied (and 6 more to boot)!

I'm sure it's not a Picasso or anything but I do feel great about getting it
right (at least right-enough). I know as with anything practice makes
perfect. If I had a digital camera I would upload it now but sadly i'm
behind the times as far as technology goes so i'll upload the pic it at a
later time.

Okay, Thompson whip finishers are inherintly evil. Most use the
Matarelli style or finish with their fingers.
Congrats on your first fly.
--
Frank Reid
Euthanize to reply

Frank Reid wrote:
Okay, Thompson whip finishers are inherintly evil.

That's funny. One of my tying buddies has a Thompson and said he never
figured out how to use it. So we all passed it around and tried to figure
it out, unsuccessfully. Damned evil looking thing. If I had to guess, I'd
say it was an eye removal tool.

The 'Benchside Reference' has a section on it, so I will have to try again
some time when I have the book and tool in the same place.
--
Stan Gula
(actually I just use half hitches a lot of the time...)

On Mon, 07 Feb 2005 21:39:26 -0600, Mike Bernardoni
wrote:

I have been an avid tyer for a number of years. What would you suggest
for the beginner as his/her first fly??
A streamer of some sort as the hook/materials are large, easy to handle, it is
much easier to work out proper proportions and someone lacking experience or
talent can produce acceptable results.

I started years ago and my
first was the "Wooly Worm". Thanks!! Mike
Started with a fur ant..... 25 years ago.
Still haven't tied one I wouldn't be embarrassed to throw at a fish.
Thank the gods for deer hair.

Kiyu

On Thu, 10 Feb 2005 21:29:07 GMT, "Stan Gula"
wrote:

Frank Reid wrote:
Okay, Thompson whip finishers are inherintly evil.

That's funny. One of my tying buddies has a Thompson and said he never
figured out how to use it. So we all passed it around and tried to figure
it out, unsuccessfully. Damned evil looking thing. If I had to guess, I'd
say it was an eye removal tool.

No ****. About the only good thing I can say about the Thompson design is that
it sold a million Matarelli's! ;-)

I just did it the way this page showed and watched the .mpg video and no
problems so far...

http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flyt...ers/part6.html

Must mean I'm doing it wrong or something?!?

Lets face it, all fly tying tools kinda look like something any
self-respecting torture chamber would employ on any given day. Didn't
Magyver use one or two of em to eliminate his enemies or disengage a nuke as
well...???

Anthony

"daytripper" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 10 Feb 2005 21:29:07 GMT, "Stan Gula"
wrote:

Frank Reid wrote:
Okay, Thompson whip finishers are inherintly evil.

That's funny. One of my tying buddies has a Thompson and said he never
figured out how to use it. So we all passed it around and tried to
figure
it out, unsuccessfully. Damned evil looking thing. If I had to guess,
I'd
say it was an eye removal tool.

No ****. About the only good thing I can say about the Thompson design is
that
it sold a million Matarelli's! ;-)

Anthony wrote:
I just did it the way this page showed and watched the .mpg video and
no problems so far...

http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flyt...ers/part6.html

More power to you! Be careful with that thing around your eyes though!

--
Stan Gula
http://gula.org/roffswaps

Stan Gula wrote:

(actually I just use half hitches a lot of the time...)

Thank goodness I'm not the only one. :-) I can tie a decent whip
finish on a bare hook (without a tool), but when it actually comes to
doing it with hackle and such in the way, I inevitably screw it up.

I finally just gave up and now what I do is put a couple of drops of
flexament on the thread itself and then drop three or four half-hitches
on. The cement seems to work itself nicely into the head/thread, and I
haven't noticed any thread coming unraveled since I started doing this.

I forget where I picked up the idea (maybe Morris' book on foam
flies?), but it works for me.


Chuck Vance (of course I usually lose my flies to trees well
before they would start to unravel anyway)

"Stan Gula" wrote in
news:DmQOd.32341$QS5.23449@trndny06:

Frank Reid wrote:
Okay, Thompson whip finishers are inherintly evil.

That's funny. One of my tying buddies has a Thompson and said he
never figured out how to use it. So we all passed it around and tried
to figure it out, unsuccessfully. Damned evil looking thing. If I
had to guess, I'd say it was an eye removal tool.

The 'Benchside Reference' has a section on it, so I will have to try
again some time when I have the book and tool in the same place.

Coop exclusively uses a thompson. I hate them.

Scott