Who all ties flies? I've been tying jigs, but been also messing round w tyin some flies in the last year or some....just wonderin.
AC
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Who all ties flies? I've been tying jigs, but been also messing round w tyin some flies in the last year or some....just wonderin.
AC
I have been tying flies for a long time now. Started just months after I started tying jigs. It's a lot more costly though as many flies call for feathers that don't come cheap like strung hackle or marabou. Capes and saddles for any dry flies and such are not low cost items. Thankfully I have been buying that stuff for years now and have a good supply, probably more than I need of some of the best quality that can be bought.
I tie flies also, I can spend hours at the bench tying flies. I like that they are so detailed and have all my fly boxes full of flies. I will never be able to use but they look good in the box!!
I have enough fly tying materials to last my life time and I still find myself ordering more.. It's a sickness!!!!!!!:):)
Yes have said that many times hear and warned guys that get into tying jigs to not stray into flies or it will hurt the pocket book for sure. If they think tying jigs is costly then they will be shocked if they ever start in on flies, LOL! I know a guy that has over $1 million bucks in capes and saddles alone and all in his new built tying building! Sickness is a kind word for this, LOL!Quote:
Originally Posted by STUMP HUNTER
What is the most common color for Scuds? I'm in Oklahoma, so I know someone it depends on where you fish.....I just ordered some scud back materials.
It does depend on your waters but they are like most flies in the colors. Black, brown, olive, yellow, dun and even orange. Here is a couple colors I have tied them in.
I seem to fish the olive and orange more than the others.
Attachment 96958Attachment 96959
Here is another one, not a good pic but will help you in the colors.
Attachment 96960
Been tying for 4 years...but found this site a year ago...changed my direction and style...best thing ever happen to my tying....these guys have some of the wildest ideas and finest work..
I order some char. scud backing, so I'm gonna try my hand at makin some bright colored ones. I'm also curious do any of ya'll ever fish your flies on a regular rod? Like maybe in tandem w/ a jig?
I use my fly rod but the flies would work as a tag tied onto the jig hook.
These flies are tied on size 12 and size 14 hooks so they are small.
You will find more natural colors are used in flies, not saying no one ever does any bright colors because they do for some things, but Olive, Dun, Brown, Black, Cree, Ginger, Furnace, Cream or White and the like are the most used colors. Lots of natural hair and feather colors. I feel sure I left some out, but this should give you the idea. If your lake is clear I would look at Olive as a good color to try.
As for Scuds specifically here are the most common colors...grays, browns and cream to the most common olive and greens.
Here is a link to a simple tied Scud and from a state close to you called Fox's Arkansas Scud.
"Fox's Arkansas Scud" - FAOL
Been tying for 17 years steady and off and on before that. I like tying flies more than any other tying but I use more flies than jigs and lures.
I tie mostly beadheads for blue gill, nothing fancy just use a few pieces of marabou in diffrent colors. I tie floating spiders also.
Been fly tying for about 5 years now, and I tie more dries and wets than others. As Skip said you start tying flies and also jigs you're going to be spending ALOT of money!!!! If you really want to try a bunch of different stuff get on some fly boards like FAOL, Fly tyer forums and FlyTyer. They have a material swap box every now and then and believe me there are some serious materials in there!!!!!!!
Here's a my dry and wet box's
Dries
Front half of Dry Box - http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/c...f/100_1362.jpg
Back half - http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/c...f/100_1364.jpg
Wets
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/c...f/100_1864.jpg
ACSooner80,
When you start tying flies you don't need all that much more than what you have for making jigs but, over time, your collection of materials grows, and grows, and grows.
A few things to save money:
Dying feathers (usually white ones) in a microwave using food colouring of even 'Cool-Aid' gives you a wide selection of colours.
Also blending different coloured furs (often primary colours) also give you a huge variety colours for dubbed bodies.
I agree with you that if one does a lot of their own color work they can save some money, but it also will make a difference how far someone takes it. Like is what all they get into tying and how much or how many nice capes and saddles they end up with. Some of this material is not low ccost at all especially if you are buying from the best company's. It is though much like you said it grows and grows and seems at times there is no end, LOL!Quote:
Originally Posted by troutingintas
Ok so do ya'll always stay with fly patterns that have been well known for awhile, or do you experiment with did designs that you come up with? Also how often do you try to converter a jig pattern to a fly pattern?
