FLYMPH FORUM

Speed tying. Don't put your scissors down. Preparation.

How do you afford all the fly tying materials needed when you are so dang (thank you, Hank) efficient when tying? What do you do with all the flies? Myself, I'm slow, but I enjoy being slow. I squeeze the most pleasure out of every wrap and every decision. i would probably drive you mad if you were watching me Just choosing the most proper scissors for my mood is a quest in itself. I enjoy the mechanics while tying, as well as the aesthetics. Just tied a fly using "that" argentinian hare's dubbing and shade 3325 Corticelli Buttonhole Twist (thank you Bill; it's beautiful). I mixed a few shades of the dubbing, held it to the light and marveled at the result, just as I always do. I then inserted it into the split thread and spun the bobbin holder and marveled once more before winding it on. Then I wound the "Rusty Dk. Dun" Indian rooster hackle, selected by that grand old lady Margrethe Thomsen all those years ago and I was done. I can't imagine how many TV commercials this whole process saved me.

I'm fortunate I'm not trying to make a living from this.

dd

Good point. I used to think that to be a good tier, one had to be fast, and to do that one must NOT put the scissors down. I decided long ago that I enjoyed tying too much to turn it into a job. I'm slow, I keep putting the scissors down and picking them up, but like you, I enjoy the journey. In my travels, it's always been the journey I enjoyed most, not necessarily the destination. Although Roscoe may be an exception to that.

As far as being able to afford this pastime ( ), both my wife and I thought we were marrying into money, but we were both fooled. So I just make purchases as I can afford them (or think I can). I give most of my flies away to friends and a nephew (the only other fly fisher in the family).

daringduffer, Howdy;

No need to thank me, that word has been in use for many more years
than I've been around ...
I too take my time. Only because I'm still somewhat new to tying. I
stop in between stpes to check my cheatsheet to see what is next.
I also stop in the middle of steps to remember what it was that I was
doing . I do try to put my sissors down in the same place each
time so I'll remember where the blazes I didleave them ...
I can not wait till Alzheimer's hits so I have a valid excuse for forgetting ....
I do enjoy the journey, where was it I was headed ???

hank

I am a slow tyer too. I always put my scissors down. I give away a lot of my flies, and I have quite an inventory of flies. I won't be running out any time too soon. I have used the awful c word to get some of my materials...yes CREDIT. I also have had lots of stuff given to me. Without the stuff given to me, I would not have near the inventory of materials I have now. My hands shake, and I mess up too many flies to count. But as long as I can still tye, I will tye. I would never make a production tyer. If I had never started tying flies, I am sure I'd be much better off financially. What really gets me, is when i think something will stop being sold, I must stock up, as well as I can. That in itself puts a big cramp on my funds. Since I tye a wide variety of flies, I have to have more materials than some tyers do. I always have a running list of flies I've always wanted to tye. That list has never gotten shorter, it has only grown.

dd, Howdy;

How do I afford my materials ???

I moved to a less expensive place to park my RV
and use the difference to purchase materials.....

hank

You come accross a pattern you wish to tie, one ingredient is missing, a material you never used before. You research and ultimately beg, borrow steal or buy it. Eagerly u await its arrival.

Carefully you examine it and tie the pattern with shaking hands, eager to assimilate the qualities of the material, eager to see the results. A half dozen of this new pattern are tied, carefully placed in the fly box, mentally labelled to be used in certain conditions, lined up alongside the other virgins that are ready for action.

The material has struck a chord and a few oddball patterns are tied and within weeks if not days the new material is now not so new. Over time it sneaks its way from the top of the drawer until it joins the ranks of forgotten materials. Ocassioanally , just occassionally one joins the arsenal of that small collection of materials that are constantly used and never disappears into the cocophony of forgotten stuff.

The child within, that kid that eagerly waits the magic of christmas morning and the sparkling shining new toys, never goes away and with the arrival of each new material or tool we rekindle that childlike magic.

I have found that over the past number of years that only natural materials excite me, the glitz and glitter of manmade stuff I find less and less appealing and funnily enough the trout agree too !!!!!

hankaye wrote:daringduffer, Howdy;

No need to thank me, that word has been in use for many more years
than I've been around ...
I too take my time. Only because I'm still somewhat new to tying. I
stop in between stpes to check my cheatsheet to see what is next.
I also stop in the middle of steps to remember what it was that I was
doing . I do try to put my sissors down in the same place each
time so I'll remember where the blazes I didleave them ...
I can not wait till Alzheimer's hits so I have a valid excuse for forgetting ....
I do enjoy the journey, where was it I was headed ???

hank

Alzheimer? Sounds familiar. Thats where you parked your RV? How come I don't find it on google maps?

dd

Stefan,
You have a talent for getting us out of our posting routine with threads that encourage fresh thinking.
No way could you possibly be a slower tier than I. Impossible.
When I returned to fly tying two years ago I tried all kinds of crazy and naive things, tying many flies for practice.
All the time I have been reading the literature, including steeping myself in the words of Leisenring and my father.
Like Otter and others here on the forum, I too have come to prefer and appreciate natural materials.
Just tying a #14 flymph with all the parts in balance with each other is still beyond my reach.
But I don't care as long as I keep getting slightly better each month.

My two biggest obstacles are

• Eyesight. I need those $3,000 glasses like my dentist uses with the little magnifiers on the lenses
  Tiredness. I normally am too busy during the day to tie, so I wait until after dinner when I am exhausted. Not ideal for such exacting work.

Lance

What a great story, I really enjoyed it.

Otter wrote:You come accross a pattern you wish to tie, one ingredient is missing, a material you never used before. You research and ultimately beg, borrow steal or buy it. Eagerly u await its arrival.

Carefully you examine it and tie the pattern with shaking hands, eager to assimilate the qualities of the material, eager to see the results. A half dozen of this new pattern are tied, carefully placed in the fly box, mentally labelled to be used in certain conditions, lined up alongside the other virgins that are ready for action.

The material has struck a chord and a few oddball patterns are tied and within weeks if not days the new material is now not so new. Over time it sneaks its way from the top of the drawer until it joins the ranks of forgotten materials. Ocassioanally , just occassionally one joins the arsenal of that small collection of materials that are constantly used and never disappears into the cocophony of forgotten stuff.

The child within, that kid that eagerly waits the magic of christmas morning and the sparkling shining new toys, never goes away and with the arrival of each new material or tool we rekindle that childlike magic.

I have found that over the past number of years that only natural materials excite me, the glitz and glitter of manmade stuff I find less and less appealing and funnily enough the trout agree too !!!!!

My slow typing makes it impossible for me to interact as much as I want to. Sad fact.

The child within, that kid that eagerly waits the magic of christmas morning and the sparkling shining new toys, never goes away and with the arrival of each new material or tool we rekindle that childlike magic.

So true! But nowadays only in our common field. When I receive a shipment (flytying/fishing related) I don't open it immediately but wait for a few hours, or a couple of days, just to let anticipation grow...