Easiest Patterns and Sizes for a Newbie

[jimbojo]

So, I am really stoked to try my hand at tying. I have asked my wife for a tool set and vice for Christmas so I am looking to put together a material list for the first few patterns I will try.

I live in NM and typicaly fish the streams and revers here in Northern NM. The flies I use most are as follows:

Olive Woolly Buggers
Moscitos
Hares Ear Nmphs
BWO
Adams
Hoppers

Typically I dont use very big flies for the buggers I use size 10's then 16-20's for the smaller ones.

So which of these are easiets to learn and what size recomendations do you have. Are there other flies I should start with just to learn on? Thanks for your suggestions.

James.

 

[tyler185]

I feel like most people when they begin to learn about fly tying, their first fly is a woolly bugger. I think its because there are some many different techniques used in the pattern that it is a good first fly.

To answer your question, I would say start out with some buggers - size 4 to 8. Then move onto the hares ear and then to the dries. Hoppers can be tied in so many ways that some are easier than others. There are some fairly simple foam patterns and then there are some more difficult patterns that use turkey feathers and deer hair.

Tyler

 

[williamhj]

I second what Tyler said. Start with buggers then hare's ear. Ease of tying will generally decrease with hook size so start with a 6 or 8 bugger to get the steps before going to the 10. Another good reason to start with buggers is that the materials are cheap. Some beadheads and/or lead-free wire for weight, flash, and perhaps copper wire, then maraboo, chenille, and strung hackle all in olive (or whatever colors you want) won't cost much and will tie a lot of flies. Hare's ears aren't tough, though 18's and 20's will be harder, and will teach you to use dubbing. If you don't use a hare's mask, get dubbing that is very spikey, like Hare's Ear Plus. Hopper patterns can go from fairly easy and cheap foam ones to harder ones using deer hair and feathers, though they are fun to learn.

BWO's and Adams will be harder to tie both due to size and getting the hackle wrapped. They will also be more expensive since you will need dry fly hackle. When you want to start with those and look to get hackle two good options are whiting's 100 packs which are $20 each and hook size specific, or if you can foot it, one of these starter packs which gets you what you'd need for Adams, though the bronze grade might not get you many size 20's...

If you can find someone to tie with, that's a great way to learn. If not, I've found YouTube videos are invaluable for watching techniques for tying the various flies. enjoy!

 

[auntrout]

So after the Woolly Bugger, the second fly I learned to tie was a Damsal Nymph on a size 10 Mustad 9672. That Damsal Nymph was the first self tied fly that a caught a nice rainbow on. Used olive marabou for the tail and body, and one shade darker olive marabou for the wing. Other than that, 6/0 olive thread.

 

[s fontinalis]

This is a great source of patterns with excellent step by step videos.

Wooly bugger is one of them. There are many others and the list is added to quite regularly. Check them out.

 

[Jimmie]

If it's a material list that you are after it's amazing how many different flies that you can tie with a natural Hare's mask; pheasant tails; peacock tail feathers.
Starting out I would mostly reach for size #14 hooks.

 

[jimbojo]

This is a really great forum, just tons of solid practical advise. I can really buy in to starting with the wooly bugger, it ties on a relativel large hook and I use 'em a lot. I also like the idea of doing the hares ear nymph second. My brothers favorite rig is an olive bugger trailed by a hares ear nymph. I can tie a ton of these and they would get used, before I move on to some of the other more difficult patterns.

James

 

[kayo]

# 12 Montana Nymph

 

[labail]

I know my first fly was the wooly bugger, very simple and different techniques used makes it still a favorite today when i just feel like tying something simple.
I would also second the hare's ear is another good beginner.. Learning the ends and outs of good dubbing was something that took me some getting used to.
Another simple, cheap, and effective fly is the pheasant tail. That fly works everywhere and is not hard to make.. I find it also is similar to other patterns, so a great fly to familiarize yourself with. Whatever you do, practice makes perfect.. The more you tie the more you'll see an improvement.. Don't ever worry about "having too many"

 

[s fontinalis]

# 12 Montana Nymph

+1 for the Montana Nymph....often an over looked pattern, but can be Deadly when fish are pressured by the more common nymph patterns.

My most favorite fly for a long time was a white montana with chartreuse thorax....that thing was the bees knees for me on slow days!

 

[Rip Tide]

Instead of picking the easiest flies to tie, maybe you should concentrate on learning the basic techniques that are needed to tie most any fly.

The pinch wrap, distribution wrap, hackle winding, single thread dubbing, winding herl, and the hand whip finish are where to start.
These most basic techniques can all be practiced on different soft hackle type wet flies

Then maybe add loop dubbing, loop wrap, ribbing, hackle folding, nymph body shaping and wing cases.
Nymphs and bucktails

Then move to the basic dry fly techniques

The patterns you choose isn't nearly as important as learning the skills needed

 

[jimbojo]

Rip, I am kinda on the fence on your point, I mean I do agree and it sure makes sense, learn technique, get a solid foundation for tying whatever pattern. But, I remember back a long time ago when I was learning to play guitar, my first teacher on m first lesson taught me the song "Hotel California", I don't think the song mattered because I was so excited to actually be able to play a song, the next week we worked on basic theory, a twelve bar blues, and the following week the pentatonic scales. Sorry for the crazy comparison, but again what you say makes sense, but I think I would modify thta recomendation by working a one or two simple patterns just for the satisfaction of producing something fishable, maybe even catch on one, and during that process start working on the techniques you mentioned. Kinda the best of both worlds. I don't know if this makes any sense really, but it sounds like a plan to me, but again I am a newbie so what do I know....

