Fishing The Fly Scotland

Index => Fly Tying => Topic started by: Tiam on 30/10/2010 at 13:25

Title: My First Fly
Post by: Tiam on 30/10/2010 at 13:25
This is my first fly that i tied myself, not sure what it is though!
Anyone help????
I used some dark blue thread, mistake no. 1????  :z4
Some Pheasant tail, mistake no. 2????   :z4
And some of this green-brown thread for the body, mistake no.3???   :z4

All the Best
Tiam
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: Peter McCallum on 30/10/2010 at 15:45
Need a closer look, picture won't zoom without losing quality, but theres no reason for it not to catch a fish.

If I could make a suggestion or two?

First, stick to some simple, well known patterns as a starter. You then should be able to compare what you have done with a standard fly.

Get in touch with someone who can tie flies and can give you tips. where are you based, if Aberdeen the flydressers meet every Thursday at Mastrick community centre.
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: Tiam on 30/10/2010 at 16:12
yup sure, ahhh ok. I was following some instructions but it turned out a bit different :wink thinks i shall just do some really rather simple nymphs  :z16
Thanks for the tips :cool:

All the Best
Tiam
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: Barry Robertson on 30/10/2010 at 18:41
Thats a good effort for your first fly Tiam, Like Peter says i would try and get along to a local tying class!
I think you will learn more in one session with a good fly tyer than 3 months learning on your own!
If you drop me a pm i will send you up some materials for the pattern iam doing in my November step by step and you can try and copy that  :z16
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: Matt Henderson on 30/10/2010 at 18:55
Thats a good effort for your first fly Tiam, Like Peter says i would try and get along to a local tying class!
I think you will learn more in one session with a good fly tyer than 3 months learning on your own!
If you drop me a pm i will send you up some materials for the pattern iam doing in my November step by step and you can try and copy that  :z16


Not bad for a first attempt at all Tiam.

Baz what a great idea!  Tiam I'll extend Baz's offer to you too.  PM your address and I'll send you the materials. 

Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: Tiam on 31/10/2010 at 13:38
pm's sent :z16

Tiam
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: Barry Robertson on 09/11/2010 at 10:59
Materials posted up to you today Tiam, mind and show us the end product  :z16
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: Tiam on 09/11/2010 at 20:06
Cheers baz, very grateful and i defiantly will. :z16

All the Best
Tiam
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: Peter McCallum on 09/11/2010 at 20:17
Which part of the country are you in Tiam, there may be a club near you
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: Tiam on 09/11/2010 at 20:23
10 miles north of aberdeen:) :z16

Tiam
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: Tiam on 23/11/2010 at 22:08
(http://i54.tinypic.com/tao3yb.jpg)
This is a pic of my failure attempt at baz's fly. As you can see had some severe difficulty with the hackles :z6 Since taking that pic i have completed some Better un-retarded looking flies but heres the first one. Stop laughing guys :z4 :z4

All the Best
Tiam
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: Barry Robertson on 23/11/2010 at 22:18
Fair play for even posting that photo Tiam, plenty room for improvement but the photo quality is good  :z16
Keep at it and i am sure you will get better  :wink
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: Tiam on 23/11/2010 at 22:24
I think the phrase "room for improvement" sums this fly up quite well :z4 :z4

Tiam
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: Barry Robertson on 23/11/2010 at 22:28
Try and start the fly further away from the eye of the hook so you dont bulk up that area to quickly leaving you plenty room to finish everything off!
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: Mike Barrio on 23/11/2010 at 22:37
Hi Tiam ..... great stuff :z16

We have all tied flies like that, with time and practice they get better and better! :wink

Cheers
Mike
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: Tiam on 23/11/2010 at 22:39
Ahhhh that will stop it from having a MASIVE head :grin :grin also how many rounds of the wire would you give because i did about seven and now i think it looks to many????? ???

Tiam
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: Tiam on 23/11/2010 at 22:42
Thanks Mike!!! hmmm i guess 'practice makes perfect' , or in my case 'a hell of a lot of practice, may improve... slightly'  :z4 :z4

Tiam
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: Barry Robertson on 23/11/2010 at 23:06
Ahhhh that will stop it from having a MASIVE head :grin :grin also how many rounds of the wire would you give because i did about seven and now i think it looks to many????? ???

Tiam

Between 4 and 5 Tiam!
I sent an original fly to copy  so have a look at that   :wink
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: jpm75 on 02/12/2010 at 20:06
Hi Tiam, I just wish I had my camera at the mo, I would show you my first fly. I will get it uploaded and you's can all have a good laugh at it, but as Mike said, stick at it, and with a bit of practice, it will get better. Can I suggest, try getting the best materials that you can afford, as i found out the better the materials the easy it became. Your doing a good job, keep it up.
 :z18
John
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: jpm75 on 03/12/2010 at 13:17
Hi Tiam, I did say I would upload my first fly, mind you the pic aint great but here it is. I think Tiams first effort beats mine hands down.
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: Tiam on 03/12/2010 at 18:37
Hi John,
Thanks for the feedback, i hope i am improving  :z8  i usually get my materials online, where would you say there is the best quality stuff???

