What Materials Should I Buy

[Yooper Fly Tyer]

I have stuff to tie nymphs but am wondering what materials to buy if i want to tie dry flies or streamers for brookies

 

[spm]

Lars,
Decide which flies you want to tie, then look at the recipe and only buy what is required for that fly. Otherwise, you could end up spending money to buy materials you don't really need.

steve

 

[mcnerney]

Lars

Checkout Charlie Craven's Fly Box, he has over 200 patterns listed with step by step instructions and lists out all the required materials.
Charlie's FlyBox - Colorado's Best FlyShop and online Fly Tying Tutorials

 

[bigjim5589]

I agree with steve (spm), collecting materials can become an addiction, so for now only buy what you need for specific patterns, or styles if you wish to vary colors. For example, a Woolly Bugger is a great style that can be tied in any colors or combinations you like.

You can spend a small fortune on materials & hooks otherwise, and still not have what you need for specific patterns. Buy what you need and there is always extra so the collection grows.

I've been collecting & tying for about 52 years, and have more materials and hooks than some fly shops I've been in, and still am always adding as I never seem to have everything for specific flies.

It's an addiction that is best dealt with slowly over time.

 

[silver creek]

I am going to suggest a different way to decide what materials to buy.

I suggest that you ask some fly fishers in your area what works on brook trout. Not only ask the name of the fly but also the SIZE of the fly they most often use. Then buy and fish the flies to see what works for you. Buy the materials for the flies that work.

Having said that, a favorite in my area of Wisconsin is the Pass Lake which originated in my state. Here is the original and some variations of the Pass Lake. It can be tied and fished as dry fly, a wet fly or as a streamer. You need to decide which version to tie,

The fly in the top image below is a common variation of the pattern. Below it is a wet fly version

Pass Lake Fly Pattern | Wet Fly original recipe

http://namebini.com/The Pass Lake.pdf

Pass Lake Streamer - Fox Valley Trout Unlimited

 

[Yooper Fly Tyer]

Thank you guys for the advice i really appreciate it

 

[cpiercem]

You've been given some great advice already, but there is one trick you can put to use to increase the number of flies you can tie without increasing a lot of material. Good waterproof markers.

With markers you can change the color of a strand of grizzly hackle rather than buying a whole bunch of feathers in a different color. That way you can try a new fly color out with the materials you already have. Later you can always buy or dye some feathers in the colors that work for you.

They can be used on lots of other materials too from fur to synthetic. You can add bars to rubber legs, add a hot spot to a fly, add bars or streaks to a streamer.

I usually have a few markers on the stream with me to change a fly to match the hatch when I have nothing close.

 

[jbcissell]

You've been given some great advice already, but there is one trick you can put to use to increase the number of flies you can tie without increasing a lot of material. Good waterproof markers.

With markers you can change the color of a strand of grizzly hackle rather than buying a whole bunch of feathers in a different color. That way you can try a new fly color out with the materials you already have. Later you can always buy or dye some feathers in the colors that work for you.

They can be used on lots of other materials too from fur to synthetic. You can add bars to rubber legs, add a hot spot to a fly, add bars or streaks to a streamer.

I usually have a few markers on the stream with me to change a fly to match the hatch when I have nothing close.

Any specific markers you recommend?

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

 

[cpiercem]

I like PrismaColor, but there are a lot of good new ones out there. I haven't tried them, so I can only speak from my experience. There are probably a bunch that work or are better. Maybe Google "markers fly tying".
Sharpies work, but it seems that they lose some color when fishing, but that could be that I don't allow enough time for them to dry and set before I cast the fly.

 

[dillon]

Some of my standard dry fly materials include, superfine dubbing in an assortment of colors to match the various colors of the insect patterns I am tying. I also have an assortment of deer and elk hair. As you know, these hairs are hollow and provide excellent flotation. CDC is anther great dry fly material. For tails, I like Antron and microfibbets.
Good quality dry fly hackle can be expensive, so I wouldn't suggest investing in it right away as there are many effective patterns that don't require it. Here's a great one: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6FnBABL1Ffw

 

[bumble54]

I assume you don't normally tie dries?, if so and you want to practice, remember that a good quality hen hackle will float a fly just as well as a cock hackle, once treated. Anything other than foam will have a hard time floating a hook without treatment, the hook will even pull deer hair underwater once it's been wet.
It helps to treat the materials, with whatever waterproofing agent you choose, before you tie the fly, I use Gink.

 

[rodneyshishido]

Do any of you remember the Swisher-Richards no hackle flies? I never got into "match the hatch" never fished or tied their flies. Have any of you had any experience with the no-hackle patterns?

