My First Night at the Bench

Which is actually my computer desk for now.

Tying Glow Bugs.

So far it's tough, but I'm trying alot of different stuff to help out, and learning alot as I go.  If anyone's got tips, feel free to chime in, and I'll be sure to post pics at some point!

I use my computer desk at times to tie. I can look up various patterns and have a pic right there in front of me. I use glo yarn for all my glo bugs. Make sure you have some strong thread and wrap very tight. It can be a bit tricky at first but you will get the hang of it. I need to get back to tying again. I tied a bunch of flies and various patterns but now I ran out of ideas. I am tying for my salmon river trip coming up soon. I will use most of it at Erie also but for now, I am just not motivated enough.

I have read both pros and cons on whether to use yarn or Mcflyfoam , I have both but prefer the Mcflyfoam. I can turn a average egg pattern into a good egg pattern easier with the Mcflyfoam. So I think its better for someone who hasn't mastered the method with yarn.

 Beginning Fly Tying,

http://moldychum.typepad.com/moldy_chum/2006/11/tying_sucker_sp_1.html

There is a pretty good video on how to tie a sucker spawn.  It is real popular for steelhead.  I found the vidoe to explain the process easily.  You can use the glo yarn to make it.  Just split the yarn up into strands.

http://www.flyguysoutfitting.com/scrambledegg.html

The scrambled egg, which is a similar pattern, but also fairly easy.

When I started it was on simple minnow streamers, jigs, and wooly worms.  It's enough to get you acquainted.  You may also want to look into some hairs ear nymphs or copper johns. 

Cold, a bit of advice if your tying egg patterns with synthetic yarns. Go to a sowing shop and get a decent pair of sheers. Synthetic yarn will dull your tying scissors rather qiuck.
 
Since you're tying buggers, try boddies wrapped in estaz and exclude the hackle.  
If you do get a squirrel tail, get some strung peacock too and tie up some picket pins.
The tying instructions are easily found on the web. Materials are rather cheap and its a good pattern to fish as a nymph or streamer.
also, I prefer pine squirrel over the gray that the pattern calls for. Also, you don't have to use brown hackle. Any dark hackle will do.
 

Looks like a bunch of cool sites, thanks guys!

Tied more glow bugs today, incorporating McFly foam for the first time (handles a bit nicer, but overall for my skill level it's about the same pain in the neck level as the yarn).  Also converted a few of them into nuke eggs.

Tying wooly buggers again after making one SHWAPF fly from REALLY old squirrel hair I found among hunting stuff in the garage.It was a humongous pain thought, so I'm back to buggers for tonight.

you can use your glo bug yarn also for sucker spawn. just rip it down to a smaller section or not so small to make it bulkier.

if your at your computer...

youtube
http://www.youtube.com/user/mrjeng
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34frNTjjurA

AND
http://hipwader.com/flyfishing/oreillys-fly-tying/tying-fly-patterns/

interwebs doood

Like w/ any of the patterns your run across, use the least amt of material on your thread, in way of dubbing. You can add to it to make it bulker, but having to much material to start w/ makes the fly heavy looking and very unruly looking.

The biggest problem you going to have as new tier goes is the hook point. To this day i still make contact w/ it and cut the thread. If you do this, back the thread off the hook and hang a pair of forceps or hackle pliers off of it and start the thread over locking it in.

Guys spoke of the gel-spun threads, great threads to use but be careful around some of the animal hairs. The thread will cut through them.

For keeping hair on the hook and in place prior to tying it on, is to pinch it between your thumb and first finger while holding it centered over the top of the hook and do a couple semi tight wraps of thread and then the 3- 4th wraps will lock it in place. This keeps the hair or any other item centered and easy to deal w/.


You do realize that from now on your have to carry a knife w/ you at all times to cut that tail off of roadkill. I did just that through the rut season and collected 12 deer tails off fresh kills. Your be going to the park and hitting every craft store from you to the next town. Yard sales and pawn shops take on a new meaning. Traveling, your be looking for fur shop scraps.

In no time your house will have a room dedicated to fishing and plastic storage containers stacked. TURN BACK NOW BEFORE IT'S TO LATE

Quick last hint, I tie all my stone flies as browns and carry a blk sharply marker to change its color. You can do this w/ sucker spawn, tie only wht and carry multi color markers, this keeps material cost down.

