| Fly tying refers to the craft of making artificial | | | | materials that can be used to tie flies, and they |
| flies that are used by fishermen and angler in | | | | are available in a myriad of different colors. A |
| order to catch fish during the sport of fly fishing. | | | | weight is also required and is usually made of |
| The process involves binding different materials to | | | | glass, beads or bras. If you do not wish to tie |
| a hook using thread, and is usually based on | | | | your own flies (which most people do not but it |
| observing fish and what they prey on, and then | | | | can be a fun hobby for the sport fisherman), you |
| developing a fly that resembles the prey in order | | | | can find flies that are tied by hand on the market |
| to lure the fish. There are specific patterns for | | | | that range from a few dollars each and on up. |
| tying flies for different species of fish that are | | | | Many people find fly tying to be both a rewarding |
| being sought by the fisherman, such as trout ties. | | | | and challenging hobby, while others may tie their |
| There are also flies that are made that resemble | | | | own flies in order to save money or to get their |
| no prey in particular; these flies are known as | | | | hands on the perfect lure to catch the big one. |
| attractor flies because they are beloved by fish | | | | Fishermen have been tying flies for centuries or |
| at attracting a strike. Fly tying can produce flies | | | | longer, and in days gone by they were not privy |
| that are particular for species such as bass, pike, | | | | to the different hooks and equipment that are |
| salmon, saltwater fish, and tropical varieties, and | | | | now available for the avid fly tier, such as a hook |
| are usually characterized by their makeup to | | | | vise that holds the materials while the fly is being |
| include imitative, searching, attractors (as | | | | made. The essential tools of the modern |
| mentioned above), or impressionistic. | | | | fisherman who wishes to try his hand at fly tying |
| The Process | | | | include the hook vise, magnifying glass, bobbins, |
| To tie flies, rudimentary equipment is needed, | | | | pliers, hair stackers, hackle gauges, lights, and |
| including material for the pattern that you have | | | | scissors. Some folks also like to have toothpicks, |
| chosen to tie and a pattern that you can follow | | | | floss bobbins, dubbing twisters, blenders, bobbin |
| to make the fly. Materials that may be used | | | | threaders and wing burners on hand as well; it all |
| include feathers, furs of different types, yarns, | | | | depends on the complexity of the fly that is being |
| hair, cork, balsa, tinsels, threads, and hooks, | | | | tied. |
| although there are newer generation synthetic | | | | |