First Try at Tying

[zenherper]

This is one of my first attempts at tying last week. I am kind of limited to the supplies that came with my cheap-o Cabelas kit, but I'm adding better materials slowly. It is a size 18. I know it's not very good yet, but I intend to keep trying.

 

[zenherper]

Here is another picture.

 

[Pontus]

Take this advice with a grain of salt since I am also a fairly new fly tier. But you should start with bigger subsurface flies. I started with buggers and then moved to size 12 and 14 nymphs. Only after many months of tying did I even attempt a dry fly. And I still haven't done any hackled dry flies yet (although mostly because I'm not ready to buy hackle). Baby steps.

 

[gfen]

Err, was it supposed to be a skater??

Actually, poroportions aren't as off in the palm photo, the problem is likely the strung kit hackle sucks compared to a "quality" neck, but it would certainly work if the hackle barbs were shorter.

Try doing that on a size 14 hook, wth that hackle, and you'll make something 100% servicable (not that whatcha got won't work!). You can make "wings" by just taking a bit of mallard flank, rolling it up, and then tying it in like I think you did in that one.

Journey of a thousand steps, all that jazz

 

[ryguyfi]

Dry flies are a difficult pattern to start with. Go with Pontus' advise. Start with some wooly buggers (plus should be a good pattern to catch your first fish on your own pattern on), then move to generic nymphs; hares ear, pheasant tail, prince, zug, etc. Those will catch fish and if they look crappy they will still catch fish. Dry flies have to be better proportioned and it's tough for them to look good to the fish if they're not. Work on thread tension, dubbing, adding materials, whip finishing and you should be ok. Tie a few more and keep posting.

 

[BlkLgbEaDheAd09]

i have to say that is an amazing first attempt at a dry fly, and a size 18 at that. next time shorten the span of the hackles as well only like 2-3 turns. but again great first tie man!

 

[zenherper]

Thanks for all the feedback guys. I have been trying others as well, as seen in this photo. Mostly "generic" stuff just to try different techniques/styles etc... Again, I know they aren't good, and don't really look like anything. They are just initial attempts at trying to start somewhere. I have always believed that you don't truly learn something until you put it into action, so after reading a couple books on tying, I had to give it a try. I now know that I REALLY need some eye magnification and a better lit area.

Again, these really aren't supposed to look like anything, with exception to the beadhead hare's ear. They are just attempts at trying some techniques.

 

[njk3395]

Yeah dude, the dry fly is a little off in the proportion and hackle size department, but the nymphs look decent. I would still take the advice and tie things like SJ worms, Buggers, etc. as first flies.. Helps you to get the feel of tying down before moving to smaller flies

 

[zenherper]

njk3395 wrote:
Yeah dude, the dry fly is a little off in the proportion and hackle size department...

Ya Think? Haha... I knew it was hideous immediately. Honestly though, I'm not afraid of making a bad fly at this point. I just want to learn. I am certainly going make a bunch of the larger/easier ones, but I like to know what I'm up against with the smaller, more difficult flies too, so I like to give the tougher ones a go as well.

 

[gfen]

Tiny flies can be dead simple, as long as you keep patterns sane and you've got the general thing down.

Once you understand how to tie down with a minimum of wraps and apply even tension, plus pick the ideal materials, you can start churning out tiny flies no problem.

 

[BelAirSteve]

gfen wrote:

Tiny flies can be dead simple, as long as you keep patterns sane and you've got the general thing down.

Once you understand how to tie down with a minimum of wraps and apply even tension, plus pick the ideal materials, you can start churning out tiny flies no problem.

Very true. One of my favorite small flies to tie is a blue wing olive...thread, moose (or microfibbet) tail, olive dubbing, dun CDC wings. Catches fish like mad.

 

[NateFollmer]

Nymphs look pretty good... I just started too and your hare's ear nymph looks a lot better than mine ha.

 

[joereese]

Great for starting out. You're brave for jumping right into sz18 dries.

I always tell new tiers this- save those flies and the one you catch your first fish on. I wish I did, for nostalgia sake

 

[BelAirSteve]

joereese wrote:

I always tell new tiers this- save those flies and the one you catch your first fish on. I wish I did, for nostalgia sake

Great advice. I am going to post some pics of my first pheasant tails and hares ears, side by side with how I tie now. I started tying 14s and could not imagine tying anything smaller!

 

[WildTigerTrout]

I remember very well my first trout caught on a fly that I tied. I still have the fly. I never used it again.

 

[gulfgreyhound]

"All men and their flies are equal in the eyes of a trout,if he's feeding".Is anything in nature perfect?Ain't nothin wrong with them flies.GG

 

[littlelehigh]

Your flies look great don't be afraid to fish any of those! I'm glad to see your enthusiasm to tie dry flies I was the same way. Do you prefer to fish dries?


Personal I'd use that hackle you received in the kit for wet flies and soft hackles. It's gonna be difficult to keep it afloat although these days with frogs fanny and such you can almost keep bead head on top. Try trimming the hackles flush on the bottom of that fly to give it more of an emerger look.

Another thing I found helpful from the folks around here is when you find a pattern to tie make at least 6 of the same fly. You will see improvements with each fly and your technique.

Last find a video on youtube and tie along with it pausing it as you do each step. Take notice to the sizing of each section of the fly.

Welcome to the world of tying it will become your new obsession when your not on the stream.

 

[BelAirSteve]

WildTigerTrout wrote:
I remember very well my first trout caught on a fly that I tied. I still have the fly. I never used it again.

Me too...mine was a dink brown trout on a trib of the gunpowder. It was a bead head pheasant tail. I didn't keep the fly, but I have a picture of the fish with the fly in it's mouth.

I posted a response to a thread a while back remembering all of my firsts...funny, I don't think I'll forget any of them...ever.

 

[zenherper]

littlelehigh wrote:
Your flies look great don't be afraid to fish any of those! I'm glad to see your enthusiasm to tie dry flies I was the same way. Do you prefer to fish dries?


Personal I'd use that hackle you received in the kit for wet flies and soft hackles. It's gonna be difficult to keep it afloat although these days with frogs fanny and such you can almost keep bead head on top. Try trimming the hackles flush on the bottom of that fly to give it more of an emerger look.

Another thing I found helpful from the folks around here is when you find a pattern to tie make at least 6 of the same fly. You will see improvements with each fly and your technique.

Last find a video on youtube and tie along with it pausing it as you do each step. Take notice to the sizing of each section of the fly.

Welcome to the world of tying it will become your new obsession when your not on the stream.

At this point, while I fantasize about a nice trout taking a dry fly off of the surface, I don't want to limit myself to just fishing dry flies.

I have been watching a bunch of the you tube videos and found some of them to be very helpful.

Thanks to all of you for your feedback and advice. I would love to see some pictures of everybody's first flies. That would be a cool thread.

 

[joereese]

My first fly I tied was a mickeyfinn streamer. The first fish was a brookie also on a mickeyfinn, but not the same fly. The first one was lost to a tree.
The brookie was caught on Beaver brook, a tributary of the Rockaway River in Morris county NJ.
25-29 years ago, beaver brook and its upstream feeder hibernia brook actually had wild trout (browns and brookies) even though the the streams were stocked too. Quite a few brookies lived in pools formed by beaver dams around an area called the hibernia flats (where hibernia brook spills into a larger area and leaves as beaver brook).
This was before Rockaway township became really built up though. I'd be surprised if there are still wild fish in them. BB looked pretty silted and a bit dirty (garbage) last time I visited. too bad.

Any current NJ anglers care to comment?