fly tying

Fly tying is a craft that cloaks a fish hook in fur and feathers to imitate an insect or small baitfish. Used by fly fishermen rather than natural bait, flies are tough enough to remain on the hook during the arduous aerial gymnastics of casting.

Man has imitated natural fish food with feathers since the Greek and Roman empires - and their use of artificial lures evolved into much of the hardware used by fishermen today.

During the British colonial expansion, and its far flung colonies, many rare and endangered species lent their plumage for Salmon fishing in the British Isles. Once thought as the most noble of fish, it was assumed that salmon fed on butterflies while spawning in the rivers of Ireland, Scotland, and the British mainland.

While we know better today, it explains why a fly-tyer should never be left alone with your parrot.

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Latest blogosphere posts tagged “fly tying”

• What are you listening to?

  
  Whiskey Creek Fly Fishing — Authority: 126
  My wife informed me that I’m weird. She asked what I was listening to on my iPod.  I told her it was an interview about chicken genetics. If you are curious why dry fly hackles are so much better now (and cost so much), and how many chickens are harvested each year by Whiting Farms, then give this podcast a ...
  18 hours ago

• Sky Sports Does BFFI 2009

  
  Fly Fishing in South Wales — Authority: 118
  If, like me, you’re still smiling at the thought of this year’s British Fly Fair International, linger retrospectively no longer, as Sky Sport’s Tightline channel now has a lovely seven minutes of coverage of the event which features Charles Jardine, Chris Sandford, Gwilym Hughes and the near legendary Ulf ...
  21 hours ago

• ostrich herl for fly tying (wings, gills and tails)

  
  SwittersB & Fly Fishing — Authority: 138
  OSTRICH HERL FOR NYMPHS Posted in flies, fly pattern, fly pattern design, flyfishing, flytying Tagged: летать связывание, летят обвързване, 매는 비행, Fliegenbinden, fly tying, lentää sitominen, флы везања, Orb Callibaetis Emerger, ostrich, ostrich fly tying, the orb, ...
  23 hours ago

• Big water steelhead leeches: Bust out the big rabbit strips

  
  The Caddis Fly: Oregon Fly Fishing Blog — Authority: 130
  Not that salmon season is over, but I’ve started thinking more and more about fishing big water for steelhead and maybe even a few late season kings. There is still time to fish our Comets, Bosses, and Clousers. But it makes sense to carry some Intruders and Leeches for big water, low visibility, [...]
  1 day ago

• Fly Tying (Pinch Loop Technique….Stop Materials Rollover)

  
  SwittersB & Fly Fishing — Authority: 138
  This is a nice looking little midge emerger I tied. Size 18. But, do you see the flaw? No, not the thread body that is bumpy from too large a thread (8/0)…the tail. Do you see how it is rolled over on the far side of the hook rather than on top of the shank? When you pinch the material between your thumb and ...
  1 day ago

• Weaving

  
  North Eastern Fly Fishing Forums — Authority: 143
  Here is a tip on how to weave a nymph. I have had a lot of questions on how to do this recently. Here is a video that will show you how to weave a better nymph from start to almost finished;) YouTube- Weaving Flies - August 2009 TPO Tip of the Month YouTube- Weaving Flies - ...
  1 day ago

• Fly Fishing Guide Book - Recommended by Shes So Fly

  
  "She's So Fly" Fly Fishing for Women Blog — Authority: 129
  Click Here! If youre interested in fly fishing, heres a resource you wont want to be without… "Introducing an Amazing New Guide to Learning the Art & Craft of Fly Fishing, and Catching the Big Ones that All Anglers Dream About!" Dear Angler, Not everyone is cut out to be a fly ...
  1 day ago

• Tying the Carey Special (Stillwater Dragon or Caddis Imitation)

  
  SwittersB & Fly Fishing — Authority: 138
  This a great stillwater pattern popular in the Pacific NW and B.C. and for all I know beyond. I have never fished it for stream born insects but imagine it could serve well as an October Caddis. The dubbed body can be replaced by a wound body of yarn, chenille or the classic…peacock herl. The hardest part of the fly ...
  1 day ago

• Two Experiments for Midges (The Macro Shows the Flaws)

  
  SwittersB & Fly Fishing — Authority: 138
  These are kind of like a Palomino Midge pattern. I used a size 18 hook and 14/0 thread (black and gray). The extended body is the micro dubbing brush, the wing is packing bubble wrap pieces and the wing case is pink antron on the left and cream on the right. I am not certain the bubble wrap material would float the ...
  1 day ago

