Started tying flies

[NateFollmer]

Mainly started tying for smallmouth and trout, but want to branch out into Muskie and Pike flies. These are my first attempts at tying, so don't laugh

A buddy of mine at work gave me a whole fox fur, so I tried to make a streamer with it and some grizzly hackle. I crowded the eye of the hook and used too much fur on this one... oh and the wire ribbing... I tried to weave it... yeah, you can see how that turned out:

Here's my first woolly bugger:

and finally, even though these aren't really bass flies (although the occasional smallie will eat these) two pheasant tail nymphs and just a generic black nymph (all bead head size 16):

^ Fashioned in my homemade fly boxes (chew cans and foam)...

Going to start tying hair jigs here once I get decent. It really isn't as hard as I thought it would be.

[fishingkidPA]

those pheasant tail nympths dont look to bad, good for first ties! im starting fly fishing this year, i might actually go out next week since they just stocked this week. im looking forward to fly fishing for bluegills too 

[NateFollmer]

Thanks, I can't wait to get on Penn's creek and nail some big browns. Right now it's high and looks like chocolate milk

[hookingem]

Those don't look bad at all for 1st attempts! My neighbor ties flies for hours on end. It's fun to just sit there and watch the precision that he puts into those things! Keep it up, and keep us updated with your progress 

[Gatorbassman]

Those look good Nate. Great for the first ones.

Do you have a hair stacker. If not get a small one. This makes it easier to remove the shorter hair and cleans it up a bit.

When you are wrapping hackle be sure to select feathers that are all the same width. The finished product will be cleaner. That's why the expensive saddles and necks are worth the money.

[NateFollmer]

Thanks everyone. I do find this very fun and almost relaxing. My uncle gave me some turkey feathers so I'm working on making a pheasant tail nymph with it (guess it'd be a turkey tail nymph). I tied a black and gray woolly bugger tonight, ill snap pics tomorrow.

Fluke - thanks for the tips and comments. Don't have a stacker, that's being purchased next BPS run, along with bent nymph hooks. I will add one thing, learn to whip finish by hand, but a whip finishing tool is invaluable

[Gatorbassman]

You know it's bad when the neighbors chickens start loosing feathers over night.

Yep, I've done that.

My dad was a trout guide long before I was born. He taught me how to tie flies when I was 8. Since then I've studied under a couple of the best professional fly tiers in the country. There's always something new to learn and try out.

[hookingem]

You know it's bad when the neighbors chickens start loosing feathers over night.

Yep, I've done that.

My dad was a trout guide long before I was born. He taught me how to tie flies when I was 8. Since then I've studied under a couple of the best professional fly tiers in the country. There's always something new to learn and try out.

There is a guy I work with that ties flies. Everytime we check in a deer or a coyote he asks if he can have certain parts of it to use for tying flies.

[FIAB]

Nate,

Check out this site and try them on your streamers......you'll love them.

www.flylipps.com

[.dsaavedra.]

man i remember when i used to tie flies. it was fun trying to come up with creative materials to use to make new patterns. mastering the classic patterns was also fun. the most i've tied in the last 2 years or so have been a few dressed trebles. i pretty much gave it up for swimbait making.

[Jigfishn10]

Be careful Nate, fly tying can be very addictive...LOL

At least once or twice a year I leave the bass gear at home and grab my 5 weight rod for some pan fishing. The night before I'll tie up a few Royal Wulff's and would have an abosolute blast with the bluegill.

For the most part I've been experimenting with hybrid jigs and teaser tail for my topwaters.

Keep it up, those look really nice. I have a book at home that will give you all the recipes for the classic flies and was pretty cheap. I'll post the title to this thread if you're interested...Heck I don't mind mailing it out to you if you want to borrow it. Just send a PM.

EDIT: I forgot to mention that the book covers all the classic patterns for trout, panfish, bass, steelhead & salmon flies.

[NateFollmer]

Fluke - I know a lot of people with chickens.... I'm going to have to chase them around haha. My cousin raises turkeys too, but they are all white... I wonder how hard it is to dye feathers?

hookingem - I'm not against stopping and picking pieces off roadkill either, especially if it 'wasn't there the night before'.

Bone - Thanks for the site, I'll check it out. Streamers are really what I wanted to tie the most of. Nothing catches smallies like a streamer and a good old clouser minnow.

dsaaverdra - Funny you say that... I'm the opposite, I tried making swims and didn't have the time, so I started doing this LOL I want to keep at my hardbait designs, but for now this is easier and cheaper for me.

Jig - Thanks man! Just post the title and I'll buy it. If my son gets ahold of the book, he will destroy it or color in it and I don't want that to happen LOL I've been getting a lot of recipes from a few fly tying forums, plus my kit came with a DVD that had 6 patterns on it. Heck, even the guys in the fly shop at Bass Pro showed me some cool hellgrammite patterns.

[Jigfishn10]

You know, I forgot that the book is bound with a removable binding. Let me take it apart this weekend and I'll scan it all and I'll send you the pdf.

[NateFollmer]

You know, I forgot that the book is bound with a removable binding. Let me take it apart this weekend and I'll scan it all and I'll send you the pdf.

Man you don't have to do all that... Unless it isn't very big LOL I'll send you some stuff in return, I don't know what, but we will agree on something. I appreciate it!

[NateFollmer]

Here's the bugger I did last night. The tails some fibers off the bottom of a turkey feather. My hackle is a little long, but I think once I start moving it in the water, it'll look ok.

[Vodkaman]

Anything that causes abuse to chickens is fine by me. They mess on my porch and wake me 05:00 every morning (Indonesia).

I savour my 2 fried egg breakfast and chicken leg lunch. If my eyes were better than they are, I would definately start tying again.

Looking good Nate.

Dave

[NateFollmer]

Did a streamer and some bucktail jigs... I need thicker thread for these because this micro thread isn't cutting it!

[FL_Sharpshooter]

Whoa, that black and blue one is really sick looking!

[Jigfishn10]

Very well done Nate! On the Jigs, don't be afraid to step up to a rod builders thread, like size C or D is ideal for those. The streamer is very nice looking as well. The thread you used is fine on that, just keep building up the head with extra wraps. A couple of coats of clear nail polish makes it all look perfect.

[NorcalBassin]

Nice looking flies... can't beat a bugger for a multispecies fly.

[NateFollmer]

Thanks! I hope the outdoor shop doesn't stop selling that color of blue... Her bucktails are cheap too - $2.25 a piece. I bought that blue color, olive, forest green (that streamer is that color), black and chartreuse green. Thought about buying her entire stock, but decided on trying it out first THEN going nuts

[Jigfishn10]

Try calf tail as well, it's a little softer and pulsates very nice in the water.

[Bass Junkie]

Very nice for your first efforts! As for that river, I might venture near, but never with a large streamer, especially a Zonker, much less with repeated presentations........ :-X