A lot of people ask me questions about fly tying “tricks”. One of the more overlooked aspects of fly tying that I always respond with is the element of practice. We never truly learn to tie a particular fly well without repetition and practice. Learning to become a good fly tyer is about the mastery of subtle things, breaking down the elements of the fly, learning how to control proportion and the right amount of materials needed for the fly you are tying. You never learn how to select materials, prepare them or use them well without repetition and practice. Learning how to control thread and manipulate your materials takes a lot of time and practice too. Start by avoiding tying one or two of a fly pattern and moving on to another. Work on patterns you use regularly and tie a season’s worth at a time. If it’s a fly that works for you, chances are you will go through them or a buddy might mooch some of them. You will start to see consistency in your flies if you practice, and keep a razor blade handy to shave materials off of your hook if the fly doesn’t meet your expectations. Practice does make a lot of flies, and does get them closer to perfect ………This week’s pic is my interpretation of Vince Marinaro’s iconic “Thorax Dun”. Till next week ….. www.ramsayflies.com #daiichihooks #unithread #regalvise
