I decided to try my luck at tying flies. I've already done a few, and in my opinion they turned out alright. I just ordered an assortment of feathers/bucktails/etc. along with glue and chenille. I do have a few questions though. 1) How do you finish your knots when you're done tying? I just ended up gluing them since I didn't know how and I assume they will unravel by doing so. 2) Does super glue work? That's what I used for my first ones. 3) Can you use regular thread instead of buying the actual fly tying type? 4) What colors should I use for different times of the year. I live in Wisconsin and I'll be fly fishing spring/summer mostly. I would assume a mayfly pattern and bugs like that would be a good choice? 5) Do you really NEED any specific tools or can you virtually just use your hands/fingers? I'm definetely an amateur at fly fishing. I figured that tying flies would be kind of fun, and it is so far! Thank you so much for your help. I appreciate it. Here a picture of the first ones I made. Nothing fancy. Do they look alright?
"If at first you don't succeed, re-bait your hook."

First off take a class.  The  flies look good.  You can pick up some good tips there.  You can use regular thread but it can be a little thick.  Your thread should basicly match the body of the fly.  I usally match the body or the main color of the feathers/fur.  But I have gone way the other way also.  As far as knots the easiest way I have found is a half hitch, (2 or 3) to finish. Supper glue may work but remember what ever you use needs to stand up to water.  I also have been known to finish them with clear nail polish, or epoxie.  So far it seems to work 

Here ya go...

 

 

Your flies do look good.  A beginners class is a plus if you can find one near you.  Also, check out the various topics in this forum.  There is a great deal of info posted here and many links to basic fly tyers web sites.  All very good.  And finally, if you ask questions here, take pics of your work, you will get very helpful input from several tyers here.  I hope this helps and good luck to you!

 

 

LM since 2005 Bushwacker Deputy Sherif from S.E. Pa.

where to learn from

Originally posted by: The Rod Tosser on 1/29/2007 5:45:24 PM

fly anglers online    ONE OF MY FAVES great tutorials

Basic Fly Tying.pdf

http://www.flytyingforum.com/

american flyfishing .com

ultimateflytying.com

buckey flyfishers.com


techniques/ fly fisher republic.com

copperfly.net

global flyfisher


angelfire.com/wa/salmonid/

diptera.co.uk/patterns/step_by_step

davefink.btinternet.co.

danblanton.com/hotflies.

onlineflytyer.com/articles.

free videos
FLY TYING  THE ANGLERS ART  this is another one of my faves .
http://ktnw.org/Offers/FlyTying.aspx

 just do a Google search  on fly tying
http://www.google.com/search?q=fly+...n&aq=f

 WHIP FINISHING

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&...AsTRltaA0Q" class="l" onmousedown="return rwt(this,'video_result','2472948556126452276','res','3','AFQjCNFfZ7bRne0F48pT4HhaAsTRltaA0Q','','0CE8QtwIwAg')">How to tie off your fly (3 methods, including Whip ...
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&...I9O0y9rueQ" class="l" onmousedown="return rwt(this,'video_result','11112184499333778404','res','1','AFQjCNHPnzMzByMRZFXmSb26I9O0y9rueQ','','0CA4QtwIwAA')">Half Hitch
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&...img%20src=" workarea="" threadeddisc="" emoticons="" shocked.png="">
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0JF94-qhQw" class="l" onmousedown="return clk(this.href,'video_result','5422973830877054220','res','2','','0CFUQtwIwAQ')">matarelli whip finish 101

Thompson Style Whip Finisher

with your hands
http://globalflyfisher.com/tiebetter/whip/index.php
a video of the process


mustad video
http://www.mustad.no/video_pic/index.php

Thanks guys! I learned a lot from some of those sites and videos. I appreciate this! When I have some more flies done I'll post them up and you guys can give me your opinions. Thanks again.
"If at first you don't succeed, re-bait your hook."

Might be a good idea for the club to make a seperate forum for tying. Just a thought, it might make it easier to find what you are looking for.

Brian

Fishing! enough said.

Six inthemorning and browsing and came across your note.  I started tying flys back in the late 50's  My grandfather tought me the basicsand from him I learned that you have to check each fly or group by actually casting before making a bunch.  If it don't catch fish no matter how pretty it looks it's a flop.  My grandfather passed in 1957, I have 2 display boxes of fly's that he tied in the late 40's early 50's.  We never failed to fish unless it was too cold, I am from Southern Illinois so winters do get cold, but we have gone out in Jan and Feb and caught some hungry blue gill. Nothing is quite as thrilling as listening to your line zipping through the water with a fish on the end of the line. I am 67 ,retired and planning on teaching my 11 year old grandson how to fly fish.  He is all for it as he salt water fishes and is an avid hunter.  I'll blog and let you know if I hit onany realgood fly's that are easy titie.  Grand father always used clear nailpolish and it wasn't until his death that mom and the girls found where there polish would go.

Turnip,
Great looking flies.  Never have done any flies but have spent hours upon hours making lead headed jigs usually with buck tails or feathers.  Discovered early that there are some great paints out there.  I prefer DuPont Imron which you can get from a local automotive paint shop.  You can throw buck tails jigs forever and still maintain paint job.  Even in the rocks it is very durable.  DuPont Imron is pretty expensive but a pint will last you a life time.  I use white as a base coat and then put final coat on.  The white base causes everything to be much brighter.  If you use DuPont Imron you will discover that it is a paint you have to mix with a catalyst.  Once you mix it you have to be ready to paint--it will set up in a few hours.  A baby food jar of paint will do several hundreds.  If you are ready to do a couple hundred you may want to mix your paints at the same time.  For instant after the jig head has set up you can paint some eyes or scales on them from paint that is still sitting around setting up.  To make eyes you can snap off a tooth pick, touch it in the paint and then on lure and behold you got some great looking eyes or whatever.  Good luck--hope this has been of some help.  By the way you might find some auto paint shop that will let you have old cans, usually enough to be thrown away to do a tackle box of jig heads.  Be careful some of these paints give off harmful gases and you want to do it in a well ventilated area.  Glad to share what I can to help. Uncle Tom
I enjoy building lures--it is quite a rush to catch a fish on something you built