ORIGINAL: Cold

Over the rest of the weekend, I cranked out about 25 glow bugs of varying colors, including 3 neon colored ones that I converted into nuke eggs.  Eventually I got into a rhythm, and instead of tying one of each color, I did about 8 the same, with a little bit of uniformity toward the end.  After that, I made about 6 more olive buggers, and then went back to the squirrel hair flies that had given me trouble, eventually getting the hang of it and making 8 of those that actually look pretty uniform.  The one I fished with seemed to float decently well when greased up, though no fish were interested.

I wont hold that against it, though, I have terrible luck with dries so far.

I've been doing that for salmon and steel, and have yet to see any problems w/ refusal. I wouldn't do this w/ a spring creek trout, or a west steel, but a east steel no problem. Plus, the sharpies don't bleed.

I've added dots, streaks, and overall coloring to all different flies inc. salt.

ORIGINAL: Cold

Thanks for the links and tips guys (though the YouTube suggestions after the crystal meth fly were a bit disturbing...).

As far as materials, I've already earmarked dad's deer tails this season (this is the first year I'm not hunting), and he recommended I talk to a relative about getting phesant feathers and rabbit fur.The neighbor raises pigeons...not sure if any of their feathers will be of use.

Also, great idea with the sucker spawn.  I really need to get some angora, but I DO have a 12 color sharpie set which I might be able to put to good use.  Do the fish get turned off by the ink bleeding into the water?

That one's on the to-learn list!

Last night I tied my first 5 Hare's Ear nymphs, each with minor variations (peacock herl thorax on some, flashback on one, no gold rib on one, etc.), but size-wise, they're all very similar, which makes me smile. 

Also tied a pair of larva/scud/midge things using yellow-brown glass beads and some dubbing.  I've seen similar things around, but I'm just not exactly sure what its called.  I'll have to post some pictures.

Also I finally hit up a craft store!  Made a few good finds including peacock herl which I couldnt find @ Gander Mtn., some gold wire, 2 different colors of beads (the yellow-brown i mentioned and a pearlescent purplish green), and some interesting looking feathers for wherever I find a use for them.  They also had guinea feathers black with white spots...anyone know of a good use for those?

ORIGINAL: Cold

That one's on the to-learn list!

Last night I tied my first 5 Hare's Ear nymphs, each with minor variations (peacock herl thorax on some, flashback on one, no gold rib on one, etc.), but size-wise, they're all very similar, which makes me smile. 

Also tied a pair of larva/scud/midge things using yellow-brown glass beads and some dubbing.  I've seen similar things around, but I'm just not exactly sure what its called.  I'll have to post some pictures.

Also I finally hit up a craft store!  Made a few good finds including peacock herl which I couldnt find @ Gander Mtn., some gold wire, 2 different colors of beads (the yellow-brown i mentioned and a pearlescent purplish green), and some interesting looking feathers for wherever I find a use for them.  They also had guinea feathers black with white spots...anyone know of a good use for those?

May be grizzly hackle? Well known for griffiths gnats & mayflies as well as spinners.

If they're older then your guess is as good as mine. I have a ton of old dyed feathers and man are some of them funky.

ORIGINAL: Cold

Here's the Hare's Ears I've been tying, along with 6 white wooly buggers I tied up last night, and that I was proud of due to the consistency I'm starting to get.

 
Looks to me like you're getting there.  And getting there rather quickly, good show.  I've taugth a few people to tie, some pick it up quick, and some just struggle.  Keep at it.  Concentrate on "thread control", thread control is the key to tying consistant flies, and keeping the thread from blocking the hook eye. 
 
Some of those nymphs look better than other, but all will catch fish.  And a couple of those buggers look as good as any you'lll find in a shop.

The fish don't care about consistency, but if you're working on it ...
 
Identify the area on the hook shank two eye lengths behind the eye and the spot just above the barb. That's the east-west area on which you'll be tying. (though on some flies it's better to use the spot above the hook point).
 
I'd say most beginning tiers have a problem with proportion and consistency. If you repeat the eastern and western boundaries of your fly you'll find that your flies begin to look more like duplicates of each other.
 
The fish don't care, but when you show another angler what you caught one on, you'll take pride in the craft of it.
 
I don't trim marabou on the hook. The end line is too harsh. In the water, a minnow's tail kind of fades away, it doesn't have a harsh end line.