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Fly-Tying
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Fly-Tying
Tying Instructions.
In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries significant contributions have been made to the development of fly patterns and tying techniques by great fisherman such as F.M.Halford, G.E.M.Skues, Frank Sawer, John Goddard, Brian Clark, and Richard Walker. They understood that greater satisfaction comes from catching fish with flies you have tied yourself.
Fly patterns.
Fly patterns fall into five main categories:
| 1 - DRY FLIES | 2 - EMERGERS | 3 - WET FLIES | 4 - NYMPHS | 5 - LURES |
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| 1a - DRY FLIES | 2a- EMERGERS | 3a - WET FLIES | 4a - NYMPHS | 5a - LURES |
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Tying Instructions.
Tying patterns for flies are described in various publications. All follow a similar pattern (see components below), by describing in turn:
| COMPONENTS | NYMPH EXAMPLE | TYING INSTRUCTIONS |
The hook
Tying thread
The tail
The under body
The over body
The rib
The thorax
The wing case
The hackle
The throat hackle
The breathing filaments
The wings
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Hook - size 14
Tying thread - Brown silk
Tail - Hares Ear long fibres
Under body - Tying silk
Over body - Dubbed Hares Ear
Rib - Fine Gold wire or tinsel
Thorax - Built up Hares Ear
Wing case - Dark wing fibres
Hackle - None on nymph
Throat hackle - Picked out thorax fibres
Breathing filaments - None on nymph
Wings - None on nymph
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As a rule, apart from the hook, flies do not contain all these elements. Only those required to imitate or suggest the natural insect are needed.
The gold ribbed Hare's Ear shown above is one of Granddad's favourite flies on both rivers and still waters and he ties it like this:
- Wind the tying silk in touching turns down to bend and tie in a small bunch of fur fibres to make a tail.
- Next catch in a length of gold wire or tinsel for the ribbibg.
- Now wax the silk and dub on it some fine fibres, then wind to form a tapered abdomen.
- Wind on the ribbing in even spaced turns, trim off any waste, and tie in some dark tail feather fibres on top of the hook lying backwards.
- Dub some longer fur fibres on the silk thread and wind over the hook shank to form a pronounced thorax.
- Finally bring the tail feather fibres forward over the thorax to form wing cases, whip finish a neat head and tease out some long strands to form a soft hackle.
Granddad says: In tying to catch fish looking "buggy" is better than looking neat and beautiful.
These images are thumbnails click on them to view larger versions.
Click back arrow to return to this page.
| 1 - SILK | 2 - TAIL | 3 - GOLD RIB | 4 - DUBBING | 5 - BODY |
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| 1 - RIBBING | 2 - FEATHER | 3 - THORAX | 4 - FINISH | 5 - GRHE NYMPH |
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I think Granddad has over done the tail but it can be trimmed at the waterside to suit.
Tools.
These are somr of the tools Granddad uses to make flies.
| 1 - TOOLS | 2 - BOBBINS | 3 - VICE | 4 - CLIPPERS | 5 - FORECEPTS |
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| 6 - HACKLEPLIERS | 7 - SCISSORS | 8 - TYING BENCH | 9 - TWEEZERS | 10 - TYING KIT |
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Hooks.
Fly hooks come in a multitude of sizes, shapes and weights to satisfy the fly pattern to be tied. Doubles,(hooks with dual bends), are often used for Salmon fishing and sometimes for Sea Trout fishing.
- Lightweight Dry fly hooks.
- Mediumweight Wet fly hooks.
- Heavyweight Nymphs hooks.
- Very heavy Lure hooks.
- Double hooks.
Hooks must be kept sharp.
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Materials.
Provided that the fish will accept it, almost any material can be tied to a hook to make a fly. The most commonly used materials are listed below.
Materials.
- Tying threads.
- Tying Floss.
- Feathers.
- Furs.
- Deer Hair.
- Synthetic materials.
- Various wools.
- Wire.
- Lead strip.
- Tinsels.
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Let's face it, we have
had better years.
Why notr have a drink.
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Click to watch a short video clip
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E-mail:
jamleigh@lineone.net
| Snail Mail:
Tom Hughes C/O Granddad
212, East Lancashire Road,
Swinton,
Manchester. Post Code: M27 5QJ
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