How to Tie Your Own Trout Flies
By: Lynn Burkhead
There are two ways to fill a fly box up with trout candy flies. One is to buy expensive flies at a fly shop. Another is to learn to tie such patterns in a cost effective manner at a fly-tying vise. (Lynn Burkhead photo)
Tying your own flies isn't difficult or expensive to start; with some basic instruction and purchase of moderately-priced equipment, you'll never be fly poor again
When empty voids start to pile up in your fly box, sure you can visit your local fly shop and fork over a wad of hard-earned George Washington's to buy flies.
Or, you can invest in a reasonably-priced fly tying vise, some hooks, a couple of spools of tying thread and a handful of natural and synthetic materials in an effort to learn how to do it yourself.
If spending some time at a vise in an effort to tie up your own version of trout candy sounds appealing, then read on and consider the following advice.
In the mind of my fly fishing buddy, Rob Woodruff, a trout guide and commercial fly tier who holds a Texas A&M degree in entomology, the first and most important thing a would-be fly-tier can do is to lay a proper foundation for success at the vise.
Loosely translated, that means obtain some quality instruction.
"There is no substitute for having 15 minutes with somebody standing over your shoulder who knows what they're doing," said Woodruff.
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