02-20-2009, 01:15 PM
Back in the dim days of the 1960s, thousands of us learned to tie flies using Helen Shaw's great book Fly
Tying.
It's long out of date. But one of it's many firsts: Helen didn't teach us to tie flies. She taught us to tie fly parts.
That is, learn first how to tie bodies. Tinsel bodies. And dubbing bodies. And wool bodies. Etc. Learn how to tie wings. Dry fly wings, and wet fly wings, and streamer wings. Learn how to attach tails. And form heads.
I would recommend the same approach. If you know how to tie the various components, and have at least a passing familiarity with materials, then you can tie any pattern. It's just a matter of assembling the parts in a logical sequence.
Brook
[signature]
Tying.
It's long out of date. But one of it's many firsts: Helen didn't teach us to tie flies. She taught us to tie fly parts.
That is, learn first how to tie bodies. Tinsel bodies. And dubbing bodies. And wool bodies. Etc. Learn how to tie wings. Dry fly wings, and wet fly wings, and streamer wings. Learn how to attach tails. And form heads.
I would recommend the same approach. If you know how to tie the various components, and have at least a passing familiarity with materials, then you can tie any pattern. It's just a matter of assembling the parts in a logical sequence.
Brook
[signature]