Tying One On - my first time

[TroutBumDave]

I think those flies are smooth. I've been tying for half a dozen years and I still have some of my very first ties -- man, they're ugly. I vividly remember the first fish I caught on one of my own flies -- it was a HUGE victory, and had fueled me ever since. There is really no way to explain how awesome it feels to catch a fish on a pattern you tied yourself.

FWIW, I like having longer tails on my bugger type flies. I do use a lot of rabbit strip in place of marabou, but don't neglect the marabou -- easily the greatest asset to a fly tyer. Also, I'd recommend saving all of your scraps of chenille and feathers. I started saving it all a couple of years ago (you know, just the stuff that could actually be used) and have saved myself a lot of money. That half inch that you clip off of a marabou tail will come in handy if you are tying damsle fly nymphs or carp patters, and small bits of chenille are always helpful!
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