A Beginner’s Guide to Fly Tying
Getting into fly tying can 100% feel somewhat daunting but I assure that with a little patience and a lot of practice anyone can be a competent fly tyer. I think the key to success here is go in knowing that your 1st, 2nd 10th fly are probably not going to be something that you are proud of but it’s one of those activities that every time you tie a fly you are getting a little better and over time you will become extremely proficient as long as you stick with it. I am on my 9th or so year of tying salt water flies and I can promise you for about the first two years very few flies of mine were something I wanted to even show anyone. It was definitely not something that came naturally to me by any means but I am an extremely persist person, sometimes to a fault, and finally it began to click and once it did the creativity came with it. I’d like to go ahead and clear the air and say by no means am I a world class fly tyer, there are many many tyers out there that are far better than me but I can tie a multitude of flies and I know that they work.
For the most part I tie redfish flies since that is what I fly fish for the most but I also tie quite a few flies for false albacore and speckled trout since those are also species we target on the fly here in Wilmington NC. Those flies can range anywhere from crabs, shrimp, baitfish to things that just look like some sort of marsh critter that a redfish would like to eat. There is no telling how many different variations there are on those examples but the point is there is no shortage of patterns to follow and flies to tie. So where do you start? Which pattern do you try and what equipment do you need to even begin?
I’ll start with the equipment first. There are a handful of things you will need to start fly tying and depending on how much you are willing to spend it can be somewhat inexpensive all the way to down right ridiculously expensive. This is obviously up to you on how much you are willing to spend but my thought process when starting to fly tie was I just need something that works and will last a long time and that option was not crazy expensive. So for bare minimum fly tying (minus any fly tying materials) would include a vise, bobbin and scissors. What most people do and what I would recommend is buy a fly tying tool kit which generally includes everything other than the vise so it would include a bobbin, scissors, whip finish tool, bodkin and sometimes a hair stacker and maybe a couple other tools depending on where you buy it from. I am sure there are packages out there they sell the tool kit + a vise and if so then even better.
Alright we got the equipment covered let’s get into what is a good starting fly to try and tie. While there are tons of options out there for beginner flies one of the best and one that also catches a ton of fish is the Clauser Minnow. This fly, originally designed by Bob Clauser, probably holds the title for the most amount of species of fish, both fresh and saltwater, caught on one fly pattern. This fly is no slouch and is still used constantly today by avid fly anglers and guides alike. It can be tied in many different ways and different sizes but the most common way to tie this fly is with bucktail. Essentially all you need to tie this fly is a hook of your choosing (generally speaking I tie mine on a Umpqua XS 410 N15 X size #2) along with some small lead eyes or large bead chain eyes and a thread of your choosing (I tie almost all my Redfish, Speckled Trout and Albie flies with Ultra 210 thread). You can up the hook size and or the eye size for fishing for larger species and or deeper water. The hook and eye sizes I use are what I use for species such as redfish, speckled trout and false albacore. There are about a million “how to” videos on this fly on YouTube which is a great place to find out how to tie patterns that you are interested in. I also have quite a few fly tutorials on my instagram page @blackbird_guideservices including one on the Clauser Minnow.
This is a great fly to start with and from there once you understand how to use your fly tying tools and the concept of where to place materials etc. it opens up the door to all sorts of other patterns to experiment with! Again this came seem daunting but I assure you that everyone has the ability to tie great flies with enough practice. If you have any questions on tying flies or want to book a fly fishing trip here in Wilmington North Carolina contact me anytime! I hope this helps and thank you for taking the time to read it.
Happy Fishing!
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BlackBird Guide Services / Capt. Cam Pappas
