Fly-Tying 101, Part I: A good foundation
Editor's note: This article is the first in a three-part series. Next time: Assembling a strong selection of fly-tying materials
With winter comes down time on the water, and that represents a good reason to do something about those empty slots in your fly box.
Interested in spending a few hours this winter at a vise tying up your own versions of trout candy, saltwater patterns or largemouth poppers? Then read on!
"There is no substitute for having 15 minutes with somebody standing over your shoulder who knows what they're doing," Woodruff said.
"All of the videos and instruction books are good, but they can't match somebody who knows what they're doing and is showing you how to do it."
Another way to lay a good foundation is to join forces with a group of flyfishing buddies, a flyfishing club or a local fly shop that has regular tying sessions.
The reason is simple: Spending time on a consistent basis with other fly-tiers helps anyone become better.
None of this is to say that would-be fly-tiers can't learn the craft on their own time, particularly when using a good instructional book, video CD-ROM or DVD.
Visit any fly shop or peruse any catalog filled with tying materials and you can undoubtedly find something to help you learn to tie better, from instructors such as A.K. Best, Shane Stalcup, Jack Dennis, Skip Morris, Jim Schollmeyer and Dave Whitlock.
It's just that for most tiers, the learning curve will be that much steeper without quality, personal, hands-on instruction.
Getting good instruction is only part of laying a good foundation in fly-tying, however.
Next up is obtaining good equipment, including the purchase of a fly-tying vise.
Notice I didn't say an expensive vise.
Walk into most fly shops and you're liable to get sticker shock in a hurry since top-end vises carry price tags in the neighborhood of $400 or more.
But before you walk out of the store and quit fly-tying before you even begin, consider two things:
First, you don't have to spend boocoo bucks to get a good, workhorse vise that will last for years. And, second, remember that buying a vise is an investment, a tool you can use for decades.
Some quality vices runs around $40.
That being said, there are two things to look for in a vise, regardless of the final price tag:
"To me, the key points to look for in a vise is its ability to hold the hook steady and a C-clamp that will mount the vise to a table properly," Woodruff said.
"It's not only frustrating for your hooks to not hold well in a vise, but it can be just as frustrating if your vise isn't stable. I personally don't like pedestal vises unless I'm tying very small flies."
Fortunately, most major vise manufacturers offer high-quality vises that will allow a new tier to get into the game at a reasonable cost.
In addition to the vise, several other key pieces of fly-tying equipment should be purchased, including several good thread bobbins, a whip finisher, scissors, dubbing wax and hackle pliers.
Woodruff doesn't like using hackle pliers when he ties, preferring to use his fingers to wrap hackle around a hook. I do, too, but I still find that a pair of hackle pliers is necessary from time to time as I tie smaller trout flies.
