The craft of fly-tying
Fly-tying, a method of securing various materials as furs, feathers and tinsels to a fishhook. Stuart Silverstein tells us basics of the craft of fly-tying: skills needed, materials, patterns, and selling your handicraft.
STUART SILVERSTEIN
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I first learned to tie flies when I was a boy of 13. After
watching a man up the street create beauties with such
magical names as Parmachene Belle, Silver Doctor,
Cowdung, Rio Grande King, March Brown and Black
Ghost, I couldn't wait to make my own attempt at this
old craft. Every Sunday afternoon for several weeks I
carefully observed by mentor in action, then finally took
the plunge and invested $5.00 in a fly-tying kit.
The quality of those original supplies was poor, but I
didn't care . . . I only wanted to get my hands on the fur,
bright feathers and glittering tinsels and combine them
into enticements for trout and salmon. When I wasn't
actually in the process of tying a fly or fishing, I would
often sit mesmerized just admiring the raw materials:
raffia grass from Africa, silver and gold tinsels from
France, rabbit skins and glossy rooster plumage, to name a
few.
My initial efforts were very sloppily executed, but the
fish didn't seem to notice. With just a little practice I
was soon able to make a few of the simpler trout baits
quite proficiently (and to sell them to local fishermen).
At present I tie flies only for myself and for friends who
go trout and salmon fishing here in Maine but, in the near
future, I plan to start selling my creations once again to
earn some extra money. It's an absorbing and profitable
craft at which you might like to try your hand.
WHAT IS FLY-TYING?
Fly-tying is basically a method of securing various
materials such as furs feathers and tinsels to a fishhook.
The resulting fly may or may not imitate an aquatic
creature which fish feed upon: A Royal Coachman doesn't
look like anything you'll ever see swimming in the water,
whereas Roche's Dragonfly does . . . and they both catch
fish.
THE SKILLS YOU'LL NEED
Although a hand-tied fly looks like a complicated creation,
it's actually put together in an orderly, step-by-step
process that can be mastered by anyone able to form a knot
in a piece of thread. You needn't even be a flyfisherman,
though it certainly helps.
The best fly-tier I know—and one of the most
outstanding in the United States—is Lou Stanford of
New Haven, Connecticut. Lou is a massive, 300-pound
construction worker with fingers as thick as the pipes he
welds on the job . . . but he can produce the most
delicate, aesthetically pleasing baits any fisherman could
hope to own.
HOW TO LEARN
The best way to learn to tie flies is to have a master of
the craft teach you. Such people flourish wherever trout or
salmon are caught, and can be found even in cities like
Chicago, San Francisco and New York . . . so ask around and
you'll find someone to start you off. If you live near West
Forks, Maine, stop in and see me. I'll be glad to give you
some lessons.
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