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PostPosted: Wed Oct 10, 2018 11:11 am • # 1 
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Joined: 04/02/17
Posts: 221
Location: Colorado
I remember getting my first fly tying kit, and even though it wasn't anything fancy, it was enough to get me started. I knew nothing about tying flies, and needless to say, I was a little intimidated. I have seen flies in the shops that were tied so beautifully, and flies so small I dare not to even try, unless attempted under a microscope.

I remember my first fly, but because I had nothing to turn to as in books, or video's, and until four years ago, I never owned a computer either, I had nothing but my imagination. Yes, I was, and basically still am behind the times, and I like it that way.

Looking at my flies today, and realizing that I have gotten better at tying, my memory kicked in and I remember the very first fly I tied. I used a #14 hook and I made, developed, conjured, haphazardly tied some form of a something that somewhat resembled a bug. It was an odd ball fly I tied from my imagination. And let me be clear on this, I have no imagination when it comes to art, decor, or apparently tying flies. My first fly was some Frankenstein-ish thing that was brown and had somewhat what resembled wings. Just an ugly tangled mess of thread and feathers. But in some way, I was proud of it.

I put it in my box with my store bought flies, anxiously waiting for the next day to arrive with the rising of the sun. And it came soon enough. I drove to the St. Vrain and tied my brand spanking new shiny ( not so shiny ) fly onto my tippet and began casting. It looked so good flying through the air as if it was a bug that naturally flew. Then came the moment of truth. I aimed it at a long seam coming from around a boulder, not knowing what would happen, but hoping for something. "Just give me a rise of a fish" is what I remember thinking, "and then I'll know I did ok."

My prayer was answered. As my fly floated naturally down the seam, I watched with a pounding heart waiting for any sign of a fish. Half way to me there came that little splash out of nowhere. No reason for a splash to happen like that, except if it's a fish. I took a quick breath and lifted my rod tip hoping to feel and see the tip of my rod bend. And to my surprise, it did.

I remember the fish as well as I remember the fly. It was a brown trout, nothing big, but a modest 10 inch trout with my fly stuck to it's face. I was so excited. The fish on the other hand I'm sure was not. But I made up for it thanking the fish for participating and kissing it's boo-boo where the hook was and released it for another day.

There wasn't a pattern for the fly I made, or with as many flies that are out there in the world today, who knows, maybe there is such a pattern for what I tied. But to me it was, and chances are, still an original. I never did name it, and for some reason never tied any more of them. Guess I figured I was ready to get to the next fly, and the next, and so on.

For those of you who tie your flies, what was your first fly? Was it a proper pattern true and tried, or was it some nightmarish monster just thrown together from feathers and fur?


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PostPosted: Mon Oct 15, 2018 7:17 am • # 2 
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Joined: 06/13/16
Posts: 936
Location: Southwest Florida
My first kit was a Skykomish. I believe the first pattern on the included instructional video was a wooly bugger. Either that or a hair's ear nymph. I don't remember!


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PostPosted: Tue Oct 16, 2018 10:26 am • # 3 
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Joined: 06/28/18
Posts: 121
Location: Cornelius, NC
Sponge spider, the simplist pattern ever.


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PostPosted: Tue Oct 16, 2018 5:58 pm • # 4 
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Joined: 10/11/15
Posts: 410
size 1 stainless steel hook.....silver bead chain eyes (tyed on incorrectly upside down) a synthetic streamer mix called vampire.....tied up all goofy and out of proportion as i think back..... all 20 of them...tossed em in the snaggiest looking spots on a cheap BP brand outfit and I slayed the bass.....biggest was around 24". And now I try to tie up the perfect fly that is in proportion and swims correctly ....but it catches fewer fish because I'm not willing to lose it to those same snags...thanks for the reminder to fish where the fish are. Lesson re-learned.


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PostPosted: Tue Oct 16, 2018 8:25 pm • # 5 
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Joined: 12/29/12
Posts: 1835
Location: Rusagonis, New Brunswick, Canada
Joe: its true, eh? One of the great benefits of tying one's own flies is not caring too much about losing them. That way, should an errant gust of wind or (Heaven forbid) a lack of casting talent result in a hardwood hook-up, you can just break it off and tie on another one.

(first fly I ever tied was a Cosseboom on a #6 salmon hppk. why? because that was the first fly taught at the course I took. Never has seen water other than my own tears when I reflect on how lumpy, poorly tied, disproportionate and downright fugly it is. )
brent


Last edited by wheezeburnt on Wed Oct 17, 2018 6:49 am, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Tue Oct 16, 2018 10:17 pm • # 6 
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Joined: 10/11/15
Posts: 410
wheezeburnt wrote:
Joe: its true, eh? One of the great benefits of tying one's own flies is not caring too much about losing them. That way, should an errant gust of wind or (Heaven forbid) a lack of casting talent result in a hardwood hook-up, you can just break it off and tie on another one.

(first fly I ever tied was a Cosseboom on a #6 salmon fly. why? because that was the first fly taught at the course I took. Never has seen water other than my own tears when I reflect on how lumpy, poorly tied, disproportionate and downright fugly it is. )
brent

Exactly!! :lol :lol


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