James

 

[stimmy7]

What I think Riptide was getting at was consider patterns that ALLOW YOU TO master some basic techniques. But he's right on the money that you do need to learn how to select and size materials, tie them in and finish a fly.

Palmering hackle, winding hackle at the shoulder/front of a fly, knowing the difference between dry and wet hackle, which way to tie in peacock herl so when you wind it, it's "plump" and it won't snap or get torn by a fish's teeth, which materials will float and sink.. (hydrophillic and hydrophobic), etc.

The hardest thing for new tyers to learn seems to be leaving sufficient space to tie off a fly... it's real common to crowd the head and end up with less space than you need to apply a whip finish.

---------- Post added at 01:04 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:00 PM ----------

A good progression might be

Griffith's Gnat
Wooly Bugger
Elk Hair Caddis
King's River Caddis
Bucktail Streamer

Or another might be

Sierra Brite Dot
Wingless Mosquito
Wingless Adams
Wingless Cahill

Then learn how to select and tie in hackle tip wings on any/all of these.

 

[Rip Tide]

The basics that I'm talking about with allow anyone to tie perfectly fishable flies. Even the very first one. I don't see the issue
It's just that practicing proper thread handling techniques, dubbing, and the hand whip finish will give solid base skills faster than tying this pattern and then that one.

I'd start with a fur bodied soft hackle, like a hare's ear. Then try a soft hackle with a peacock body and a winged wet like a dark Cahill, then a dubbed nymph, and then maybe a bucktail like a Micky Finn

 

[jimbojo]

So, if I hear you right your saying, use a strtegic approach to the patterns you learn so you are covering/learning all of the basic techniques, not just picking the patterns you use most (like I did). If that is the gist of what you are saying then I can agree with that. That is basically what I was hoping to get from this post, some good recomendations on starting out. But, I do want to tie flies that I can use in my waters. I am sure that to become a well rounded tyer I will eventually tie some patterns that I may not ordinarily fish, but hey thats all good.

James

 

[Rip Tide]

So, if I hear you right your saying, use a strtegic approach to the patterns you learn so you are covering/learning all of the basic techniques, not just picking the patterns you use most (like I did). If that is the gist of what you are saying then I can agree with that. That is basically what I was hoping to get from this post, some good recomendations on starting out. But, I do want to tie flies that I can use in my waters. I am sure that to become a well rounded tyer I will eventually tie some patterns that I may not ordinarily fish, but hey thats all good.

James

That's exactly what I'm saying
And you can use all those flies I mentioned. They're proven universal patterns with decades of "experience".
If you've never fished soft hackles.... then you should

 

[Liphookedau]

jimbojo.
The patterns you use aren't the easiest for a newcomer however before you start tying check out Davie McPhails tutorials on U-tube where he explains it quite well as you will pick up a bit of info & it will make it a lot easier for you,I enjoy watching him tie Flies even though I have tied Flies for many many years.
Possibly you could start tying some ordinary Hackled Flies then try the winged & harder ones.
Watch how he ties a Royal Coachman,you will find it a good point Fly to use.
Also you are in the right place if you happen to have any troubles as there are heaps here who will gratefully help.
Brian.

 

[jimbojo]

I have and do use hares ear nymphs {soft hackle?), so I certainly like that fly for a starter. It will probably be a while before I can tie some of the smaller nymphs and mides that are most popular on the San Juan, but I am open to try anything. Like I said on of my brothers favorite rigs is a bead headed wooly bugger with a hairs ear trailing it. I am also not opposed to fishing a large dry (indicator) with a dropper, or for that matter just a straight dry or emerger rig.

James

 

[seajay]

As far as a visual aid Davie McPhails you tube video course is by far the best.

 

[williamhj]

I agree that learning the various techniques/skills is what's really important since they will transfer to more and more patterns. I've found that I've learned new techniques best when they are means to tying particular flies - the flies provided the motivation to learn the skills. So a wooly bugger gives good intro things like sizing the marabou for the tail, tying in materials, wrapping a smooth chenille body, wrapping hackle, not crowding the hook eyes, whip finishing etc etc, all with large materials on a very useful fly. Hare's ear is smaller but intros use of dubbing, proportions of tail, abdomen, and thorax. You can get an intro to peacock hurl on an easy to tie foam terrestrial that gives a foundation for royal wulffs and nymph thoraxes, etc. etc.
My learning was very motivated by what I wanted to tie. I learned to wrap a parachute hackle pretty early because I was motivated to tie parachute adams and BWO's. It was hard but I wanted to learn. I think the place to start is with the easiest flies you use because you'll have a lot of motivation and, if you're anything like me, once you start tying you'll just want to learn more and more patterns and techiques.