Getting started in fly tying

[unclemikeinct]

Hey John, you telling me hen neck feathers can be good for Dry Flies ??? I'll have to try a few out in my ties ? Plenty of laying hens around here.. Help me out.. uncle mike

[Randy Bohannon]

To make quality flies you need quality material that will hold up to more than one fish. Spending the time to tie flies with crappy material is an endeavor in futility . Rooster hackle for fly tying is one those materials don’t scrimp on ,buy quality hackle worth the price and your time. You will need it for the #16-18 dries that are prevalent from now until the frost hits hard .

[Sig]

The Dry Fly hackle necks are the killer. Big Money for quality rooster neck feathers.. uncle mike

The prices on all feathers went through the roof when everybody wanted to look like Steven Tyler with them in their hair. Craft stores can be a great source for materials on the cheap. Good lighting & a magnifier are essential for me.

[GhostHawk]

Whiting Farms for hackle. They have LONG hackles all the same size from top to bottom.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Whiting+f...f=nb_sb_noss_2



I have used both the 100's and this from them.
Soft Hackle with Chickabou patch.


I paid 18$ for a whole drark grizzly brown. There are a LOT of good feathers on there.
Smaller on the edges, larger in the center.

[gwozdz]

A very under rated fly is the Hornberg. It's best to get a duck hunter friend save you the barred flank feathers from the left and right sides of a male mallard (in separate bags). I can be fished wet or dry and rainbows can't resist them.

[bedbugbilly]

When we were kids, my brother got interested in fly tying and orders a "kit" from the Herter's "wish book" - it had a cheap vise and he eventually upgraded to a nicer one. I tied a few flys and even caught some fish in a river that I used to go to on my bike to fish in. At the time, he bought supplies from Herters and supplemented with quail and pheasant feathers, deer hair, etc. that were the results of hunting.

waksupi - your post brought back some good memories and if I had anything for fly tying, I'd send it your way but I don't - but I sure wish you luck in getting in to fly tying as it has to be a fun and relaxing hobby.

I don't know if it's feasible or not - but it would be nice if a place or a threads could be established here - in the outdoor section? - and all of you who tie flys could post photos of some of your endeavors - you could even set up a "fly exchange" among the group.

Best of luck to you land enjoy your retirement!

[unclemikeinct]

I concur on the effectiveness of The Hornberg pattern. Tie it or buy it in many sizes, From say size 12 or 14 Wet Fly, Up to size 4 or 6 standard in Streamer size. Here in the east I use about a size 10 or a size 12 3 x long shank hook. Uncle Mike In Ct