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+--- Thread: FLY TYING & JIG MAKING (/showthread.php?tid=42771)
FLY TYING & JIG MAKING - TubeDude - 05-07-2003
[cool]Hey gang. Since I have posted pics of my bait bugs and spinners, and with the back and forth on how easy they are to use...and how effective, I thought I would post some of the better websites I have found on tying flies.
Once you know the basics of fly tying, you can crank out bait bugs that will work well, even if they do not look like works of art. Most warm water species...in fresh water...and most salt water species are not like the finicky trout of high mountain streams and lakes. They live in a competitive environment and are always on the lookout for a good meal. Serve them up a little jig...with or without "sweetener" (bait) on it...and they are likely to at least give it a trial munch. That's all you can ask for.
For anyone who gets serious about learning to tie flies and make their own jigs, I will be happy to walk you through, step by step, as best I can through this forum. If you REALLY get serious, you might consider finding a class somewhere and investing in some personal instruction.
I never did get a formal training in fly tying. I started playing around with this pastime about age 7, in Idaho. My first flies were tied on big hooks, with plain sewing thread, and some feathers I picked up here and there on my uncle's farm. They were big and gross, but I did find some stupid trout that attacked them...if only to keep them away. I graduated to using bits of inner tube to make black crickets and spidery looking things. These also got a few votes from the fishies.
By the time I was in high school, my family had moved to Southern California, and an older cousin showed me a few things about REAL fly tying...using a vise and everything. I was frugal (broke and cheap) so I made my own first vises...out of clothes pins with the nose whittled into more of a pointed shape, and rubber bands added to increase hook gripping tension. I held this vise in one hand, and did the wrapping with the other hand...holding the spool of thread...with no fancy bobbins. I could tie smaller and better flies with this setup.
While attending college in Utah, I was taken under the wing of a couple of newfound older fishing companions, who were skilled tiers, and actually tied flies for sale. They coached me and helped me acquire an old used vise. On this vise, I graduated to professional status, and was even able to supplement my meager student cash flow by peddling some of my creations. I have always been grateful for the help they freely offered and try to do the same when I can.
It was a natural progression for me to start dressing jig hooks with feathers and chenille, making jigs. My first ones were for crappies and bass. It progressed to making jigs for shad, salmon and steelhead...and even big hair jigs for stripers and salt water fish.
For the last twenty years I have been experimenting and developing the line of jigs I call my "bait bugs". These are essentially just jigs with short tails, to accomodate a piece of bait. Jigs and bait have long been recognized as deadly combinations.
Here's the list of fly tying sites. That's where it begins.
[url "http://www.angelfire.com/wa/salmonid/"][#0000ff]http://www.angelfire.com/wa/salmonid/[/#0000ff][/url]
[url "http://www.fishhoo.com/Fly_Fishing/Fly_Tying/"][#0000ff]http://www.fishhoo.com/Fly_Fishing/Fly_Tying/[/#0000ff][/url]
[url "http://flyfishing.about.com/library/ffm/ftb/aamaterialsintro.htm"][#0000ff]http://flyfishing.about.com/library/ffm/ftb/aamaterialsintro.htm[/#0000ff][/url]
[url "http://www.thetyingbench.com/recipes/index.htm#T"][#0000ff]http://www.thetyingbench.com/recipes/index.htm#T[/#0000ff][/url]
[url "http://www.calacademy.org/research/anthropology/tap/archive/2001/2001-08--flytying.html"][#0000ff]http://www.calacademy.org/research/anthropology/tap/archive/2001/2001-08--flytying.html[/#0000ff][/url]
[url "http://www.easternsierrafishing.com/fly_fishing/fly_tying.html"][#0000ff]http://www.easternsierrafishing.com/fly_fishing/fly_tying.html[/#0000ff][/url]
[url "http://www.cse.bris.ac.uk/~cckhrb/fish_tying.html"][#0000ff]http://www.cse.bris.ac.uk/~cckhrb/fish_tying.html[/#0000ff][/url]
[url "http://www.flyfishingconnection.com/patterns/fly_tying.php"][#0000ff]http://www.flyfishingconnection.com/patterns/fly_tying.php[/#0000ff][/url]
[url "http://www.flyfishingjournal.com/fly_tying/flytying.htm"][#0000ff]http://www.flyfishingjournal.com/fly_tying/flytying.htm[/#0000ff][/url]
[url "http://www.troutflies.com/"][#0000ff]http://www.troutflies.com/[/#0000ff][/url]
Hope all of these links work. I had to delete a couple of them when I went back and tried them.
