Signs of progress...

[SharkeyP]

...I hope!

I've had my cheap eBay tying kit for a couple of weeks now, and with some help and materials off Noeyedeer and a few moderate online purchases (*ahem*) I'm starting to get on the first rung of this fly tying ladder. I apologise for posting the horrible blobs a while back that were my very first efforts. Not worthy of this platform. They did catch a few fish though.

It's become evident to me that I need something better than the old nail scissors that have been knocking round in the bathroom for years. My eyes aren't sharp enough but macro photographs reveal all sorts of loose ends and spare fibres.

Some of these ties are probably over-ambitious but I've found that you learn from your mistakes, and I've made quite a few. Anyway, here are a few pictures. The first is based on Steve Collyer's Mirage Snatcher:


And a Foam Daddy, which when I do again I'll use a bare hook rather than a peacock herl and rib, which suggests a second thorax. I've fished this and had rises to it but didn't convert them.


A Peachy Blob, that has been chewed by a few trout mouths and is still neater than my previous efforts.


A rather ham fisted Diawl Bach, head too long, rib gets lost...


And finally some lures, Cats and Damsel variants using some of the feathers, fritz and chenille that came in the kit. I made some other, nicer ones, but they are snagged under stones in the shallows of Ogden reservoir.


I've also knocked out quite a few PTNs, Buzzers and Blobs. All of them taught me something from my mistakes.

SharkeyP

[chris68]

They are coming along well, work on the heads and you will be fine, see if you can get down to a fly tying class, that will improve you no end or there will be plenty of fly tying clubs starting up again about now

Where are you based?

Chris

[noeyedeer]

Originally Posted by chris68

They are coming along well, work on the heads and you will be fine, see if you can get down to a fly tying class, that will improve you no end or there will be plenty of fly tying clubs starting up again about now

Where are you based?

Chris

Often in my kitchen! -

[SharkeyP]

Originally Posted by chris68

They are coming along well, work on the heads and you will be fine, see if you can get down to a fly tying class, that will improve you no end or there will be plenty of fly tying clubs starting up again about now

Where are you based?

Chris

Cheers Chris,

I'm based in The Ribble Valley, not far from Blackburn. As Noeyedeer has already pointed out, we have a club of 2, in his kitchen, every Thursday in September so far. I think he might be coming to mine instead this Thursday.


I've found YouTube videos very helpful, David Cammiss' in particular (although I've now abandoned his three-half-hitch finishes in favour of the old whip finishing tool).

Thanks for the encouragement.

SharkeyP

[noeyedeer]

Originally Posted by SharkeyP

Cheers Chris,

I'm based in The Ribble Valley, not far from Blackburn. As Noeyedeer has already pointed out, we have a club of 2, in his kitchen, every Thursday in September so far. I think he might be coming to mine instead this Thursday.


I've found YouTube videos very helpful, David Cammiss' in particular (although I've now abandoned his three-half-hitch finishes in favour of the old whip finishing tool).

Thanks for the encouragement.

SharkeyP

Personally I've found, Fly-Tying mirrors life in that it took me about 20yrs before I got my head tied on correctly

[chris68]

You both need to head over to Horwich and sit in on one of the Bolton Fly tyers sessions, we have Paul Proctor coming up along with Malcom Greenhalgh a few weeks later, I can help out with any tying tips etc you may need\may not need, we are a friendly bunch and the pub we are based at even serves beer

Chris

[SharkeyP]

Originally Posted by noeyedeer

Personally I've found, Fly-Tying mirrors life in that it took me about 20yrs before I got my head tied on correctly

Yes, and in real life your head is smooth and shiny, whereas mine is an unruly mop!

As to Chris's kind invitation, what do you think N, will our wives let us down the pub on a 'school night'?

SharkeyP

[arkle]

"By the inch, it's a synch" "By the yard, it's damn hard" & By the mile, it's ...."
Try NOT to run before you can walk, discipline yourself into tying at least 4 of a pattern on a hook you are happy with say a 10, then repeat the same pattern on a smaller size. Better still do 6 of each, then you'll see improvements between each fly before you go onto a more challenging pattern. Go to www.gwentanglingsociety.co.uk & watch the videos there, they are superb.

Your efforts aren't bad & you are showing promise, but the method above is well proven. I've taught guy's who've gone on to win national tying comps, others have become qualified instructors with that method, so it can't be all wrong.

[CORONA]

Great ties you should be proud of those..

keep doing what you`re doing you are definately on the right road..

taking photos of your flies will improve you tying dramitically (it did for me) you are able to see your mistakes more easily and correct them as you progress..

the snatcher is your best tie closely followed by the Daddy,the blob is spot on,i would opt for a real slim body on the Diawl Bach,,try it with just 1 or 2 strands of Herl it lets the rib really shine through,,tying beard hackles are pain in the @rse i hate them..


CORONA

[SharkeyP]

Thanks for the advice and encouragement guys.

None of these are the first tyings of a pattern, fifth or sixth typically and I have started on bigger hooks where possible. I have some sz8 () Buzzers and a Snatcher because I don't have any grub hooks in a 10. I have a pile of DBs and PTNs that ought to be stripped back to the hook.

Somewhere on this forum somebody advised tying fifty of a particular pattern before moving on. I'm not sure I could afford the hooks and feathers for that approach! Half a dozen seems sensible to me.

I'm off to buy some proper scissors today too.

Thanks for the links too, all useful stuff.

SharkeyP