One of the Last Tying Skills I Needed to Learn!

I've been tying flies for about 20 years with 10 of them being serious.  For my first few years, I refused to tie anything that was complicated and stuck to simple flies that required a small number of materials and could be tied quickly.  Over the last 10 years, I've tried to branch out and get outside of my comfort zone.  I feel like I have done just that and I'm glad that I did.  With all of the tying skills that I have picked up from others, one has intimidated me for a couple of reasons.  I am referring to stacking deer hair.  

The first few times that I tried to tie with deer hair was ugly and I mean that literally and metaphorically.  I didn't follow instructions that were given, I didn't pay attention to detail, and things turned out about how you would expect...poorly.  Since then, I didn't want to tie with deer hair.  I always remembered my failures and didn't want to relive them.  However, after being pushed by one of my good friends (thank you Milo), I realized that I needed to revisit deer hair.  

This time, I was more focused.  I listened to instruction intently and followed directions carefully.  I paid attention to every wrap of thread and the amount of pressure that I was applying to the material.  If you have ever tied with deer then you know that attaching the material to the hook is only half of the task.  Trimming the deer hair to the shape that you want while using a double-sided, flexible razor blade is the next step.  Again, I attempted to lean heavily on the teachings of others and while the first few flies didn't turn out perfectly, I felt like I was headed in the right direction.  After tying another 4-5 flies, I had an "ah-ha" moment and it all clicked. 

I now feel like I can tie with and trim deer hair at a level that I feel comfortable selling flies that require this material and skill.  It was a good reminder of what it takes to learn a new skill and that learning takes time.  Sometimes learning something can come to a person quickly but everyone is going to struggle to learn and apply some concepts.  For some folks, it's algebra.  For some folks, it's learning Spanish.  For me, it was tying with deer hair.  However, things that require effort and focus, typically end up being more rewarding than things the come easily.  On top of learning a skill that makes a good-looking fly, I can attest that the flies can catch fish as well!