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Re: [TubeDude] FLY TYING & JIG MAKING - EmuScud - 05-07-2003
I too would be happy to lend any words of support and instruction on fly-tying. I have also tied professionally (predominately trout flies) and have been tying all my own stuff for the last 8 years. Once you get the basic techniques like TD said, most flies are a variation of materials and hook sizes rather than technique. To make it even better, some of the most effective flies (for any species) can be tied with minimal instruction and practice within 30 minutes having never seen a vise before.
I'll post my favorite sites tomorrow!
ES
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Re: [EmuScud] FLY TYING & JIG MAKING - EmuScud - 05-08-2003
Thanks TD for posting the pics! Here are some of my favorite flytying links!
[url "http://www.flyanglersonline.com"]http://www.flyanglersonline.com[/url]
[url "http://www.warmwaterflyfisher.com/wwflypatterns.htm"]http://www.warmwaterflyfisher.com/wwflypatterns.htm[/url]
[url "http://www.flyfisherman.com/ftb/"]http://www.flyfisherman.com/ftb/[/url]
Best wishes!
ES
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Re: [EmuScud] FLY TYING & JIG MAKING - JapanRon - 05-09-2003
Hey there EmuScud,
Thanks for the warmwater site. Just what I was looking for!I was doing some research for my trip to the Salton Sea here in Southern California and wanted to tie some patterns for the 'effort' to flyfish for corbina but more for the tilapia and to see if it was possible to catch the sargo there too. I'm sure TubeDude has has caught sargo but maybe not in the freshwater/brackish water the 'sea' offers.
I love bluegills, surf perch and all those small guys.
JapanRon
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Re: [JapanRon] FLY TYING & JIG MAKING - EmuScud - 05-10-2003
Glad you liked the link. Suprizingly, there isn't much out there on the net that really addresses warmwater flyfishing. There used to be a magazine that ran for about 4 years, but is no longer in print. Of the flyfishing population, the warmwater group is quite small. Which is just fine with me, more water and fishes for me!!!
That ocean fishing sounds like a kick. The only time I have ever fished in th "big pond" is on a charter boat where I tended to sleep for most of the charter due to sea-sickness. When I make it to California again, I'll have to try to get a fishing trip put together as well.
Catch a few for me and good luck on your trip!
ES
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Re: [EmuScud] FLY TYING & JIG MAKING - JapanRon - 05-10-2003
Hey there EmuScud,
Boy, with information from you and TubeDude's many wonderful roadrunner, darts, and jigs, I'll be ready for the Salton Sea when and if the wind ever dies down. I was told no problem. Once the temperature gets to be around 200 degrees the the wind will cease. ha ha
When you're planning to visit California, feel free to visit the California board here at BFT.
JapanRon
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Re: [JapanRon] FLY TYING & JIG MAKING - EmuScud - 05-12-2003
Thanks for the invite. I might just take you up on it. I'm pretty sure I'll be in Long Beach this October. I'll drop in on the California board and see whats happening.
ES
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Re: [EmuScud] FLY TYING & JIG MAKING - JapanRon - 05-12-2003
Thanks EmuScud,
Here are some sites I found that featured flies for warmwater species or at least panfish size fish... well maybe not the walleye. I'll bet some of the flies in these sites as well as our own advertisers would do the job.
[url "http://www.wiprud.com/flies.htm"][#0000ff]http://www.wiprud.com/flies.htm[/#0000ff][/url]
[url "http://www.msu.edu/~connert/carpfly.htm"][#0000ff]http://www.msu.edu/~connert/carpfly.htm[/#0000ff][/url]
[url "http://www.sanjoseflyshop.com/murakoshi.asp"][#0000ff]http://www.sanjoseflyshop.com/murakoshi.asp[/#0000ff][/url]
[url "http://www.edersfishing.com/publication/2000/may/walleye"][#0000ff]http://www.edersfishing.com/publication/2000/may/walleye[/#0000ff][/url]
Some of these sites had some interesting examples of flies to take inspiration from and tie. This is a total mix of fishes and you may have to work a tad as the addresses may not be complete to the final source.
JapanRon
(NOTE: I converted these to links. The last one will not display. You might want to just go to the main website and work from there)
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