Outdoor-Fishing

08-10-2010

I've been tying flies for many years, and yes, I have materials and equipment that I'm embarrassed to tell you the cost of! However, I began very simply and cheaply!

Tools- Instead of an expensive fly tying vise, use vise grip or locking pliers to hold the hook. Instead of a thread bobbin, just use a spring-type clothespin to hold your thread, yarn, etc. out of the way and give it some tension. Add a small pair of scissors, a pin stuck into a cork ( a bodkin!), a little can or bottle of common varnish (instead of expensive head cement and thinner!), s spool of thin sewing thread (you don't need special "fly tying thread"), maybe a couple toothpicks, and so much for tools!

Hooks?- use the one's you bait fish with, no need to invest a fortune in special fine wire fly tying hooks! ! (although the straight shank, ringed eye Sproat bait hooks work best!)

Materials- Craft and hobby stores! Even fabric stores. These will sell you feathers, fake fur, yarn, tinsel- everything you need for a small fraction of the cost at a fly specialty shop!

Last tips for beginners- think large and think fish! It's a lot easier for beginners to tie a presentable #6 fly than a #16! And Bass and Panfish (Bluegills, Sunfish, Perch, even chubs!) are usually more cooperative about taking a novice's fly than are Trout and Steelhead!

AND- you don't have to know how to "fly fish" to fish flies! Maybe that will come later! Just hang your creations with a couple split shot below a casting float or even a little red & white bobber and fish it like bait! ( like in the Outdoor-Fishing" logo!). You will have all the fun a fisherman spending a pile of money to travel to Nova Scotia to catch Atlantic Salmon on flies that cost him hundreds of dollars to buy has! Hey, probably MORE fun!

This is how I began fly tying! And my first fish caught on MY OWN fly, was an 8 inch Perch that took it as I dangled it off the shore on a spinning outfit. All that fancy-shmancey stuff can come later! Think small steps- they can take you a long way! Best----- JoeW

fatworm · 08-11-2010

Great "how-to"! How deep do you hang the fly below your bobber?

08-13-2010

Depends on many things-- depth of water, current speed, rate of retrieve, depth at which fish are feeding. Use a bobber, or a float, that's adjustable and experiment! A slip bobber with a bobber stop lets the bobber slide down the line to the short leader when casting, then lets the bobber slide back up the line once in the water to the stop. Makes for a lot easier casting! Nothing's worse than trying to cast a bobber with 6 feet of line dangling under it! I've fished a slip bobber as deep as 12 feet! If you people aren't familiar with fishing a slip bobber, I may make a post in another forum about using one. It's a deadly method for both flies and bait for the Steelies here in Western NY, and works great for any target species! Six weeks until Steelhead fishing starts up! Hee Haw! Best---- JoeW

fatworm · 08-14-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeW

Depends on many things-- depth of water, current speed, rate of retrieve, depth at which fish are feeding. Use a bobber, or a float, that's adjustable and experiment! A slip bobber with a bobber stop lets the bobber slide down the line to the short leader when casting, then lets the bobber slide back up the line once in the water to the stop. Makes for a lot easier casting! Nothing's worse than trying to cast a bobber with 6 feet of line dangling under it! I've fished a slip bobber as deep as 12 feet! If you people aren't familiar with fishing a slip bobber, I may make a post in another forum about using one. It's a deadly method for both flies and bait for the Steelies here in Western NY, and works great for any target species! Six weeks until Steelhead fishing starts up! Hee Haw! Best---- JoeW

Slip bobber? I've always been stuck casting with the line out. Please do make a post about this!

08-15-2010

I made a post under New to Fishing and Those Considering Fishing about using this technique. Not as complicated as I probably made it sound, but it does work! Ty it! Best---- JoeW

RAK · 08-15-2010

Super tutorial!

Bobber stoppers(slip bobber) are a great invention.

08-11-2010	#2
fatworm Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Pacific Northwest Posts: 140 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Trader Rating: 0 reviews	Great "how-to"! How deep do you hang the fly below your bobber? __________________ -{}Fatworm{}- "A woman who has never seen her husband fishing, doesn't know what a patient man she married!"

08-13-2010	#3
JoeW Guest Posts: n/a	Depth below bobber... Depends on many things-- depth of water, current speed, rate of retrieve, depth at which fish are feeding. Use a bobber, or a float, that's adjustable and experiment! A slip bobber with a bobber stop lets the bobber slide down the line to the short leader when casting, then lets the bobber slide back up the line once in the water to the stop. Makes for a lot easier casting! Nothing's worse than trying to cast a bobber with 6 feet of line dangling under it! I've fished a slip bobber as deep as 12 feet! If you people aren't familiar with fishing a slip bobber, I may make a post in another forum about using one. It's a deadly method for both flies and bait for the Steelies here in Western NY, and works great for any target species! Six weeks until Steelhead fishing starts up! Hee Haw! Best---- JoeW Last edited by JoeW; 08-13-2010 at 02:36 PM.

08-15-2010	#5
JoeW Guest Posts: n/a	Slip Bobber fishing... I made a post under New to Fishing and Those Considering Fishing about using this technique. Not as complicated as I probably made it sound, but it does work! Ty it! Best---- JoeW

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08-10-2010	#1
JoeW Guest Posts: n/a	Want to start fly tying? Cheaply? I've been tying flies for many years, and yes, I have materials and equipment that I'm embarrassed to tell you the cost of! However, I began very simply and cheaply! Tools- Instead of an expensive fly tying vise, use vise grip or locking pliers to hold the hook. Instead of a thread bobbin, just use a spring-type clothespin to hold your thread, yarn, etc. out of the way and give it some tension. Add a small pair of scissors, a pin stuck into a cork ( a bodkin!), a little can or bottle of common varnish (instead of expensive head cement and thinner!), s spool of thin sewing thread (you don't need special "fly tying thread"), maybe a couple toothpicks, and so much for tools! Hooks?- use the one's you bait fish with, no need to invest a fortune in special fine wire fly tying hooks! ! (although the straight shank, ringed eye Sproat bait hooks work best!) Materials- Craft and hobby stores! Even fabric stores. These will sell you feathers, fake fur, yarn, tinsel- everything you need for a small fraction of the cost at a fly specialty shop! Last tips for beginners- think large and think fish! It's a lot easier for beginners to tie a presentable #6 fly than a #16! And Bass and Panfish (Bluegills, Sunfish, Perch, even chubs!) are usually more cooperative about taking a novice's fly than are Trout and Steelhead! AND- you don't have to know how to "fly fish" to fish flies! Maybe that will come later! Just hang your creations with a couple split shot below a casting float or even a little red & white bobber and fish it like bait! ( like in the Outdoor-Fishing" logo!). You will have all the fun a fisherman spending a pile of money to travel to Nova Scotia to catch Atlantic Salmon on flies that cost him hundreds of dollars to buy has! Hey, probably MORE fun! This is how I began fly tying! And my first fish caught on MY OWN fly, was an 8 inch Perch that took it as I dangled it off the shore on a spinning outfit. All that fancy-shmancey stuff can come later! Think small steps- they can take you a long way! Best----- JoeW Last edited by JoeW; 08-10-2010 at 01:29 PM.

08-15-2010	#6
RAK Freshwater Angler Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Eastern WA Posts: 143 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post Trader Rating: 0 reviews	Super tutorial! Bobber stoppers(slip bobber) are a great invention.