# Fly Tying Question



## meathelmet (Aug 4, 2008)

So, I just got a Griffin Vise, Doctor Slick tool kit and some hooks and chennile and I stare at it and I am nervous to take that first step tying my first fly. 

Funny I have been fishing for about 35 years and I have tied jigs for the walleye run on the river but .... I know I should just do it.

Anyways, I have been catching myself tagging along with my wife to hobby lobby store and looking at everyday items that would look good on a hook. 

My question to you veterans would be, "how much household or craft store material is compatible for fly tying?".

Also, I found a ostrich duster and was wondering if I could utilize it?


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## Bwana J (Sep 12, 2010)

You're going to be amazed at where you'll find tying material. One often over looked spot is a Taxidermy Studio. They always have scrap pieces of fur laying around that you can pick up really cheap. Know any Duck hunters? They can save you all different kinds of feathers like Mallard flank feathers.

When you start learning to tie don't worry about making them look like they came right from Orvis, they don't have to be pretty to catch fish. Learn the basic's well and "Pretty" will come with time. When you buy your hooks, buy the best you can afford. No sense tying a good looking fly on a hook that'll bend or break when you do hook a good fish. Keep it simple and have fun with it. When you catch your first fish on a fly you made it'll be worth all the time you spent playing with your vise.


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## sbreech (Jun 6, 2010)

Craft stores do have materials you can use, but Ive found that, more times than nit, since it isnt packaged in sizes or styles designed for fly tying - I waste more of it. Craft foam, heck yeah Hobby Lobby! But I have found it just as economical to go to a fly shop with a list of materials to buy for a certain fly I want to tie, and get the exact stuff. At first it may seem expensive - like elk hair caddis would need hackle, hooks, dubbin, thread, hair, and my recipe sometimes has peacock hearl. At my fly shop, that is about $40 to tie one pattern... But when I consider it will tie 100+ flies - it isn't too bad. There have been a couple times when Ive went into MRO with an idea of what I want to tie, and I have no idea what materials - and they can give sound advice on what to use, plus the guys are cool as heck to shoot the you know what with. Im lucky enough to have 3 choices within 25 minutes - Mad River Outfitters, Orvis, and Cabelas, and for the MOST part, MRO wins hands down on prices with the exception of a few killer deals you can find on Bargain Cave items online at Cabelas.

Now that I typed all of that, some items that ARE a lot cheaper elsewhere (if you have use of the quantity) would be yarn and, dont laugh - solid core solder to use instead of lead wrap. It is what I use on all of my buggers. You can also use clear nail polish instead of head cement, and I always use el cheapo superglue from Michaels. Again, honestly in my opinion, your best deals on hackles, marabou, and feathers will be your fly or tackle shop. Ask for MRO gift cards for Christmas. :-D


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## sbreech (Jun 6, 2010)

One more thing... If you can have a computer at your tying station, even better! Youtube will be your best friend and best instructor when you are learning a recipe for a fly. My suggestion for a first fly to tie would be a wooly bugger.... But that is just me.


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## rbthntr (Apr 8, 2008)

DON'T START IT. lol once you do you'll be addicted and won't be able to stop. Start simple and have fun YouTube and the helpful folks here will guide you. Some of my most productive patterns are stuff I've dreamed up myself. And a craft store is a great place to buy alot of the simple things you need. Pre spooled bobbins are great 

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## ChromeBone (Oct 3, 2011)

Start out simple and larger, buggers where the first flies I tied, I have been tying for 4 years, I've tied 100s of flies, they are just now starting to look show worthy lol, some of the simplest work the best a cone head with some shaggy dubbing plus a little wire and it will catch fish.


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## sbreech (Jun 6, 2010)

For freshwater fishing, these 3 ties, in MY opinion, will catch about anything you need to catch - ever:
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Wooly bugger - in 1.) Olive 2.) black 3.) black & white


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## ARReflections (Jan 7, 2011)

Good sound advice. Sbreech provided 3 patterns that should cover all three areas of flys: streamer, nymph, dry. I also like hares ear nymph and parachute Adams dry fly. Best thing is just start and get the hands dirty.


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## kingofamberley (Jul 11, 2012)

I brushed my cat and took his fur out of the brush. It's a pale orange color that proved great for craw patterns. It sure fooled this guy:


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## Flymaker (Jan 24, 2013)

I do get some stuff from hobby lobby ...but as someone else has said its not the best way to go about it...I will get craft fur there as well as craft foam and I will get the silver , copper & gold wire they have in the 28 gauge but that's really about it.


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

Flymaker said:


> I do get some stuff from hobby lobby ...but as someone else has said its not the best way to go about it...I will get craft fur there as well as craft foam and I will get the silver , copper & gold wire they have in the 28 gauge but that's really about it.


But even that will save you some serious money. Seriously, compare fly foam in a shop with the price on it at a hobby/craft store. It ain't close. I'm not saying you should buy everything at a craft store, but usually you can find some simple things that will save you a sizable chunk of money. I even picked up a package of guinea feathers at a craft store for like $1.50 and it's more feathers than I may ever use. I also picked up a few utility boxes there that I turned into fly boxes on the cheap.

One other thing I'd like to note about the hook quality comment above. I agree, good hooks are kind of required, but don't ever shy away from DaiRiki hooks due to the price tag. I cautiously bought some of them a few years ago and was impressed with the quality. I now have maybe 7-8 different styles of their hooks in several sizes, and have yet to find a "dud" hook. I have found 2 seriously unusable Daiichi hooks, though, and you pay a pretty penny for them. I'd highly recommend the DaiRiki's for the quality and price. You can get twice the hooks for the same price as some other brands out there and they are very good quality. I also use a lot of Mustad's and Orvis brand hooks. The Orvis hooks are great, but expensive. I use them more for dries and nymphs, streamer hooks I go DaiRiki and Mustad.


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