If it wasn’t recent enough that I started fly fishing, even more recently I started tying my own flies. For some reason everything begins on Fridays for me. Maybe because it happened to be a pay day? Maybe it just so happened that I was out of flies from the last weekend and needed more for the up coming weekend? Or, just maybe it was beyond time to learn? Then there’s a distinct possibility that it could be a combination of all of the above! We’ll we’ll go with it may just be a combination.
I walk into my favorite local fly shop (http://www.thecaddisfly.com/) and check out all of these nifty vises. Being on a fairly tight budget, and facing death at the hands of Mrs. Monster, I decided to go as cheap as possible. (Does this sound familiar to anyone else?) Coming to a decision wasn’t terribly easy, but I decided on a travel vise that had all of the tools included. Bobbin, dubbing tool, bodkin, whip finisher(the really crappy one), scissors, and hackle pliers all in this nifty wooden box. Also purchased at the same time was enough materials to tie up 20 “lowly glowly” egg patterns. Out of the fly shop I walk, hop in the car and back to work.
As some of you may know, my job can allow me extraordinary amounts of free time (especially when I don’t have the dogs). So, to the vise I go! I’ve read the how to’s on the internet, I’ve watched countless videos on YouTube, I’ve tied strung-out moal leeches in my sleep! This CAN’T be difficult, can it?
Tearing open the packaging like a kid on Christmas morning, I get everything all setup and ready to go. Then I start to look at this hook sitting in my new vise. Which way does it go? No, that doesn’t seem right. Neither does that way. Finally, I get comfortable and begin. I watched the video on http://oregonflyfishingblog.com/ over and over. The first attempt was horrendous at best, but it gave me the right idea. Not long after tying the first abomination, I had tied about 5 or 6 flies that actually started to look decent! After 10 , they were looking respectable. Twenty flies later, and they were looking quite good!
Fast forward a couple of days, I needed to expand! Those glow bugs were becoming monotonous and no real challenge anymore. It was time to further my horizons. Back to the fly shop I go, this time with my gift certificate from Mrs. BT and BT. Purchasing enough materials to tie 50 more glow-bugs and some princes, along with a new pair of scissors, a new bobbin, and a real whip-finisher. Back to the vise I go! I must say, the princes were MUCH more of a challenge, and still are. However, I’m getting much more proficient and they’re looking better with every one I tie.
Feeling fairly confident in my ability to tie a prince nymph, I figured it was time to expand a little more. This next trip to the fly shop, netted me enough materials to tie several possie buggers (caddis larvae) and another variation of the prince. All in all a total of $120 was spent, on 3 trips to tie flies. My next adventure in fly tying is going to be the strung out moal leech. I think I’ll wait on the intruder for awhile. This hobby is costing me more and more money! Next I’ll be buying a rotary vise with a bobbin rest. I’m still kicking myself for not spending the extra $$ then!
The woes of trying to stay penny wise and it coming back to bite me!
When will I ever learn?
Dave
I’m out about $175 dollar so far on my new tying ambition. In exchange I have a half dozen flies that aren’t water worthy. A couple of flies that will probably hold up in the water but I doubt are fish worthy and a kid who continues to school me daily.
Perhaps someday the flies will outweigh the money, but right now, for me, I’m thinking I could have bought a hellofvalotof cool fly fishing ‘stuff’ for 175 bucks.
Hang in there, if I give up I might need to start buying from you =)
I don’t mind! Cash spends well, but doesn’t mail so good. Personal checks, are just too… personal. Gift certificates to the fly shop are primo! I’ll tie for you gladly. But I dunno about the tiny stuff. My eyes aren’t quite what they used to be, and anything much smaller than a 14 is getting on the difficult side of the bank. I specialize in egg patterns and nymphs (at least for the moment)
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