Advise for a beginner

[sellis_414]

So my Vise and Tool Kit arrived! Now its time to go buy some materials, hooks and figure out the table situation! Once I get off and running, well tying, I'm sure I'll have questions!

[Marc Martyn]

Please ask away:cheers: There are a lot of tiers on this forum. Be sure to take some photos of the flies you tie and post them on the thread. It is a great way to get positive feed back and advise.

[knotabassturd]

WOW!!! I think I want Virginia Splawn's woman cave

I do not think I could stay conscious walking into that room... Too much good stuff to process mentally all at once!

Just think of all the years put into that room's contents.

[Marc Martyn]

I first walked into that room when I was 25. I'm now 60. It overwhelmed me the first time that I saw it. She knew where every thread and feather was.

I had heard many years ago that she had gone out of business. I guess that was a false rumor. I think that she is still alive, but may be in a home. I'll be out in the valley on Thursday and I'll drive by her the house. I'm curious as to if the shop is still operating, possibly by a family member. She would be 91 now, so I doubt she is still tying.

She was the one that got me to tie my own flies. She gave me some necks that that were pretty much picked through, helping me to start my tying materials. She was always willing to help a person learn how to tie.

I think that the private fly tying shops are now a thing of the past. The off shore flies have taken over the market. I'm afraid the shops like Terry Tyed Flys have gone by the way of the harness and blacksmith shops.

[knotabassturd]

I first walked into that room when I was 25. I'm now 60. It overwhelmed me the first time that I saw it. She knew where every thread and feather was.

I had heard many years ago that she had gone out of business. I guess that was a false rumor. I think that she is still alive, but may be in a home. I'll be out in the valley on Thursday and I'll drive by her the house. I'm curious as to if the shop is still operating, possibly by a family member. She would be 91 now, so I doubt she is still tying.

She was the one that got me to tie my own flies. She gave me some necks that that were pretty much picked through, helping me to start my tying materials. She was always willing to help a person learn how to tie.

I think that the private fly tying shops are now a thing of the past. The off shore flies have taken over the market. I'm afraid the shops like Terry Tyed Flys have gone by the way of the harness and blacksmith shops.

Ya it is tough to see them fade. I can really remember the quality of flies seen tied when attending the Federation of Fly Fisher's annual meets years ago in the 80s. Especially the dries (do the ystill meet? Been so long). No way some of the cheaper importeds can match them. If for no other reason because the quality of material just isn't there with the imports. Which is another thing it seems like, the quality necks aren't as easy to find any more either with the cheaper overseas stuff although I haven't been looking in awhile. Seemed like Kaufmann used to have nice necks years ago but no idea if they still have their own line (based somewhere in Oregon I think).

I haven't tied much in an awful long time. But that's where life is at for now. Family and work first of course:)

PS- just found this link to the FFF, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federation_of_Fly_Fishers

looks like they still hold their annuaal event:cheers: That's good to see.

[knotabassturd]

Here's my tying table:-" The 2nd pic shows my, uh, man cave?:) Looks like the Mrs and litle one did some alterations.

[Anglinarcher]

...............Ya it is tough to see them fade. I can really remember the quality of flies seen tied when attending the Federation of Fly Fisher's annual meets years ago in the 80s. Especially the dries (do the ystill meet? Been so long). No way some of the cheaper importeds can match them. If for no other reason because the quality of material just isn't there with the imports. Which is another thing it seems like, the quality necks aren't as easy to find any more either with the cheaper overseas stuff although I haven't been looking in awhile. Seemed like Kaufmann used to have nice necks years ago but no idea if they still have their own line (based somewhere in Oregon I think).
...............

Before the genetic necks, finding good quality materials was like pulling teeth from a live lion. I started tying as a kid, in the late 60s, and I'd spend hours at the local fly shop going through barrels of necks from Asia, mostly India.

When the genetic necks first came out, like the Hoffman and such, it was a real treat. Compared to the $10 imported necks, the $50 necks of the day were expensive, but per usable hackle, they were cheap. As time went on, a lot of US based genetic hackle firms came out, and yes Kaufmann had some awesome hackle.

I don't tie much anymore, but I still want to - I'm sure that I'll find the time again, but I hope it is before my eyes go. My friends that do still tie, and people that I know in the business, tell me that the super hackle is still out there, but ironically, it is being sent overseas to the foreign tiers. Our number one hackle now is no where near as good as the number ones I have in my desk from the 80s and early 90s. I would say the number ones we get now, off the rack, are more like the number twos I use to buy.

So, actually, the import flies actually get the better material. If you remember the quality of the files we could buy as imports in the late 60s through the early 80s, they were junk. Now, rather we like it or not, most of the imports are better then what the average tier can tie.

Still, in my collection of flies, very few of them even have names. I tie to meet my specific needs, for specific waters, for specific times of the year. I don't need to see if the local shop has what I need, I set down and tie it. That, and the fact it will always be a pleasure to catch a fish on your own tie, is the reason I have so much fly tying material.

[Marc Martyn]

That is the beauty of tying your own flies. There are literally billions of different insects out there. I have often seen bugs that I have never seen patterns for. One time on Medical Lake, I saw a water boatman that I have never seen before. The color pattern was totally different than most. I took a close up picture of it and went home and duplicated the color pattern. The next time I was out fishing I put that fly on and the results were great. Truly "matching the hatch".

[knotabassturd]

Anglinarcher, thanx for that perspective. I have not even walked into a store to look at overseas flies in a long long time but if they are getting the higher quality materials would expect them to be very well tied. The skills of the tiers overseas in some areas makes sense they could do extremely well. Tying the same pattern over and over and over for who knows how many hours per week days making a very small amount of money.

Do you know of a place to get stuff like those beautiful Kaufmann necks of the late 80s? I think I still have a nice 1/2 grizzly (split it with a friend at the time) that has some decent hackle left (:cheers: ) but the other old stuff I have would be more like the much cheaper import necks. There are a few decent hackles in the smaller necks, but not the great number of long flowing fine stuff that makes a great dry floater out of a size 18 adams or such.

I am definitely with you and Marc on the tying to match a hatch theme. The generic patterns are great and perfect for a base to fish from, but when you get to know water well or have time to learn a particualr stretch or body of water it can pay to do some snooping around and experimenting with your own creations:thumright

[afk]

There are a pile of videos on youtube that I have learned from.