I do it all. I have some I have posted on fly boards and no one has ever seen one like it before. Had one guy want some that I still need to make him. Here is the fly I came up with. I mix them all the time going from fly to jig.
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h1...DSC07135-1.jpg
AC - I try and tie lots of patterns but for a while now I'm hooked on the Catskill Style dry flys and the old Wet fly patterns. Now yeah you can make up lots of dubbing and I've done that too. Hackle is high priced due to the hair fad but is coming down, luckily I have a lot and didn't sell out during the craze. If you hunt or know hunters who don't keep feathers MAKE FRIENDS QUICK!!!!!!!!!!!! and learn how to cure or dry the skins and you'll have lots of materials.
Never tried dying feathers - I've got enough fishing hobbies right now and don't want to deal with it, so I trade with a few friends who do. You can switch patterns back and forth between jigs and flies but depending on which pattern you'll have to tie it different. Flies for the most part ride hook tip down and jigs run hook tip up. Catch your finger on a hook tip a few times and you learn to be real careful!!!!!!!!!!LOL
Enjoy it, and have a good time!!!!!!!!
I would like to see some other flies that ya'll tie!!
Here are a few, but most tied a few years ago now.
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h1...s/DSC00414.jpg
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h1.../DSC00514B.jpg
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h1...s/DSC01549.jpg
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h1...s/DSC02030.jpg
I was ate up with fly tying for 10 years, attended several classes by individuals and Orvis. Tied so many different styles I've forgotten most of 'em
and used every kind of material I could find and think of. The strangest material was pencil erasers and rubber "O" rings. Used every kind of foam and
burlap bag thats been made and collected more fuzz and fur from dead animals than I care to remember. Road kill was not safe when I was on the road.
Got a #3, #5 & #7 wt fly rod and one day I walked in and looked at my bench and said, NO MORE! Found a younger feller that wanted to get started
and gave him 99% of my materials, kept my vice and a few materials I thought might be handy and a number of sizes of hooks that I enjoyed tying on.
A couple of friends I fly fished with passed out........but like was said above, I got enough to last me a lifetime if I don't take a spill in the river and loose
too many at one time. LOL Never got into tying jigs for crappie and don't want to take the time anymore cause I got just enough time to fish all I want too. Hobbies are nice and can occupy your time and you can make a little money at it if you want too, but now......I'm too old to take the time to do stuff like
that now. But, I ain't too old to fish and enjoy my time on the water and eatin' some good healthy food with fish as the main course. I enjoy lookin' at your
jigs & flies and know what its all about. Enjoy yourselves and enjoy fishin' with 'em.
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...mersnails1.jpg
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...andbottom1.jpg
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...all/wiries.jpg
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...erMinnows2.jpg
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2..._all/Wogs1.jpg
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...l/AceJigs2.jpg
I also tie a good many of these.
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h1...DSC07129-1.jpg
This! I've been fly fishing since the 50s and fly tying since the 70s. Do more fishin than tying now but for warm water stream fishing those are my favorites! They also work very well on Crappie in the lake.Quote:
Originally Posted by skiptomylu
Ok on flies like the Woolly Bugger that you use lead wire as the base, is it better to use lead or lead free? Also what is a good price range for the lead wire, and copper wire for the other flies? I've just gotten some of the wire from like Hobby Lobby, but was wonderin if I should use other stuff.
I bought my lead wife several years ago so not sure. As for coper wire and color wire I have had it a while too so not a good source. I bought them all wholesale anyway, but feel sure your Hobby Lobby price was probably as good as you will find or that is what I would think. Just don't know for sure and have enough wire to last me a long time. Maybe fish will have a better idea than I do.
ACSooner, if you can find an old small electric motor like the ones used on stove vents you can take the motor apart and have enough copper wire to last 5 lifetimes.
This is a fly I tied using the copper wire.
Attachment 97361
Yes a motor is a great place for copper wire! I have some I got off one and filled 3 empty spools I has from thread.
Those are some sweet ties my friend. I tried my hand at a few c flies but soon realized I was OK but not good at most of them. I made some pretty good Clousers though. I caught fish mostly on handcrafted wooly buggers and streamers.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fatman