First fly I actually got tied

[Wet_Fly78]

I swear I must be either impatient, or all thumbs. But I tied my first resemblance of what I was going after today. This is not bragging. But after 20 razor blade cuts to a hook, I finally got a crappy resemblance of a Partridge and Orange. I am definitely not bragging. But the first one through twenty was abhorrent. Going to tie 10 of each from size 12 to 16 and see how it ends up. Critique away on any fly pic I post. I only learn if I know what I did wrong

 

[JimNovo]

Tying in hackle takes time to get right. Keep at it!

That fly will do great. Remember it’s not how it looks in the vise that matters, but how it looks in the water. Your fly will get a trouts attention!

 

[coyoterahn]

That fly wi catch fish. Keep it up. You’ll be hooked on tying.

 

[dc410]

Nice job. The Partridge and Orange is a great old pattern. In another month or so the sulphurs will be popping and you should do well swinging those flies when the sulphurs get active and the fish start looking up for emerging bugs. I would say start with tying size 14 for a good all around size to match the majority of PA early Sulphur hatches. Keep up the good work! As you repetitively tie the same pattern you will quickly learn little tricks to keep your proportions consistent and your flies looking good. However, most times the fish aren’t as picky as we are about aesthetics. Size, contrast and movement IMO are three of the most important components of a fly that make a trout eat it. Good luck with your tying and fishing!

 

[Classicriver]

I swear I must be either impatient, or all thumbs. But I tied my first resemblance of what I was going after today. This is not bragging. But after 20 razor blade cuts to a hook, I finally got a crappy resemblance of a Partridge and Orange. I am definitely not bragging. But the first one through twenty was abhorrent. Going to tie 10 of each from size 12 to 16 and see how it ends up. Critique away on any fly pic I post. I only learn if I know what I did wrong

Sounds like you may have been a little impatient with yourself, cutting up that many flies. Classic soft hackles are delicate, simple flies but thread control is important. Start your silk and wrap down to just beyond the hook point, keeping you wraps together tight but not overlapping, and then wrap back toward the eye the same way. Choose your hackle feather by viewing the even length barbs and measure their length against the hook shank to match its length. Gently pull the barbs back away from the tip and tie it in with the convex, more colorful side facing you. Tie it down with two or three firm warps and clip the rest of the tip off. Gently wrap two to three turns of hackle, working toward the hook eye, then tie it off and down with two or three wraps and clip the excess. Whip finish and you are done.

Fishing flies do not have to be perfect, so don't expect to start with perfection. The late great Gary LaFontaine once told me "ugly flies catch fish", and we have all proven that to ourselves many times.

 

[Steeltrap]

Thread size, IMHO, is very important when deciding what fly to tie. A streamer or say a size 10 may be tied up with a 140 Denier or a 6.0, but when you get to size 14, 16, 18 and smaller thread size choice is more critical in order to produce a good fly. I've found that using a thread size of 8 or 12 on the smaller flies makes it much easier to produce a fly that looks like the pattern it should.

I've tried the Vevos thread and I just can't get it to work well at all.

But your pic is, as others stated, fine. Remember.....it's really not important what you think.....it's very important what the trout thinks!!

Keep at it.....you will get much better and faster. Stay away from complex flies. Stick to tried 'n true patterns that are not difficult.

 

[Wet_Fly78]

Thanks for the compliments on the fly. I tied 30 of them from size 12 to size 16. Next one I am going to tie is going to be black and silver spiders