ULTIMATE ANGLING - the Ultimate SA Fishing website

FRESHWATER ANGLING => Fly fishing => Fly tying => Topic started by: Ziggy on February 05, 2013, 06:31:25 PM

Title: my first attempts at tying flies
Post by: Ziggy on February 05, 2013, 06:31:25 PM
still learning.......
Title: Re: my first attempts at tying flies
Post by: Homie on February 05, 2013, 06:40:24 PM
 :win:

Looks great Ziggs !
Title: Re: my first attempts at tying flies
Post by: Charles on February 05, 2013, 06:45:32 PM
Awesome Ziggy. Looks very professional
Title: Re: my first attempts at tying flies
Post by: Rory on February 05, 2013, 07:09:49 PM
 :bow: looking good, very nice!
Title: Re: my first attempts at tying flies
Post by: isivuba on February 05, 2013, 07:17:59 PM
Ziggy what I know about fly fishing is scary but man those nymphis look awesome.  (clap)
How long does it take to make one?
Title: Re: my first attempts at tying flies
Post by: Wynand13 on February 06, 2013, 07:29:26 AM
Looking great there.


If you need some advice I`ve been going to fly tying evenings at Urban FlyFishers they have clinic every Tuesday evening that starts at about 19:00 really worth going.
Title: Re: my first attempts at tying flies
Post by: Ziggy on February 06, 2013, 07:54:56 AM
@Isivubu: with my inexperienced fingers - they take about 20 minutes I suppose! About three times as long as the instructional videos that I have been using on youtube!


@Rory: Thanks, all your fault as you well know! You encouraged me to get kitted out and join the "dark side"!


@Wynand: I live in Durban..... It is amazing how much you can find on the internet, lots of very good instructional videos and articles
Title: Re: my first attempts at tying flies
Post by: Lichia amia on February 06, 2013, 08:02:06 AM
Well done , looking good  (clap)
Title: Re: my first attempts at tying flies
Post by: icstuff on February 06, 2013, 08:14:14 AM
Nice going, you make me look bad. I should have started tying long ago  :blush:
Title: Re: my first attempts at tying flies
Post by: Rory on February 06, 2013, 08:15:00 AM
Now tie all 8 again - this time try to use exactly half the materials on each fly  :corrct:
Title: Re: my first attempts at tying flies
Post by: Ziggy on February 06, 2013, 09:13:15 AM
Now tie all 8 again - this time try to use exactly half the materials on each fly  :corrct:


You mean half the material on the fly and of course the half that I had to junk due to inexperience!
Title: Re: my first attempts at tying flies
Post by: Rory on February 06, 2013, 09:17:16 AM
Thats it, get them a bit "slimmer". Don't stress about junking bits and pieces of material, it comes with the territory. At the end of each year, I have at least a supermarket bag full of off cuts and junk that gets thrown out!
Title: Re: my first attempts at tying flies
Post by: diamonddogs on February 06, 2013, 08:31:31 PM
As everyone said - very cool. Just for shits - see how thin you can tie them. Seriously - try it as a joke and you will be supper chuffed with the end result. Keep the body thin and the thorax a third of what it is currently.

When you tie in the tail - turn the vise or the hook so you look directly at the top of the hook bend - try and tie the tail in on top of the hook instead of on the side. Not only will this look more natural but who knows - maybe the fly will even swim/drift better.

Also, if you use less feathers for your tail - I think more than 5 is a waste, it will automatically make your body slimmer when you twist the rest of the feather around the hook shank.
Have a look at the natural you are imitating - see if you can count more than 3/4 tail antennae thingymajiks :cnfzd

Less is more...

Nice attempt and well done.
Title: Re: my first attempts at tying flies
Post by: Ziggy on February 06, 2013, 09:41:49 PM
As everyone said - very cool. Just for shits - see how thin you can tie them. Seriously - try it as a joke and you will be supper chuffed with the end result. Keep the body thin and the thorax a third of what it is currently.

When you tie in the tail - turn the vise or the hook so you look directly at the top of the hook bend - try and tie the tail in on top of the hook instead of on the side. Not only will this look more natural but who knows - maybe the fly will even swim/drift better.

Also, if you use less feathers for your tail - I think more than 5 is a waste, it will automatically make your body slimmer when you twist the rest of the feather around the hook shank.
Have a look at the natural you are imitating - see if you can count more than 3/4 tail antennae thingymajiks :cnfzd

Less is more...

Nice attempt and well done.


I followed the patterns as closely as i could - but maybe I used smaller hooks than what they had recommended - I will tie with less materials - I was thinking of stripping those hooks and starting all over again...good practice!
Title: Re: my first attempts at tying flies
Post by: Herman Jooste on February 08, 2013, 03:40:21 PM
Nice going for first ties. :happ:  I am really impressed. (clap)
 
Don't strip those first flies, keep them in a little box on one side and then pull them out in 6 months time and compare them to what you are then tying. It's always a good ego boost to actually see how far you have improved. :hehe:
Title: Re: my first attempts at tying flies
Post by: UrbanFF on April 20, 2013, 11:11:12 AM
All advice above is very valid, only thing I can suggest as well is to use a pinch wrap when setting the tail etc. in place. Welcome to my obsession.
Title: Re: my first attempts at tying flies
Post by: Ziggy on April 20, 2013, 02:14:48 PM
All advice above is very valid, only thing I can suggest as well is to use a pinch wrap when setting the tail etc. in place. Welcome to my obsession.


It took a little while to manipulate my fingers with the pinch wrap - but got it taped now!


An obsession indeed!
Title: Re: my first attempts at tying flies
Post by: dodger on April 20, 2013, 04:48:25 PM
Well done Ziggy, it's something I always wanted to try, but my fingers are not nimble enough  :+ cred: for what you have tied
Title: Re: my first attempts at tying flies
Post by: briansflyfishing on May 31, 2013, 07:44:33 AM
A very good fist attempt. I would eat those.
SimplePortal 2.3.7 © 2008-2026, SimplePortal