It's been hot and I've been busy, but I have to get my fishing fix in somehow so I have been on the vise and tying some flies. Some are for me, most are for the online store, and a few are being set aside for some new assortments that I am putting together.
If you tie flies, you know how much fun and how rewarding it can be. To catch a fish on a fly/lure that you made with your own two hands is a special thing. It gives you another and deeper connection with the fly fishing experience.
If you do not tie flies, I get it. It looks difficult and can be intimidating doing something new. There are a lot of tools to purchase, use, and learn the names of. For some people, they just aren't into making their own flies or what my step-son calls "arts and crafts" time.
For me, I love to tie flies! I don't love tying as much as I love fishing, but when the fishing is slow in the summer or nonexistent in the winter, it is a nice alternative. It helps me keep my fly boxes full and keeps me connected to the sport when things get slow. Tying also allows me to experiment with new ideas. Some of my favorite and most effective flies came from experimenting at my vise. Also, when it comes to tying, any mistake can be fixed. You can either unwrap thread and tie something again or take a razor blade to an ugly fly and start over.
If you're thinking of giving fly tying a shot, there are plenty of resources. Last time I checked, libraries still have books that you can check out and while there aren't A LOT of books available, you can still find some. If you're into videos, YouTube is a fly tyer's best friend. There are LOTS of videos out there that can help you. TikTok also has some good content but those folks usually go REALLY fast. That can be good or bad depending on your abilities and processing speed.
In terms of cost, you can keep things pretty cheap at the start. Buy cheap tools and avoid fly tying kits. They are going to have tools and materials that you might not ever need or use. It might be wise to pick one or two flies that you want to learn and then buy the materials for these. That will keep you from getting overwhelmed and keep you focused on one or two flies at a time. It will also keep your materials at a minimum and avoid clutter (which your roommate, parents, sibling or partner might appreciate).
Finally, if you have questions about getting started, feel free to email me. I would be happy to help anyone that wants to get started but has some confusion. My email is showmeflyguy@gmail and feel free to let me know if I can help.
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