Flytying beginner

Started flyfishing some 18mths ago and had reasonable success, now I want
branch out and make my own flies, I have tried it out and would like to
continue at a low level.
Can anyone give me any advice as to buying tools, materials etc as I know it
can be a minefield and very expensive.
Cheers.

swk1234 wrote:
Started flyfishing some 18mths ago and had reasonable success, now I want
branch out and make my own flies, I have tried it out and would like to
continue at a low level.
Can anyone give me any advice as to buying tools, materials etc as I know it
can be a minefield and very expensive.
Cheers.

Drop me a line and ill see if i can help, ive been tying a few years,
made loads of mistakes in buying kit to start with, and would be glad
to offer my humble opinions.

swk1234 wrote:
Started flyfishing some 18mths ago and had reasonable success, now I want
branch out and make my own flies, I have tried it out and would like to
continue at a low level.
Can anyone give me any advice as to buying tools, materials etc as I know it
can be a minefield and very expensive.
Cheers.

Drop me a line and ill see if i can help, ive been tying a few years,
made loads of mistakes in buying kit to start with, and would be glad
to offer my humble opinions.

In article , swk1234
writes
Started flyfishing some 18mths ago and had reasonable success, now I want
branch out and make my own flies, I have tried it out and would like to
continue at a low level.
Can anyone give me any advice as to buying tools, materials etc as I know it
can be a minefield and very expensive.
Cheers.



Before you start buying materials first decide on -say- a dozen flies
you are most likely to use and I mean use, not fancy using.

Think in terms of:

Some floating patterns
Some nymph/buzzer patterns
Some sinking patterns - both imitative and lures.
Some muddler wake type.

Whatever you do don't be tempted to buy every sort of cape or feather
you fancy - get started on the basics and save yourself a fortune.

I've seen too many big fly-boxes crammed with flies of all sorts that
haven't been near the water for years.
--
Bill Grey
http://www.billboy.co.uk

In article , W. D. Grey
wrote:
In article , swk1234
writes
Started flyfishing some 18mths ago and had reasonable success, now I want
branch out and make my own flies, I have tried it out and would like to
continue at a low level.

Before you start buying materials first decide on -say- a dozen flies
you are most likely to use and I mean use, not fancy using.

Think in terms of:

Some floating patterns
Some nymph/buzzer patterns
Some sinking patterns - both imitative and lures.
Some muddler wake type.

Far too big a selection Bill.

Small, brown and boring is the one to go for...

Whatever you do don't be tempted to buy every sort of cape or feather
you fancy - get started on the basics and save yourself a fortune.

I've seen too many big fly-boxes crammed with flies of all sorts that
haven't been near the water for years.

The average fly box (same applies to floats, spinners, plugs and such) is
crammed with the flies that don't get used. So examine the box(es) at the
end of the season and only tie up what isn't there.

Re expensive capes: Find someone who uses the same capes as you but uses
different sized hackles. Most tiers have old capes with a bald band across
the size they use - so if you're a small stream fisher and know a reservoir
specialist you'll find you can swap old capes and use the one's he regards
as too small and vice versa.

If you're on a budget buy the very best quality thread(s) you can afford,
the rest you can improvise, scrounge or make shift with lower grade stuff.

Cheerio,

--
Fishing: http://www.fishing.casterbridge.net/
Writing: http://www.author.casterbridge.net/derek-moody/
uk.rec.fishing.game Badge Page:
http://www.fishing.casterbridge.net/urfg/

In article , Derek Moody
writes
Before you start buying materials first decide on -say- a dozen flies
you are most likely to use and I mean use, not fancy using.

Think in terms of:

Some floating patterns
Some nymph/buzzer patterns
Some sinking patterns - both imitative and lures.
Some muddler wake type.

Far too big a selection Bill.

Small, brown and boring is the one to go for..

Well it's only 12 flies if you go for three of each to begin with
.
Small, brown and boring - quite agree but I can't see a novice settling
for drab somehow, but he ought to.

Whatever you do don't be tempted to buy every sort of cape or feather
you fancy - get started on the basics and save yourself a fortune.

I've seen too many big fly-boxes crammed with flies of all sorts that
haven't been near the water for years.



The average fly box (same applies to floats, spinners, plugs and such) is
crammed with the flies that don't get used. So examine the box(es) at the
end of the season and only tie up what isn't there.

I thinks this is the gist of what I said.
--
Bill Grey
http://www.billboy.co.uk

In article , W. D. Grey
wrote:
In article , Derek Moody
writes
Before you start buying materials first decide on -say- a dozen flies
you are most likely to use and I mean use, not fancy using.

Think in terms of:

Some floating patterns
Some nymph/buzzer patterns
Some sinking patterns - both imitative and lures.
Some muddler wake type.

Far too big a selection Bill.

Small, brown and boring is the one to go for..

Well it's only 12 flies if you go for three of each to begin with
.
Small, brown and boring - quite agree but I can't see a novice settling
for drab somehow, but he ought to.

Don't do as I do, do as I say..?

I find tying the regular 'working' flies a bit of a drudge too, sometimes.
It's always more interesting producing something a bit different.

Maybe we should just empty the entire unused contents of our fly boxes into
a vat of dye and convert the whole lot to brown and boring. That way lies
interesting tying combined with effective flies ...

Discuss.

Cheerio,

--
Fishing: http://www.fishing.casterbridge.net/
Writing: http://www.author.casterbridge.net/derek-moody/
uk.rec.fishing.game Badge Page:
http://www.fishing.casterbridge.net/urfg/

In article , Derek Moody
writes
Well it's only 12 flies if you go for three of each to begin with
.
Small, brown and boring - quite agree but I can't see a novice settling
for drab somehow, but he ought to.

Don't do as I do, do as I say..?

Not a bit of it - I've dabbled in many patterns of fly and wish I
hadn't. A little success in producing a decent looking fly only
encourages the novice to experiment (at some expense) further.


--
Bill Grey
http://www.billboy.co.uk

In article , W. D. Grey
wrote:
In article , Derek Moody
writes
Well it's only 12 flies if you go for three of each to begin with
.
Small, brown and boring - quite agree but I can't see a novice settling
for drab somehow, but he ought to.

Don't do as I do, do as I say..?

Not a bit of it - I've dabbled in many patterns of fly and wish I
hadn't. A little success in producing a decent looking fly only
encourages the novice to experiment (at some expense) further.

Ah, but what to you and I might seem a decent looking fly might not seem so
to a fish. In my experience they prefer the rather scruffy ones.

Cheerio,

--
Fishing: http://www.fishing.casterbridge.net/
Writing: http://www.author.casterbridge.net/derek-moody/
uk.rec.fishing.game Badge Page:
http://www.fishing.casterbridge.net/urfg/

In article , Derek Moody
writes
A little success in producing a decent looking fly only
encourages the novice to experiment (at some expense) further.

Ah, but what to you and I might seem a decent looking fly might not seem so
to a fish. In my experience they prefer the rather scruffy ones.

Very true Derek but you've gone off on a bit of a tangent here. I was
think more on the line of what the novice thought of his efforts.

I remember going down to my ,local river with a view to fishing for some
trout. When I got there I realised I had some old sewin flies in a
battered old tin -no "trout flies" per se ! The hooks weren't all that
big but the dressings were too b ig so I hacked most of the dressing off
with my scissors and produced probably the scruffiest flies you would
have seen. I had some great sport !!!
--
Bill Grey
http://www.billboy.co.uk