 

[scotty macfly]

I would start with something simple to tie, as in something that doesn't take a lot of material, like a Griffiths Gnat. A very simple fly consisting of a hook, tinsel, peacock herl, and grizzly hackle. Get hackle from the rooster, not the hen.

Another fly to follow the G. Gnat would be the Renegade. It's very similar to the G. Gnat. Just white and brown hackle at either end, but the body is still peacock herl. Brookies love them too.

Brookies are aggressive fish, and they, from what I have experienced, will pretty much take anything you offer them.

So start off simple, and go from there.

 

[clsmith131]

Whiting farms 100 saddle hackle packs go for around $20. Great dry fly hackle in small packs that are sorted by hook size to take the guess work out of feather selection. They claim you get 100 flies out of each pack. The smaller the dry, the harder the tie, so you may want to look at 14-16. Check your local hatch charts before you buy the hackle. They will usually tell you what size flies will work.

For a streamer suggestion, you can't go wrong with wooly buggers. Olive or black are traditionally great colors, and you can find tons of recipes on line.

For bass streamers, the Clouser is by far my favorite pattern. All you need for it is bucktail, hooks (I like #4 gamakatsu stingers), krystal flash, medium painted lead barbell eye, and 6/0 or 140 denier thread.

If you haven't already found it, check out the thread: https://www.theflyfishingforum.com/...u-been-tying-today.html?highlight=tying+today

 

[bigjim5589]

For bass streamers, the Clouser is by far my favorite pattern. All you need for it is bucktail, hooks (I like #4 gamakatsu stingers), krystal flash, medium painted lead barbell eye, and 6/0 or 140 denier thread.

Clouser Minnows are excellent flies! There is a video done by Bob Clouser, YouTube and Bob has very specific reasons for how he ties the fly. Watch the video and pay attention to what he says.

Also, lead barbell eyes are used often, but you may also consider the brass eyes. I still use lead, but use more brass, because for one thing, the lead tends to break if the fly strikes anything hard. I've had them break in the vise too. I have no issue with using lead otherwise, as I also pour jigs, and it will sink a fly faster than the brass, but the brass is a very good option for a lot of fishing situations.

 

[dennyk]

You've been given some great advice already, but there is one trick you can put to use to increase the number of flies you can tie without increasing a lot of material. Good waterproof markers.

With markers you can change the color of a strand of grizzly hackle rather than buying a whole bunch of feathers in a different color. That way you can try a new fly color out with the materials you already have. Later you can always buy or dye some feathers in the colors that work for you.

They can be used on lots of other materials too from fur to synthetic. You can add bars to rubber legs, add a hot spot to a fly, add bars or streaks to a streamer.

I usually have a few markers on the stream with me to change a fly to match the hatch when I have nothing close.

I do this very same thing and just to add to what Cindy has suggested is also getting some Sharpie NEON markers. These are UV and when hit with a UV light they glow. I usually tie with white thread and it's nice to have several options to change thread and material colors without buying a bunch of everything.

Denny

 

[Rip Tide]

When I was 13, I didn't have a lot of spending money and the closest fly shop was a full days bike ride away, so I'd tie my flies from what ever I could find.
Yarn, copper wire, feathers on the ground, roadkill...Skinned a lot of road kill
Squirrels, fox, woodchuck, songbirds, muskrat. Even a skunk once. (That didn't turn out very well actually. )
But if you're resourceful you can tie flies from plenty of things you can find around that won't cost you a nickle.
I'm very sure that I could go back to tying that way and be quite successful

 

[Rip Tide]

Do any of you remember the Swisher-Richards no hackle flies? I never got into "match the hatch" never fished or tied their flies. Have any of you had any experience with the no-hackle patterns?

I found those to be more difficult to tie than they were worth. At least for me.
For a no-hackle, Comparadun style is much easier and at least as effective.

 

[silver creek]

Do any of you remember the Swisher-Richards no hackle flies? I never got into "match the hatch" never fished or tied their flies. Have any of you had any experience with the no-hackle patterns?

I agree completely with Rip. They are extremely difficult to tie correctly. The problem is that unless the wings are exactly identical in size, shape, and slant on the fly; the fly will spin and twist the tippet.

Having said that, there are times when a no-hackle will catch fish when a comparadun/sparkle dun or parachute will not. So I save the no hackles for those times. I do not waste them on "ordinary" selective trout.

It is obvious that any asymmetry of the wings would cause the fly below to spin. The wings look exactly and perform exactly as sails and sails are designed to catch the wind.

 

[Yooper Fly Tyer]

Thanks for the suggestions and as for road kills in the fall when we butchered our ducks i got a lot of CDC and biots flank feathers and from rabbits that we killed hunting i made some dubbing ect.