Fly tying

[ShortsideK]

Originally Posted by Mr Flyguy

Hey, keep on tying and having fun learning. I've only been tying for about 45 years and still learn something new every session at the vise!

PS I don't think that hot water will affect Sally Hansen once it has dried 'cause spills on my pants or shirts don't disappear in washing and my dubbed balanced leeches are still intact after immersion in near boiling water (to smooth out the dubbed body).

You're too nice.

[huntsfurfish]

Thanks for the answers to my question everyone.

[Fly fishing Alberta]

As a secondary question::
Should I buy a non rotary vise or a rotary vise.
Like I know the difference, but the price difference is quite a lot. And some patterns require you to flip the fly over. Also what vise or vise brand do you recommend. I'm looking to spend less then 100$
Thanks again


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Kingfisher]

Originally Posted by ReconWilly

Makes sense, i thought about giving it a try and then i decided to find the real deal, that stuff must not be heavily used or requested as i had a few women look at me sideways for asking about nail polish thinner...it seems that most of them never even heard of the concept, i tried a few stores that sell polish and none had any thinners for sale...so i asked my sister who works in a salon and she directed me to Sally beauty which i had no idea even existed until now.

The stuff is called Nail Polish Remover. Not nail polish thinner. I just steal some from my wife. She said she usually gets it at Coop or Wallmart. But she says you can get it anywhere nail polish is sold.





I have been tying for a long time and as others have said a good whip finish will usually hold good enough. But I like to put a little dab of something to help the fly from coming apart. I usually use brush on crazy glue. It is a Loctite brand. I buy it a Michael's craft store for about $7 a bottle. It does dry up over time. So you can leave the bottle upside down in the container it comes in or it will harden up fairly quickly. Others leave it in the freezer once it is open and I have heard good results from them. It seems to extend the life of it for a long time. I tie enough flies each winter that I go through 3 or 4 bottles. So I don't usually worry about it going hard on me.

Good luck, and happy tying.

[Fish-Taco]

Originally Posted by Fly fishing Alberta

As a secondary question::
Should I buy a non rotary vise or a rotary vise.
Like I know the difference, but the price difference is quite a lot. And some patterns require you to flip the fly over. Also what vise or vise brand do you recommend. I'm looking to spend less then 100$
Thanks again


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

If you are anywhere near a town with a bass pro shop they have several rotary style vises for quite cheap ($14.99 and up). You can order them online as well and they will ship to the closest store for free or you can get it shipped to you house.

[jgib01]

Lots of great ad-vise here ( see what I did there?). I started tying a couple of years ago via the route of an inexpensive kit from Cabelas. It included the vise and everything I needed to get me going. As I've decided that this is something I actually want to get more serious about, I've started upgrading... got a better bobbin almost immediately, then scissors & hackle pliers, and just before Christmas picked up a good rotary vise on sale. Certainly don't regret getting the starter kit, as it served a purpose while I dabbled in tying. Had I decided tying wasn't for me, I would have had much less $$ sunk into tools. Pretty sure I'm in it for the long haul now, so don't mind slowly upgrading the items on the bench.

[ReconWilly]

Originally Posted by Kingfisher

The stuff is called Nail Polish Remover. Not nail polish thinner. I just steal some from my wife. She said she usually gets it at Coop or Wallmart. But she says you can get it anywhere nail polish is sold.





I have been tying for a long time and as others have said a good whip finish will usually hold good enough. But I like to put a little dab of something to help the fly from coming apart. I usually use brush on crazy glue. It is a Loctite brand. I buy it a Michael's craft store for about $7 a bottle. It does dry up over time. So you can leave the bottle upside down in the container it comes in or it will harden up fairly quickly. Others leave it in the freezer once it is open and I have heard good results from them. It seems to extend the life of it for a long time. I tie enough flies each winter that I go through 3 or 4 bottles. So I don't usually worry about it going hard on me.

Good luck, and happy tying.

Yes i agree with the whip finish being good enough for the parachute adams that i tied..i used head cement on a few but not sure it's needed, i am in worm and chrionomid mode right now so i am using a lot of Sally Hansens,2 coats on 150+ flies takes a lot that's why i went out and found a proper thinner.

I understand that acetone can be used but it's not recommended by the maker so i went out and found the thinner that they make, i will continue buying the thinner from now on simply because i spent a few hours tracking it down one night a couple of weeks ago...now that i know where to get it there's no point in compromising.

Thinking about investing in a uv kit now because this polish gives me a freaking headache...got to tie with the door open in minus twenty...hahaha 1st world problems...


Sally beauty retail outlets, $5/4 ounce bottle.

Ingredients butyl acetate, ethyl acetate and heptane.