Thanks and All the Best
Tiam
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: jpm75 on 03/12/2010 at 20:17
Hi Tiam, keep posting your flies.
 I still get alot of stuff online, but most of my feathers ie capes, saddles, hairs ie deer or bucktail etc, i like to go to some of the fly fairs or Game fairs and get a good look at the stuff. I would usually  take the feathers out of their packaging to check for fibre lengh and quality. Things like hooks, dubbing, tinsels and thread, and things like that i still get online because you normally cant beat them for value for money. Check out your local tackle shops, Im sure they wont mind you having a look.
Keep practicing you will become great.
John.
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: Tiam on 06/12/2010 at 23:04
John,
Thanks for the helpful feedback :wink I am trying to follow some step-by-steps on youtube and the forum. Sticking to the more simpler flies, now that the cold weather has came a few more hours infront of the vice is needed :z4 :z4

Tiam
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: jpm75 on 09/12/2010 at 22:28
Hi Tiam, hows the tying coming along? If there's any thing I can help you with don't be afraid to ask and I'll help you the best I can.
John.
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: Tiam on 12/12/2010 at 14:53
heres my latest effort at yet again one of baz's  :z14 crunchers, I think its getting better..... (http://i53.tinypic.com/358t443.jpg)

Tiam
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: Mike Barrio on 12/12/2010 at 15:01
Getting much better ...... excellent stuff Tiam :z16

Cheers
Mike
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: Tiam on 12/12/2010 at 15:21
Thanks mike :grin
still cant get the head right tho... :mad

Tiam
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: jpm75 on 12/12/2010 at 16:17
Hi Tiam, good effort, all looks to be in proportion as well, well done. I dont see much wrong with the head.
Good work.
John.
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: Tiam on 12/12/2010 at 19:05
Cheers John  :z18. I really like the look of your SBS so hopefully will be giving that a go at some stage. Fly box will be full by spring :cool:

All the Best.
Tiam
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: Irvine Ross on 13/12/2010 at 08:51
Tiam

I see that the tail of your fly is lying on the far side of the hook shank as you look at it, instead of on the top. This can happen if you are keeping too much tension on the thread as you wrap it round the hook. That makes the thread pull the materials round away from you. The trick is to work with the right tension but never let your thread go completely slack. You will only get the feel for this with time spent at the vice so keep at it.

As John says, your proportions are looking good and you will get a neater head with practice.

Cheers
Irvine
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: Peter McCallum on 13/12/2010 at 17:56
Thursday 7pm at mastrick community centre is the aberdeen fly dressers meeting. not sure if they're on this week and next, but I'll find out
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: Tiam on 13/12/2010 at 19:28
Thanks Irvine,
i guess i should just keep at; it i've have a few problems with the thread snapping so lighter tension must be the needed :z4 Thanks for the feedback :z16
Peter, does 'fly dressers' run throughout the winter or is it just an occasional thing?

Thanks and All the Best
Tiam
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: Peter McCallum on 13/12/2010 at 21:40
Every week between october and april or there abouts. Not sure if it finishes this week or next, probably this week again not sure when it starts after the holidays but I'll Pm Kev Muir who is one of the leading lights and ask.
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: jpm75 on 16/03/2011 at 22:45
Hi Tiam, have you any more of your flies to show us?
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: Tiam on 23/03/2011 at 19:29
Hi John,
Had a wee bit of tying over the past few weeks, got (what i think to be) a nice interpretation of a diawl bach, not exactly orthadox i would say; but there's my effort :grin

(http://i54.tinypic.com/mwvbr4.jpg)

Any feedback very welcome!

All the Best
Tiam
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: jpm75 on 24/03/2011 at 15:55
Hi Tiam, looks very fishy, I'd say it will catch a few trout. The only thing I will say is if you wind your thread further down the shank and start your body at that point it will give you a more slender looking fly. But that's still a good effort. Keep up the good work.
John.
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: Peter McCallum on 24/03/2011 at 16:54
Hi Tiam, looks very fishy, I'd say it will catch a few trout. The only thing I will say is if you wind your thread further down the shank and start your body at that point it will give you a more slender looking fly. But that's still a good effort. Keep up the good work.
John.

Yep, try to start the body at the end of the shank. a good reference point to begin with is wind to the start of the barb   and start your body there.
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: Tiam on 24/03/2011 at 18:41
Thanks guys! yes i see what you mean, i just need to keep at it :wink
Cheers for the feedback and will keep you posted on any further progress.
Just one last thing, when i varnish a fly, it usually covers most of the body and - in this case - made the peacock herl very rigid and coarse. Is this meant to happen or should i just varnish the head?

