Fly Tying

There are so many varieties of fly tying scissors available that choosing a pair can be confusing. We’ll attempt to explain the different styles and shed some light on picking out the right scissors for your needs. As you read this, keep in mind that choosing the right scissors has a lot to do with personal preference. Many styles have the same size blades, but there are some offerings that work a little better for certain situations.

What we will discuss here is what’s found on the outside of the bird—feathers! Many novice or intermediate fly tyers don’t really understand the basics, let alone the finer points, of the differences in the various feathers found on chickens and the factors that determine their appropriate uses in fly tying. Here’s some information that I hope will help.

Do you have to be able to tie flies that look like the perfect flies tied by professionals to catch fish? Absolutely not. One of the finest fly fishermen I know who fished the waters of the world from Scotland to the Rockies and Alaska is one of the worst fly tiers I have ever known. The flies that come off his fly tying vise look like one of your most productive flies that have been chewed on by dozens of trout. This expert fisherman catches fish regularly in spite of the fact his flies look like they had been chewed on for a week by a goat.

The Eggie Special is a classic Michigan dry fly that was designed by a Grayling, Michigan fly fishing legend, Eggie Bugby. This fly is known throughout the area, but intricate details have been difficult to solidify. Until now.

The Master Splinter mouse makes no such pretensions. It is impressionism all the way. A tail, yes, but one that creates movement in the water. An underbody of rabbit fur that pulses and breathes with the slightest touch of current. And an overbody of foam that not only forms a lifelike silhouette, but also floats like a cork. That’s it. Simple. Easy to tie. And oh so effective.

In my previous post, I covered the creation of a Strike-Indicator-Fly (SIF). I began developing a beetle pattern as a modification of the SIF. That is the topic of this article.

When we first heard of Nano Silk thread and the maker’s claims of amazing strength, we were confused. A super strong silk? Maybe spun by super silk worms born on Krypton and brought on Superman’s rocket in the 1940’s? No - turns out, this product is not silk at all but fine, stranded GSP thread from SemperFli in the U.K.

Guest Blogger: Mike Cline, Bozeman, MT The traditional soft hackle fly has been with us for a long time. Syl...

Guest Blogger: Mike Cline, Bozeman MT Canadian Pine Squirrel has turned out to be a very versatile tying mat...

Thread is one of the most fundamental of fly tying materials, and today there are dozens of fly tying t...