First fly as well...

[Modest_Man]

Can you guess what it's supposed to be? I used too large of hackle and had some issues with the dubbing but no where to go but up...



Going to work on number two here in a minute.

 

[waco]

One time a bird crash in to my window and it looked just like that!

 

[brandon4455]

One time a bird crash in to my window and it looked just like that!

ahahaha. nice tie, guessing something like an adams or march brown? not a bad first tie at all

 

[Modest_Man]

Yeah, it's supposed to be an adams. Number two came out in 1/10th the time, but doesn't look that much better. Chubbier maybe.

 

[FlyBum]

A couple hundred more and you'll have it dialed What hackle and hooks are you using? Did you get a full cape or did you get a 100's pack? Which other hooks do you have, any larger?

 

[Modest_Man]

I only have 16 and 18 for dries right now, I'm pretty limited on hooks. For hackle, I got a Metz small multi pack of grizzly, cream, and brown. No way was I dropping the cash for a full cape. Just trying to get my feet wet. Bought the Cabela's vise and starter kit with some other things thrown in.

Just tried to tie up a stimulator, didn't leave enough room for the head so it kept falling off. I finished it anyways, it's a headless wingless stimulator.

 

[waco]

Becarefu with that! It can be very addictive!!

 

[FlyBum]

So if you have multiple feathers with different barbule length and your looking to find a more appropriate hackle for the hook and don't have a hackle gauge. What you can do is before you tie in the feathers, bend some of the feathers around the hook to see what you can use. What you are looking for is the tip of the barbule to extend just beyond the hook point, or gape. This will give you the a more appropriate measure of the hackle to be used. It is always better to have a larger hackle for dries than a smaller one, no point in having a dry that won't float.

 

[GungasUncle]

A tip for dubbing bodies - less dubbing is better. Also, try to taper the dubbing on the thread, so that when you wind it onto the hook, it comes out as a tapered body. For tying such small dry flies - you barely need any dubbing on the thread, a whisper will work. Might not look like much on the thread, but as it's wrapped on the hook, it really builds up quick.

And once you get to adding wings - if you don't want to mess with hackle tip wings - white, gray, brown, or black polypropylene yarn makes great wing material, and it adds floatation to the fly.

 

[OnTheFly]

One time a bird crash in to my window and it looked just like that!

:lol:

 

[Modest_Man]

Attempt three was better. Think I used too much hackle, but I used a more correct size of hackle. Dubbing was improved as well.





Pretty worthless stimulator I forgot about wings on...


And just getting artsy fartsy at f2.8

 

[Sinkline]

.

 

[waco]

Now that looks like a fly!! It's getting better! But I don't know about the stimulator!!

 

[brandon4455]

hey man,everyone has to start somwhere, you will get better and better the more you tie.

 

[Modest_Man]

I'm taking "Advanced Fly Tying" as a course at OSU starting Tuesday...no lie.

 

[brandon4455]

is that the one that michael gorman teaches? that man can tie some killer steelhead flies. i hope that works out for you

 

[jimmy]

Attempt three was better. Think I used too much hackle, but I used a more correct size of hackle. Dubbing was improved as well.

ahh crap, if your tyin' like that already your gonna make mine look like knots on a hook in a year..... nice job..



btw, twist that dub, then fluff it w/ a pin.

 

[GungasUncle]

Don't worry man - fly tying is just like fly casting - the only way to get better is to just do it, and do it a lot. You'll pick up tricks that make things easier or better. What tools you need, and what tools are just there to take your money and live in the bottom of a drawer.

Craft stores like Jo Ann's and Michael's will be your friend. You can buy marabou boas for what a bag of marabou costs at the fly shop - and the boa marabou will work great for most flies. You can also get your craft foam by the sheet for 89 cents to a buck for a letter size sheet. Duck and partridge feathers are pretty easy to come by, and they're about a buck a pack. Yarn is also way cheaper, though you buy one regular package of knitting yarn, and you'll never use it all. You can find all sorts of glass and plastic beads there as well. I've even found big packages of goose biots - more than the fly shop sells, for half the price. Same with colored wire, gold and silver wire, tinsel...

Tying can be just as addicting as fly fishing.

 

[waco]

I'm taking "Advanced Fly Tying" as a course at OSU starting Tuesday...no lie.

That is awesome!! in no time you will be the master giving tips to us!!

 

[Modest_Man]

is that the one that michael gorman teaches? that man can tie some killer steelhead flies. i hope that works out for you

Yeah, I've got a buddy who took the class and said he's pretty full of himself. We'll see how it goes! It was that or bowling.