chrisjpainter Posted October 21, 2013 Report Share Posted October 21, 2013 How easy is it to make your own flies? It looks really kind of fun and something that takes a lot of concentration, but I know nothing about it, like cost, where to start equipment etc. Can anyone help? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oscarsdad Posted October 21, 2013 Report Share Posted October 21, 2013 (edited) Simple ones eg PT nymph, simple buzzers, damsels etc are dead easy. To start with you just need a vice, some whipping thread, glue, a few feathers and hooks and have a play. Have a look online at John Norris. Edited October 21, 2013 by oscarsdad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunkield Posted October 21, 2013 Report Share Posted October 21, 2013 Just that, like most things try and keep it as simple as possible and then see where it takes you. I tie the more straightforward patterns easily enough but tend to buy the more complicated stuff If you search for the Fly Dressers Guild they should have a group near you, you could have a word with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aled Posted October 21, 2013 Report Share Posted October 21, 2013 I am not a natural craftsman, but i can tie flies which do 2 things. 1. They can catch fish, 2. Tying them gives me a huge amount of pleasure. Get a basic kit, then have a look on you tube, lots of good examples of tying there. If you are a craftsman you wont find it difficult, my best pal, is a cabinet maker by trade, and the flies he can make are works of art. Give it a go. Tight lines Aled Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chefy Posted October 21, 2013 Report Share Posted October 21, 2013 south yorkshire game angling do a starter kit enough for tying about 8 or so flies comes with everything you need and a dvd they do mail order i think there about £25 and comes in a nice little bag hpoe this helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunkield Posted October 21, 2013 Report Share Posted October 21, 2013 There are tons of videos on Youtube as well like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eoq5IAzj28g Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oddman Posted October 23, 2013 Report Share Posted October 23, 2013 Worth practicing casting on and finishing a fly until you are confident. The sweariness is decreased if your fly doesn't unravel at the last moment. They don't need to be perfect to catch fish. The biggest advantage I think over commercial flies is you choose the hooks - even basic kamasan B170s are way better than the hooks on mass produced flies Davie McPhail has a huge variety of videos http://www.youtube.com/user/DavieMcPhail Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BellySlater Posted October 23, 2013 Report Share Posted October 23, 2013 Davie McPhail is invaluable....... cheap kit off ebay and away you go........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fruity Posted October 23, 2013 Report Share Posted October 23, 2013 Hywel Morgan top man for fly tying and fishing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted October 24, 2013 Report Share Posted October 24, 2013 Its easy peasy, just start with a few basic proven patterns for the fishing you do. Shop bought flies are not generally tied by anglers and are mostly very weak and overdressed. Northern spiders are a good place to start and they are killing patterns if not over hackled like most shop ones rivers or stillwaters. Pheasant tails correctly done to the original are actually quite hard to do with fine wire and even harder is finding a bird with long enough barbs on its tail feathers (look for an ancient cock centre tail feather for the longest). Move on from spiders to buzzers and easy nymphs GRHE etc. Get a book, watch some u-tube etc build on the basics. Oh it aint cheap when you become obsessed but you wont be short of flies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul87 Posted October 25, 2013 Report Share Posted October 25, 2013 I bought 2nd hand off the bay, best way to start in my opinion. I got around £200 quids worth of materials alone for about £50 and there was also a vice and various tools and threads to get me started. What wasn't included that I needed were small cheap things like tinsels. There is enough to keep me going for years and what I need I can pick up along the way. If I hadn't got the bug I would have easily got my money back should I have wanted to sell it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackpowder Posted October 25, 2013 Report Share Posted October 25, 2013 As Kent says start of with simple hackle flies, I have always found that tying in the wing is one of the most difficult aspects of fly dressing. Being a shooter there is going to be loads of material from game, wildfowl and vermin. Pheasant tail and hares ear figure in many dressings of traditional flies, the likes of mallard wing in Butchers or its varients, teal in numerous flies stoats tail in salmon patterns the list is comprehensive to say the least. Blackpowder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happy.plinker Posted October 26, 2013 Report Share Posted October 26, 2013 How easy is it to make your own flies? It looks really kind of fun and something that takes a lot of concentration, but I know nothing about it, like cost, where to start equipment etc. Can anyone help? Have you got a trout/salmon fishing club near you ? they might run fly tying night classes through the winter, the Orkney Trout Fishing Association up here run evening classes and my tying improved 500% ! and you get a few golden tips from them about fishing. oh and you will become obsessed . HP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted October 26, 2013 Report Share Posted October 26, 2013 As Kent says start of with simple hackle flies, I have always found that tying in the wing is one of the most difficult aspects of fly dressing. Being a shooter there is going to be loads of material from game, wildfowl and vermin. Pheasant tail and hares ear figure in many dressings of traditional flies, the likes of mallard wing in Butchers or its varients, teal in numerous flies stoats tail in salmon patterns the list is comprehensive to say the least. Blackpowder That's so true, but make sure and store your stock in the freezer a while to kill any mites, it aint funny when a jungle cock cape or the likes gets done via such nasties. If you look at the traditional north country spiders etc. its just like looking into a 1920's game bag from the Yorkshire Dales were many originated from. Strange I have always found it hard to give away such things, yet in the shops something like a hare mask is about 3x the price paid at the gamedealer for a hare complete and real easy to produce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimdfish Posted October 27, 2013 Report Share Posted October 27, 2013 I have got tons of kit. Loads. If you want it cheap let me know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
utectok Posted October 27, 2013 Report Share Posted October 27, 2013 It's fun and easy but won't save you any money in my experience :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sprackles Posted November 5, 2013 Report Share Posted November 5, 2013 Mate of mine is a docker but lives and dies for fly fishing.He has just started an online shop for supplies and equipment...small scale. Don't think I'll be allowed to post a link so google Virtual Nymph Fly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
filzee Posted November 5, 2013 Report Share Posted November 5, 2013 Just put a book in the for sale section which might help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dufty Posted November 22, 2013 Report Share Posted November 22, 2013 It's fun and easy but won't save you any money in my experience :( Whilst this is kinda true (there are so many low cost pre-tied flies out there these days), there's nothing quite like watching a large silvery mouth turn over on a fly you tied yourself Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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