[wildbill]

In my personal opinion, for one, if you get serious about fly tying all those cheap tools and vise will not get used in the future as well they are designed for the flies they want you to tie. Look for a good used vice an old thompson is a good one. Buy some good scissors, whipfinisher, hackle pliers, ect. Start out simple I started with wooly buggers, would be surprised with some of the successful wooly bugger patterns one can dream up, that work extraordinarily well! Take it slow, ease into her, you go in the wrong direction it is very easy to get discouraged with fly tying techniques that are over your head! As far as books the fly tyers bench side reference is a must the rest are pretty much patterns, with a few that touch on certain techniques that aren't quite mainstream. As was mentioned above YouTube is very helpful in the demonstration of techniques. Fly tying is a very vast and diverse hobby enjoy it let your creative juices flow, the sky is the limit! If you seen some of my creations you'd think I was on crack, I've got the mad scientist approach avoiding the mainstream totally but, that is the direction I chose. Most of my ties are experiments, evolutions and prototypes in search of the "Holy Grail" of fly patterns. Some my creations extremely successful, like my latest pike fly. Occasionally I will tie a few of the same but rarely they are all usually variations but I ain't gonna find the "Holy Grail" tying a hundred hoppers. Anyway I hope what I said before my rant helps! oh and one las thing don't limit yourself to North American fly tying techniques, the guys/gals across the pond have some really good patterns ie. the klinkhammer.

[Mr Flyguy]

[QUOTE=wildbill;3456347] in search of the "Holy Grail" of fly patterns.

So what we really "need" is a "Unified Fly Theory", i.e., an equation in which we can put in all of the variables (season, time of day, sunlight or cloud, wind speed, water temperature, hatches, etc., etc) and come up with the perfect fly and presentation for the outing. Ain't gonna work!

Nope, more fun as we are all now doing, just messing around and experimenting at the tying bench and then more messing around and experimenting on the water.

[ShortsideK]

I agree with Mr. Flyguy.
I get a lot of fun tying dozens of different patterns of different sizes and variations and then never using them.

[wildbill]

[QUOTE=Mr Flyguy;3456576]

Originally Posted by wildbill

in search of the "Holy Grail" of fly patterns.

So what we really "need" is a "Unified Fly Theory", i.e., an equation in which we can put in all of the variables (season, time of day, sunlight or cloud, wind speed, water temperature, hatches, etc., etc) and come up with the perfect fly and presentation for the outing. Ain't gonna work!

Nope, more fun as we are all now doing, just messing around and experimenting at the tying bench and then more messing around and experimenting on the water.

Works for me!! If you don't like it I really don't care! Like I said that's what I do, I didn't realize this was Nazi Germany! Am I breaking a law? Obviously what I'm doing works because I regularly have people wanting to buy my flies, they see first hand! I like having my own patterns, that's me! If you like copying other people patterns that's your thing but I'm sure not going judge you with some holier than thou attitude because you copy other people patterns! There no rules in fly tying that's the beauty of it!

[professori]

[QUOTE=wildbill;3456733]

Originally Posted by Mr Flyguy

Works for me!! If you don't like it I really don't care! Like I said that's what I do, I didn't realize this was Nazi Germany! Am I breaking a law? Obviously what I'm doing works because I regularly have people wanting to buy my flies, they see first hand! I like having my own patterns, that's me! If you like copying other people patterns that's your thing but I'm sure not going judge you with some holier than thou attitude because you copy other people patterns! There no rules in fly tying that's the beauty of it!

Wow, a guy reads your post and basically responds that there is no Holy Grail and you go off the rails spouting crap about Nazi Germany. Spend more time reading, less drinking and you'll do a lot better. Congrats that you have people wanting to buy your flies. People bought Ladas too.

[ReconWilly]

Well that went sideways...there is no wrong way...

[thumper]

Absolutely amazing - how quickly a friendly thread helping out a newbie can go down-hill.

[ShortsideK]

I'm interested in how this plays out.
I'd comment, but I'm on forum parole.

[Mr Flyguy]

Well I'm not saying anymore, except:

to Fly fishing Alberta: Enjoy the sport/hobby/way of life, but be careful, it's addictive. Don't buy anyone's flies or sell any, but instead, hand out one or two to anyone who may not be having a good day on the water or need some advice, or gratefully accept an offer if you're having an off day.

And don't be afraid to ask what someone is using.

[thumper]

Originally Posted by Mr Flyguy

Well I'm not saying anymore, except:

to Fly fishing Alberta: Enjoy the sport/hobby/way of life, but be careful, it's addictive. Don't buy anyone's flies or sell any, but instead, hand out one or two to anyone who may not be having a good day on the water or need some advice, or gratefully accept an offer if you're having an off day.

And don't be afraid to ask what someone is using. :group hug:

Durn good advice.
'Share the fly' !!!!