All the Best
Tiam
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: Barry Robertson on 24/03/2011 at 18:57
Tiam,

Just try and varnish over the thread where you have whip finished, if the brush on your varnish is proving to messy try and use a needle dipped into the varnish to apply it!
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: Tiam on 24/03/2011 at 19:04
Ahh i see, i thought it was not right :oops

Thanks
Tiam
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: Peter McCallum on 24/03/2011 at 19:11
If you put a wee bit of fly tyers wax on nthe thread & whip finish then you don't really need to use varnish.
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: Tiam on 24/03/2011 at 19:22
I have dubbing wax, i hope that will do the trick :wink

All the Best
Tiam
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: jpm75 on 30/03/2011 at 08:09
Hi Tiam could I suggest something? If you thin your varnish down a little with some cellulose thinners it will allow  the varnish to soak into your thread better, it will also give you a finer finish on your head.
John.
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: Tiam on 30/03/2011 at 20:19
Hi John,
Thanks for the advice, would this stuff do?  http://www.fishingmegastore.com/-loon-thinner~1%21437.html#gentable (http://www.fishingmegastore.com/-loon-thinner~1%21437.html#gentable)
Also i have attached another fly that i have tied recently(truth be told i was really just mucking around a bit on the vice) and i wasn't sure if i was using the correct type of feather for the hackle? It is a French Yellow Partridge and to me it just doesnt look ok, any advice on types of feather for hackle?
(http://i51.tinypic.com/2rw71mw.jpg)

Thanks and All the Best
Tiam
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: jpm75 on 31/03/2011 at 10:18
Hi Tiam, I can see from your photo that to use veniards varnish, if you can get it use the veniards cellulose thinner, its in the same sort of bottle.
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: jpm75 on 31/03/2011 at 10:26
Tiam, I just checked your link for the loons thinner. Don't mix it with your veniards varnish as the loons is water based and it will ruin your varnish. Try and get the cellulose stuff. Ps if you put your hackle at the front of your thorax and only wind on 3 or 4 turn it will give you a better result.
Cheers John.
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: Tiam on 31/03/2011 at 18:47
John,
Thanks for the very helpful advice, thank goodness I checked with you otherwise I would have ruined my varnish! I will have a look for that cellulose thinner and I can now see what you mean, less number of turns for the hackle means a better fly :wink
Thanks for all your very helpful advice it really has made me tie much better!

All the Best
Tiam
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: DJG1984 on 03/04/2011 at 22:56
I tied my 1st fly today  :cool: , nae a bonnie creature. A march brown, my dad made one before i did to show me but its the first time in years he's made one. My effort was a bit fat looking but my Dad reckons it'll still take a fish. I'll put a picture up soon.

Dave
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: Tiam on 04/04/2011 at 10:11
Great! It is good that others are also beginning to tie, if you have any questions, i am sure the guys wont mind answering them as they did for me!

All the Best
Tiam
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: jpm75 on 05/04/2011 at 17:29
Great! It is good that others are also beginning to tie, if you have any questions, i am sure the guys wont mind answering them as they did for me!
All the Best
Tiam
[/quote

Always glad to help, and share any knowledge I can.
Regards John. I
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: DJG1984 on 05/04/2011 at 22:08
I'm experimenting on the vice again tonight (i now seem to of inherited my dads vice) Not making anything in particular, just practising. I'm gonna need alot of it.
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: DJG1984 on 05/04/2011 at 23:39
I tied a couple of black buzzers tonight, second one is a bit better than the first. Starting with simple beasties seems to be the best aproach.

Dave.
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: DJG1984 on 06/04/2011 at 22:36
My first fly-
(http://i51.tinypic.com/2ihsf2b.jpg)
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: DJG1984 on 06/04/2011 at 22:43
My first buzzer, made last night-
(http://i54.tinypic.com/2yod6z5.jpg)
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: DJG1984 on 06/04/2011 at 22:46
My first damsel nymph, made this afternoon
(http://i54.tinypic.com/2s926tu.jpg)

Dave
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: Irvine Ross on 07/04/2011 at 07:59
They will catch fish for you Dave. :z16

Keep at it and you will get to judge proportions well and get a feel for the thread tension you need. Only just enough is better than too tight.

tight lines

Irvine
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: DJG1984 on 07/04/2011 at 15:15
Here's a march brown spider thing i made this afternoon-
(http://i56.tinypic.com/2w5udra.jpg)

Dave.
Title: Re: My First Fly
Post by: DJG1984 on 07/04/2011 at 22:27
Cheers Irvine, i hope a fish likes them. :z18

This fly tying is taken hold of me now like  :z4. Just finished another march brown, thats five tied today. I'll be trying some of them out tomorrow on the Don

Dave.