Where can I learn to tie my own flies? Help!

[antinori]

Hi Everyone

I need your help - I have wanted to learn how to tie my own flies but have had no luck finding anyone who can help me. I live in Newbury Berkshire.

Any help or advice would be appreciated.

Thanks......Robin

[maharg]

Have a look at " The Fly Dressers Guild" for a local branch.

[A. Fluker]

Welcome to the forum.

Take a visit to a local tackle shop and ask them for a fly demo - a nice simple one.

Buy the kit including all the ingredients from them. Take it home and practice. Then revisit when you are happy with the first fly and ask for a demo on another - repeat.

Buy a couple of books following searches here and build on your knowledge.

Believe your nearest branch of FDG maybe Bristol. Take a trip some time. Follow the swaps and join in.

Any further questions ask here for best answers.

Enjoy yourself.

[wye_wizard]

you tube try davie mcphail's channel all over the net you will get sbs and demos. i think this interweb might just catch on you know!!!! jon mcmillan.

[Anjinsan]

Hi Robin, I recently attended a course at Sportfish in Theale near Reading. It was only a day course with Jonathan Tomlinson. I had a great day, learn't loads, I feel it has given me a grounding in fly tying. I suggest you pop in and find out about future courses.

As an aside myself and a couple of others are about to form a fly tying and fly fly fishing club in Wantage about 10 miles from you, nothing is set in stone as yet, but when it's up and running you would be welcomed in. In the next couple of days I will be asking a shed load of questions pertaining to a club formation.

I don't know if you are going to be forum regular or not so if you wish I can pm you my tel no, email etc.

Sean

[A. Fluker]

A nice offer just what forums are all about.

[dwillis]

Just started meself. Its terribly addictive.

Following advice mostly off the forum I bought

Regents rotateable vice
Ceramic bobbin holder
Hackle pliers
Whip finish tool
Scissors + darning needles (don't need a tackle supplier for these)
Hooks Kamasan B110 and B175 in size 10 and 12


For materials there is a really useful post here

Please help: Fly tying materials

Look at post 12

I bought most of my stuff from MeadowFishery
Meadow Fishery Mickle Trafford Chester Cheshire UK best game fishing tackle shops and stillwater trout fisheries, Fly fishing, spinning rods, reels, fly lines, specialists, rod building, fly tying

The guy there was really helpful.

Craft shops are good and Sally Hansen Hard as nails for varnish from chemists.

I tied some buzzers following Dave Cammiss on You Tube. Lesson 1 shows the basics though he uses half-hitches rather than the whip finish tool. I then tied some floating snails following a pattern from g_bigtrout on the forum. Next up - a Diawl Bach following Dave McPhail on You Tube. Might be a bridge too far this one - I have to go back to work tomorrow.

Nothing I've done is perfect but it mostly looks ok once I've spent several hours working on a pattern.

Best of luck

Dave

[hootsmun]

YouTube and look for David Cammis. Thats how i got started.

[antinori]

Hi Sean

Thanks for your advice - I'll definitely talk to Sportfish about fly tying courses. If you are serious about getting a fly fishing club started in the area then I'd love to help, the only clubs I've found over the years are either coarse fishing only or 100 miles away.

Let me know

Cheers.....Robin

---------- Post added at 02:30 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:28 PM ----------

Hello

Thanks to everyone who has responded so far, I've had some great advice and will let you know how I get on.

Cheers....Robin

[marxach]

Originally Posted by Anjinsan

As an aside myself and a couple of others are about to form a fly tying and fly fly fishing club in Wantage about 10 miles from you, nothing is set in stone as yet, but when it's up and running you would be welcomed in. In the next couple of days I will be asking a shed load of questions pertaining to a club formation.


Sean

Hi Sean

I live in Newbury too and have just started tying flies, though what they look like in the book and what I produce are not exactly the same! I'd be interested in knowing more about the club.

Regards

Peter