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What started your love affair with tying? For me it was this lure. About this time last year, I was outside piddling around and picked up a small pecan branch. I pulled out my pocket knife and started whittling and I was hooked!
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Well I use to trade stock for myself and things happened that made me really loose interest in that. I had been spending a lot if time on my computer with research and talking to others, most days 10 hours, sometimes more. Anyway once I quit it hit me, what was I going to do with my time now? I had no clue, but can't fish all day every day, not going to watch TV all day so looking for something and was drawn to a really cheap vise I had and some cruddy feathers. Knew that Zell tied feathers on his Pop-R's and wanted to learn enough to do that well. That was the start and soon bought my fist decent vise and it lasted a year, bought a really good vise, it lasted a year, LOL! The Nor-Vise made me do that last one because there was no reason for me to put that vise in back up.
For me it was seeing all the great ties on here. You can tie things you can buy, it allows you to build a jig to your specs.
I was also wanting something to fill my time. Skip had been tying a few years at that time and he had a jig deal going, I'm thinking it was a 30 jig deal so I ordered a set. Never really fished any hand tied jigs for crappie but every once in a while I would tie on one of those jigs. Once I finally caught the first fish on a tied jig I thought, OK so they will catch fish. So I thought this jig tying would be a great way to use my time on those cold winter days.
So I ordered around a 100 dollars for a vise and materials. After the first tye I tied on the vise I was deep hooked, the hobby jumped all over me. I joined FAOL and learned how to tie flies the right way from the beginning lessons course. It helped so much to understand the materials, how to tie material in, the different parts of the fly and how to use the materials and it made me a better jig tyer.
Many years and 1000's of dollars later here I am today still tying and loving it more each day.
Started out tying bucktail jigs for my Uncle and his friends, then treble hooks when I started making inline spinners. Fly tying got me in the middle 90's - took the course on Fly Anglers On line, best of all it's free!!!!!!! and you can print the lessons out if you want to. Plus I took class's at my local fly shop and they were free.
I could sit and tie flies and Jigs and not run out of materials for a VERY long time. I've had major tying block and haven't tied anything in over 2 years!!! but keep buying stuff!!
Also learned how to dye feathers and fur last year and doing that - still trying to figure out how to keep the rabbit hide soft and workable after it drys but havn't figured that one yet and I'm NOT NOT NOT getting into tanning furs or making plastics!!!
To many VERY talented platic pourers on this site and I get mine from them - way better than store bought!!!!!!!!!
So many people have asked me that over the years. I have been making some type of lure to fish with for over 58 years. I made my first lures at age 11 . Here is my story I posted on crappie dot com a few years ago. I hope you will enjoy reading the reflections on how I got started . Many individuals here on this forum especially skiptomylu and snake River are always willing to encourage or advise you.
http://www.crappie.com/crappie/jig-t...-ship-started/
Stump Hunter I think you mention something I have tried to push every new tier to and that is FAOL, where you really can Lear to tie the right way. That is where I learned and we didn't have all the videos like are out there now, but I also think that is a double edge sword. I say that because you can Lear to tie a basic jig easy, but learning about the materials and how to use each is huge!!! Also their lessons are the best you can find online and videos really not needed then. Also Learn a heck of a lot more stuff like that!
i remember looking so hard for info and finding it was not easy so when I found the lessons at FAOL, it was magic and a Blessing!
Skip
I want to address everyone. I so enjoy reading and learning from everyone here. I try to take your advice and incorporate it into my tying. Although I've never met him, Skip has been an inspiration and mentor to me. I often read and re-read his words to make sure I understand how to do something correctly. The FAOL is simply an awesome site and I found another one today called Tacklemaking dot com.
My my problem with hobbies is I want to try everything. It doesn't matter what hobby I try, I can't seem to focus and narrow down to just a few basics. I've always been that way. I guess you could say it's a character flaw. Take this hobby for instance, I want to ty, I want to make lures, I want to try wire spinner baits. Every time I see something new, I want to try it.
Ship's tutorials on the Jelly and Hackle are some i'd like to try as well.
http://www.crappie.com/crappie/jig-t...le-jig-photos/
Ship also posted about pin mins???? I've never tried to solder though. Something else to learn!
Anyway I guess I'm just rambling on and on, but I wanted to let everyone know that I enjoy reading your posts and learning from everyone.
Stump Hunter, Fat Man, And DockShooting Jack, I always look forward to your posts as well. Each of you have always given me encouragement when I post what I've been working on. I reall appreciate each and everyone of you!
I started back in the 40's when I was in the Cub Scouts. The Den Mother wanted us to make lure to catch fish in her farm pond. I made a Bumble Bee using a $4 Herters vise [that I still use and has made thousands of flies and jigs] In the 50's I got some Doll flies and tried to make my own but could not find jigs or jig hook. Used regular hooks and split shot for jigs. After I got out of the Air Force I wanted to learn Fly Fishing so I joined TU and met some great tyers and learned stream side how to make trout flies. Got back into jig tying about 17 years ago when I quit using bait for the Walleye run. Tried Plastic but good stuff was hard to find so I dug out the Herters vise again and I have not stopped tying sence. I have a good following on the river for my "Minners" and when it gets bitter cold the jigs sell better [they keep their hand out of the iced up buckets.] Crappie started showing up a couple of years ago and now I make jigs for them. I have way more tying stuff than half this site needs lol Ole
I started tying because I wanted to use more jigs in my hunt for crappie! I start setting in on the jigs tying forum. You guys was putting out some nice jigs and helping one another. From paint to body, to feather, & too the field testing. I thought I could do that. So I took off and learn a lot on the way that because of you guys on here. No one said its like a drug on here until its was too late about $100's of dollar in well I love it so it too late to turn back now beside fishing it mellow me out. And still leaning. There no limit In tying & The joy it give me when someone on here say hay guys I need jigs for the kids fishing roundup the thought of that kid catching a fish with that jig or any jig. I know he will fish that jig till it
fall apart bring me good joy!
I started by having time to sit at the bench. Using jigs, especially small jigs, in my small town stores were very hard to find. About that time I posted that I wanted to get into this, and I recieved a PM from a member, 1Perchjerker AKA Tommy, making an offer that could only happen here on CDC. He sent me two vises to try and if I didn't like them I could send back at no charge. Tommy sent me a Renzetti Traveler and a Danvise. I bought the Renzetti and TennTodd bought the Danvise. Tommy and I had never had a conversation before this and I saw this as a wonderful leap of faith in human nature on his part. He has now passed but this gesture on his part is something I think of regularly. As many have before me, I tied some for folks and learned my limitations both in time and tolerance for endless hours at the bench. The bookwork and taxes and so on were the kicker and I now tie for a few folks and myself, and my time has also changed to where the hours at the bench is almost impossible to find. I still have ideas that I have to visit the vise and make them come to reality, and some of the patterns I tie just out produce anything available commercially.
Skip, Stump, Ship, NP and many others have brought me along to where I am today. I'm nowhere near some of the newer guys that have come along and though I do what I can to help folks along the path I was shown, I think some of them can now teach me. Well done guys. I still enjoy tying and will probably never get rid of the vise or supplies and materials I have collected. Time is a commodity that ebbs and flows for me and I will again spend more time at the vise. I'll always enjoy seeing the new ties folks post. The Mayfly ties that Justcameslabdaddy has posted are really off the charts, the wings being the clincher. It's things like this that make this site, and this section, one that always bring a smile to my face.