A Few Of My First Ties

[grannyknot]

I picked up a fly-tying kit a week ago, and I'm hooked. Having just moved to Cochrane, I figure I should be good to go when the river FINALLY opens in April. Please feel free to offer constructive criticism or suggestions.

 

 

 

 

This really is cheaper than buying all my flies.

 

 

Thanks to all for the knowledge I have already aquired from lurking on this board.

[SanJuanWorm]

Very good start granny.

 

Shorter tails on the nymphs though. They should be as long as the distance of the gape of your hook.

[grannyknot]

Thanks SJW. Guess that shoud be a pretty easy fix.

[maxwell]

looking good dude. thems wil get ya some fish

[bulltrout]

that streamer'll hit ya some bullys...

[ggp]

Those are all awesome flies, and they will all catch fish...well done!

[126barnes]

lol...............you think your hooked now.................wait til those flies catch fish.

 

good job.

[maxwell]

lmao well said barnes..then u will be spending even more dollas at the flyshop

[grannyknot]

Thanks everyone! I was hoping my chironomids would shine ice fishing this weekend, but no dice. Can hardly wait to hit the bow and try them out.

[hydropsyche]

Good looking flies. The two things beginners always have a problem with is proportion and crowding the eye. Your proportion is good (except for the tails, as already pointed out) and beadhead save you from the eye crowding problem.

 

Now, try tying some dries......

[grannyknot]

Now, try tying some dries......

Stopping by the fly shop at lunch to get Adams materials...

that should keep me busy for a while.

Think the Dave's Hoppers might have to wait though. Bought a bunch of foam bodies, looked closely at my recipe, and decided I'll wait until I'm a bit more experienced.

 

Edit;

As for the head-crowding, you should see my first scud. More head than body, it's truly a freak of nature!

[grannyknot]

Adams is done! Parachute adams still looks like a dog chewed some hackle onto a hook, but it'll come.

On a side note, holy goddamn is hackle expensive!

[ladystrange]

so much for saving you money you now realize???

 

 

i want to know someone who actually saves money tying their own, unless of course all the material was 'Willed' to them LOL

[hydropsyche]

LS, if you have 500 flies (including the ones you lost/gave away) at $2 each, that $1000. It only takes a couple of years of tying before you end up on the plus side, me thinks.

 

This only works for those who stick with it and fish a lot. Dablers won't realize these returns.

[bigbowtrout]

But if you get crazy like Dave and Max and start doing fly's the size of small dogs then the bills will add up big time fosheezel

 

grannyknot great job and I'm in Cochrane so we need to head out when it opens.

[Guest bigbadbrent]

so much for saving you money you now realize???

i want to know someone who actually saves money tying their own, unless of course all the material was 'Willed' to them LOL

 

 

One pack of dubbing - 3.00 (im rounding..)

50 Mustad 94160 - 6.00

Pack of biots - 2.00

Thread - 2.00

Ultrawire - 2.00

 

15 bucks for 50 flies, you're saving money.

 

Once your at the point where all you doing is paying for hooks and beadheads, you're saving money

 

 

hell, if all you tied were pheasent tails, you could pay literally 8.00 for 50+ flies

[ladystrange]

that would be true except i am a tackle tart. i cant resist. just the stuff i have purchased since oct 1st my bill is about $500. LOL. and that is only the stuff i remember buying. but that is my compulsion and i sleep walk sunday mornings down to troutfitters. the hangover at fish tails made me do it.

 

 

"hell, if all you tied were pheasent tails, you could pay literally 8.00 for 50+ flies"

where's the fun in that

[Guest bigbadbrent]

So next time you're in on a sunday morning, i'll be sure to encourage getting the 1000 dollar vise, and a couple 20 dollar packs of CDC and such

[grannyknot]

grannyknot great job and I'm in Cochrane so we need to head out when it opens.

 

Absolutely man, looking forward to it.

 

As for tying vs. buying, anyone who uses worms should tie their own at least, and I am saving money on nymphs. I'm just going to have to tie a whole lot of dries before it's worth it (economically).

[hydropsyche]

I'm just going to have to tie a whole lot of dries before it's worth it (economically).

 

I don't know how much you paid, but you can pick up a 1/2 hackle of qood quality for ~$50.

 

Add the cost of hooks ($7 for 2doz), thread, dudding. Another $10? Tie up 25 flies and your hackle is paid for. Tie up another 25 to pay off a bit of the vise. Eventually, you will be on the plus side.

 

The problem comes when you start tying all types of one off flies calling for different materials. But you are one of those that uses 6 different flies for all your fishing, you will save a ton of money.

[Lundvike]

The way I look at it if you actually enjoy tying then you come out ahead, but if are only doing it save yourself money and you factor in the cost of your own labour it is likely not worth while. I have a hard time imagining not enjoying tying but everyone is different.

[yak]

LV, hit the nail on the head. If it is something you really enjoy and are willing to spend your free time doing that then it is a way to save a little money. If you have a couple of kids and other interests besides fishing it isnt a very cost effective way to spend your time unless you are willing to work for 5 bucks an hour. Would rather spend an extra hour or two at my job and pay for flies thus freeing up my valuable and rare free time for other things. If the only motivation is saving money then i suggest selling all your tieing equipment and spend a coupel of hours each night collecting bottles and then buying your flies. Will likely work out the same

[Badger]

...

[grannyknot]

I fish almost exclusively with adams, parachute adams, and bastard adams through the summer, so I'm sure that will be worth it. I'm sure though, that half the fun of tying is learning new patterns, that's what will rack up the bills. Also, it's already obvious that I need to upgrade my vise, maybe a table just for tying, storage for my materials, maybe just turn the den into a tying room...

The girlfriend is gonna be pissed soon!