• Part Last – Singlebarbed teaches the beauty secrets of the Shao-Lin Masters

  
  Singlebarbed — Authority: 469
  As we mentioned in Parts 1 & 2 , the measure of true fly beauty is held by fish not humans. Unfortunately with you averaging  9 days afield your flies are viewed most by people, and suffering their continual criticisms can make a fly tyer resign himself to please both anglers and quarry. … and in the ...
  1 day ago

• Feathers (Many Types & Many Colors)

  
  SwittersB & Fly Fishing — Authority: 138
  FEATHERS CONTACT INFO FOR SWALEF & SON Posted in fishing, flies, fly pattern, fly pattern design, flyfishing, flytying Tagged: летать связывание, летят обвързване, 매는 비행, feathers, Fliegenbinden, fly tying, fly tying feathers, lentää sitominen, флы ...
  2 days ago

• Fly Recipes Page Update!

  
  Up'North Maine Fly Castings — Authority: 119
  Howdy Folks!I added the Alexandra recipe below to the Up’North Fly Recipes page, good luck. This has been by far one of my favorite flies to tie in my early fly tying career, and I’ll probably have at least 10 or 15 by the time the season rolls around. Email me at maineflyboi@maineflycastings.com if you [...]
  2 days ago

• Excellent Tutorial Site for Beginning Fly Tying (UK Fly Dressing)

  
  SwittersB & Fly Fishing — Authority: 138
  UKFlyDressing.com (Check Out All the Step by Steps) Posted in Bugs, fishing, flies, fly pattern, fly pattern design, flyfishing, flytying, how to tie flies, How Tos Tagged: летать связывание, летят обвързване, 매는 비행, Fliegenbinden, fly tying, lentää sitominen, флы ...
  2 days ago

• Fly Tying the Simple Dubbed Pupa for beginners

  
  SwittersB & Fly Fishing — Authority: 138
  Caddis, Chironomid, Mayfly, Scud…the simple pupa pattern is simple in silhouette and design. The basic fly then lends itself to the bead and/or the wing. Keep it sparse and the pattern can be tied in different colors, although I have a proven comfort with green. The pattern can be tied on hooks ranging from ...
  2 days ago

• Fly Tying and the IDK Pattern(s)

  
  SwittersB & Fly Fishing — Authority: 138
  Where do yours’ go? I have plastic bins of IDK patterns.  I Don’t Know what they were suppose to be. Often I tied with improvisation, trying to not so much match anything as create something interesting, and to me enticing to the trout. Not a good process. Better to match something then improvise and then keep it ...
  3 days ago

• FOM Part #3: Update

  
  Aroostook Flyers & Tyers — Authority: 125
  Awesome!!!! Well so far we have 5 confirmed tyers for our contest. Hopefully we can get 5 times that by the deadline. No matter, email me that you are in and you can start tying. I will post the flies as they come in. But be aware….. I will not post the tyer’s name. Once we reach the minimum, I will update the ...
  3 days ago

• Genetic Dry fly hackle meets the Vegi-Matic

  
  Singlebarbed — Authority: 469
  If you’ve ever wondered about the inner workings of the genetic hackle business – how years of careful selection and good genes yields those yard-long saddle hackles and expensive rooster necks – you won’t find any of that here… Instead, we’ll show you how those lengthy saddles are harvested, and how ...
  3 days ago

• Midge Mania

  
  SwittersB & Fly Fishing — Authority: 138
  Some would say cursed (my kids) by the afflictions of always on time (actually early) and Semper Paratus…I am often arriving early to meetings and killing time sitting in the rig or as I have come to do…wandering a bookstore. Recently, I was killing time in Medford, Oregon at a Barnes & Noble and came across a ...
  3 days ago

• Steelhead Spider

  
  Whiskey Creek Fly Fishing — Authority: 126
  Purple & Orange Ice Spider Purple & Orange Ice Spider Hook: Steelhead steel Tag: Silver tinsel under the entire body Rear Body: Purple Ice Dub Front Body: Orange Angora dubbing Hackle: Wood Duck
  3 days ago

• Biot Bodies (Smooth or Ridged…How To Do it)

  
  SwittersB & Fly Fishing — Authority: 138
  ChiFly.com Biot Bodies Notch Down Smooth Body Notch Up Ridged Body Fly Anglers Online Posted in fishing, flies, fly pattern, fly pattern design, flyfishing, flytying, how to tie flies, Tricks Tagged: biot body, летать связывание, летят обвързване, 매는 ...
  4 days ago

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