Fly tying

[Dang]

Try you tube videos but most importantly buy BOOKS or take a class if your really serious?It is very time consuming to learn something new thats why many people pay people who already know how to do this kind of fishing.

Yes I imagine it could be quit frustrating.

This guy I use to work with was a master at it. His name was Gordon Evans and I saw him whip out a dozen perfect flies during lunch and still had time to eat. Some of you may have knew him. He was really into fly fishing. Awesome guy. He was gonna show me how to fly fish but cancer hit him before we could get together.

[City Dad]

ditto "take a class"

and don't mind the blow-hards - they are in the minority anyway.

[smalweld]

Any flyfishing clubs near you? If so join one and have fun. I am jealous of you for living in Sacramento. You are fortunate to have Steelhead, Salmon Striped bass all in the same river and lots of possibilities on fishing within a few hours drive. Easiest fly to tie is the Wolley Bugger and will not only catch fish but the larger ones in the pools seem to like them. Saw a large bowtaken at in one stream and not more than 15 minutes later a 4 lb brownie that was half the size of the bow!!! Yes they do work and they work very well. Also Elk Hair Caddis is another fairly easy fly to tie.

Sean

[tacklejunkie]

I learned from the video that came with my tying kit.
After that it kinda sprung all over the place.
Now I look up directions and materials lists for flies I want to tie online for free.
Just about all of the flies have tutorials out there. Some sites are great for free tying directions!

Just figure out what fly you want to tie and grab the materials after that. Those fly tying starter kits at bass pro with the left kreh video will get you going fine. The lefty guy doesn't really tie in the video though, he hands you off to some BPS employee Good starter info though. You'll develop your own niche from there and want to add more tools and materials to your kit.

this suited me well for starting and had a video so you get the idea.
http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/st..._SearchResults
The rest get directions for the ties online.
for me, it's all in the material selection and usage. Using the right size and amount of good materials makes a difference.

[Liteweight]

i, needing to learn how to tie flies, i asked that same question?

a person i know that has been tying many yrs, told me that the best way to learn is to fin a simple pattern (ex:midge pupa, caddis pupa) and tie that one pattern 500 times (yes 500).

As for learning to tie one pattern itself...my first and still favorite, fastest most versitile pattern has got to be the Wooly Bugger (IMHO). Once you learn to tie this pattern, you should have most of the basics of fly tying to tie most any pattern. This pattern will teach you how to tie in weight (if you so chose), building a proper body and preparing and wrapping hackle.
In addition this pattern is impossible to mess up, only because you can experiment the materials in almost anyway shape or form. I personally mutated this pattern into various forms which has caught trout, bass and even carp. Check it out. Read some of the history and you'll find out why it is so successful on so many species.
Otherwise, I concur with some of the previous posts. Get a video, take a class or even join a Fly Club (which can help with discerning patterns which work best in your area).
Be carefull though you can dedicate an entire room to this passion. I have a rolling storage unit and two travel cases and a desk FULL of fly tying tools and materials.
Robert.

[Dang]

Man you guys are awesome! Went to the library and found one book on fly tying by Dick Talleur titled "Basic Fly Tying" I never really took to reading and watching the computer's monitor. Would much rather use a book. Although the videos did show how to use these odd looking tools. That's a plus.
Thanks so much everyone.
Dang
( Not to be confused with That Dang Guy. )

[That Dang Guy]

Sorry TDG. I just took my first name and first letter of my last name and it's Dang. I been using it for years on other forums and well....I'm just Dang. I guess I can change it to That New Dang Guy!
Signed,
Dan G

Sorta left this post on the back burner, but with a comment like that I think you'll end up being a perfect fit for this forum! I'll share my name this time, but you other Dang lurkers out there better not get any ideas!

[Dang]

Sorta left this post on the back burner, but with a comment like that I think you'll end up being a perfect fit for this forum! I'll share my name this time, but you other Dang lurkers out there better not get any ideas!

Yeah! No more "Dangs"!
"Shoot" "Darn" and "Shucks" are more then welcome.

[Liteweight]

Man you guys are awesome! Went to the library and found one book on fly tying by Dick Talleur titled "Basic Fly Tying" I never really took to reading and watching the computer's monitor. Would much rather use a book. Although the videos did show how to use these odd looking tools. That's a plus.
Thanks so much everyone.
Dang
( Not to be confused with That Dang Guy. )

Yep!
Dick Talleur is another excellent tyer that I didn't have room to mention.
Once you get going, if your still into tying at this point, here's a few more books and authors that I would highly recommend.
I forgot to recommend Dave Hughes. He's the author of "Trout Flies a Tyer's Reference", my second most referenced tying book.
For the Sierra's, Ralph Cutter is some excellent reading. He's the inventor of the EC Caddis, a very successful pattern in California.
Then there is Gary Lafontaine. The author of "Caddisflies", one of the most (fi not THE MOST) thorough book on the species.
Also forgot about Swisher & Richards (some of the first scientific observations of aquatic insects). Rick Hafele and Bob Clouser also were forgotten.
This list should get you going for a few years.
Robert.