Helen Shaw (1910–2007) is considered by many to be the First Lady of Fly Tying. NOTE: The mirror got replaced by a rotating vise. Shaw, a Wisconsin native, was not only an excellent fly tyer – possibly the best fly tyer in the 20th century- but a superb fly caster and fly fisher as well. Image credit: American Museum of Fly Fishing.
You can be famously unknown and a sub-par fly tyer, but your angling skills may have quadrupled.
Henry Clement, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, August 2023.
By Skip Clement
There was no reason to suggest that tying your flies saves money. It is impossible for most fly tiers in my circle of guides, including my stepson, Captain Andrew Derr, to make tying pay its way. Also, all of my other angling friends, as well as a clique of tiers in my North Georgia coterie, cannot make our fly tying land on the income side of the books.
You could safely say that you could make money tying flies, but for DIY tying as a casual angler, it is not a way to save money, far from it
Most ladies and gentlemen I know who tie flies got there out of curiosity and fascination. Tying satisfies the need to see something put together. Feathers and threads come together as a finished product in minutes; your dopamine is uber-delivered. Also, the immediacy of taking a fly for a swim and eventually catching the game fish that captured your attention – your entire fly fishing experience, from trouts to sailfish, with flies that are most likely crude copies of famous patterns tied and created by tyers of bygone eras and those with current status. Many deserve applause: Mary Dette Clark, Elsie Darbee, Helen Shaw, Megan Boyd, Tim Borski, Cam Sigler, Lefty Kreh, Norman Duncan, Bob Popovics, Bill Curtis, Jim Craven, Matt O’Neal, Tim Flagler, Captain Andrew Derr, Dame Juliana Berners, Mary Orvis Marbury, Elizabeth Greig, Kelly Galoup, Jay Nicholas, Winnie Dette, Frances Stearns, Sharon E. Wright, Cathy Beck, April Vokey, Paul Dixon, Jim Craven, and many others.
Game fish
However, when one heads to New Zealand, Argentina, or Chile, it’s tying flies for the trout rewards—heading to the Florida Keys in the spring is to catch a tarpon high. Likewise, Atlantic salmon satisfaction will lead you to the Maritime provinces in late summer/fall, and to warmer climates in the winter, such as sailfish in Panama, or bonefish redemption in the Bahamas.
Other venues and destinations support all those species mentioned above, but you get the point.
These tube flies for a rainy day when the trout is deep and not feeding in the surface. Olive Wooly Bugger on tube by Håvard Eidebugger. Image credit flyfisher.org – Wooly Bugger tube flies.
Tube Flies
In pursuit of famous game fish, I tend to return to past successes and tie well-known, and in most cases, traditional flies, albeit often abused by my ten-thumb ties. To better serve my needs, I usually convert them to tube flies.
Therefore, my only distinction as a tyer might be that I rarely tie hook-tied flies, preferring only tube flies. Tube flies solved more than a few problems, which you can read about here . . .
Steve Hudson has enjoyed fly tying and fly fishing for many years and has taught thousands of people to tie flies. An award-winning outdoor writer and illustrator, he has written extensively about fly fishing, fly tying, hiking, travel, and outdoor recreation, with numerous magazine articles and more than 20 books to his credit. He lives in north Georgia.
Finding pleasure in tying
Some say they tie flies to save money, but my reality is that I tie flies for the fun of it – the joy of experimenting with new patterns and materials. It is an undeniable pleasure to catch a fish with the concoctions we create.
As for tying fame, remember that anyone can copy your hit-man fly. Usually, the best you can hope for is that your fly will appear in books on the subject, either named after you or crediting you with its creation.
Each chapter of Hudson’s book addresses, in commonly understood language, the essential details of each maneuver, why it is done a certain way, what the likely mistakes look like, and the consequences. The supporting illustrations are superior.
Hudson’s bonus is a brief discussion on how to fish each type of fly that is tied.
The reader is tying a fly pattern on page 66. Those early pages cover vises, tying tools, hooks (finally a comprehensible explanation), thread (finally a structured illumination), and even head cement.
Each chapter builds on what was previously learned
Throughout the book, there is a thorough explanation of how to manage each new material. Materials are thoroughly explained, including dubbing, tailing, adding weight, marabou feathers, ribbing, wing cases, hackle, wings, combining materials, dry flies, wet flies, and more beyond the basics.
Steve Hudson’s book is 282 pages of detailed instruction.
You can purchase A Structured Course in Fly Tying here . . .
Inimitable Lefty Kreh was the father of modern-day fly fishing. Lefty Kreh is the creator of Lefty’s Deceiver and one of the 20th century’s greatest innovators in fly fishing. Skip Clement Photo.
Sponsored
