Hooks

A whole study could be dedicated to hooks. When thinking about hooks, you can discuss hook size, thickness of the wire, how it is hardened, length of the shank, the type of curve the bend has, how the eye is constructed, which way the eye is bent, purpose of the hook (wet, dry, nymph, streamer, egg), etc. There are charts that compare the hooks from different manufacturers. The focus of this site, besides the education part, is to present an introduction to fly tying. Therefore the discussion on hooks will be kept simple. Two hooks are listed in the materials list. They will suffice for what you will tie. Your library will have books on flyfishing that also include sections on hooks. An internet search will also bring you results.

Thread

Threads come in several sizes and in many colours. You can purchase some very strong threads that resist breaking. This reduces frustration for the beginner. Ask your local Flyfishing shop for details. Threads commonly come in 3/0 and 8/0 sizes. The 8/0 size is for smaller flies. The 3/0 size is for large flies or where you need to apply a lot of tension and you don’t want the thread to snap as easily. Eventually you may want to match the thread colour to the colour of the fly you are tying. For simplicity sake, black 6/0 thread is recommended to start with.

Vinyl Rib

This synthetic material gives a ‘segmented’ look when wrapped around a hook. It has a sheen to it which relates to the body texture of chronomid larvae.

Chenille

Chenille is a fuzzy material that comes in three basic sizes: fine, medium, and large. This material is very popular for wet flies. It is quick and easy to use and comes in a great number of colours. When purchased it comes on a card. To help organize your materials, clear film containers come in handy. Make a hole in the top. After placing the chenille into the container, feed the end through the hole and snap the lid into place.

Grizzly Hackle

Hackles come in a variety of types, markings, qualities and colours. The hackle industry has developed some wonderful quality products in recent years. The kind of hackle pictured here is very good for ‘palmering’. To see this demonstrated go to section 6 (Wrapping Materials and Tying off). These hackle feathers come from roosters bred for their feathers. Hackle feathers from hens are handy too but for different purposes. The most expensive feathers come from the neck. These are called capes. The less expensive ones come from the sides. These are called saddles.

One of the photos shows a ‘webby’ feather. Here the barbules (individual fibers) are soft and stick together. The other photo shows a hackle feather where the barbules are stiff and readily spread out when the stem is bent. This second type of feather is the desired one.

NB: When you purchase a hackle saddle, take it out of the package and look for the following:

1) Are most of the feathers at least 15 cm long?

2) Do most of the feathers have stiff barbules that spread apart when you bend the stem?

If there are too many webby feathers and/or the feathers are too short, look for another saddle.

Marabou

These feathers come from the rear part of a turkey. They get dyed and come in many different colours. They also come in two basic types. One type has a stiff stem that goes up the middle of the feather. These feathers are not good for beginners. The second type has a short, soft, thin stem. This is the right kind.

NB: When purchasing your marabou, take it out of the package and feel the feathers to make sure there isn’t that hard stem up the middle. Marabou comes loose or with the bases of the feathers sewn together. The sewn together marabou is easier to manage.

Tinsel and Wire

When you examine an aquatic insect, the body seems to be in sections joined together. In other words the body appears segmented. This brings us to the tinsel and wire shown. When wrapped around your fly, they divide up the material on the body and create a segmented look. The tinsel also works as an attractor. The silver glint on the fly draws the fish’s attention. Tinsel and wire also help hold the fly together so it doesn’t come apart with use. Tinsel and wire come in different types, colours and sizes. For a beginner, silver tinsel and copper wire in the medium size will do fine.

Pheasant Feathers

Shown here is a skin off a ringneck pheasant. Beside it are some feathers that have been plucked out of the skin. A pheasant skin is very handy for anyone who continues on with the fly tying hobby. It has a large variety of feathers used in many popular flies. However, for the tying you will do here, a skin is unnecessary. All you need is one small package of pheasant rump feathers.

Pheasant Tail

This is another popular material. The larger tail feathers (from older birds) have larger, coarser barbules which are very useful for wrapping around hooks, making insect legs, wing cases and tails. The shorter softer tail feathers have barbules that tend to stick to each other. These are fine for wing cases or tails. Often the larger feathers have a section of softer barbules too. The pheasant tails you purchase are usually the long variety from older birds.

Plastic from a freezer bag

This clear plastic cut in strips about 3 - 4 mm wide is used for the backs of flies imitating shrimp or water boatmen. It gives that sheen that the shells of shrimp and water boatmen have. Make sure the plastic is of the stronger variety. The thinner material stretches too easily and will get ruined when you catch a fish.

Eyes

Tying flies with eyes is fun. The inexpensive approach is to go to a hobby shop and buy the smallest diameter bead necklace material. Then snip off the beads in pairs. The larger beads shown in the picture have been created this way. The smaller eyes shown in the picture are ones purchased at a fly fishing shop. The most popular colour is black. Silver is also used. Metal bead chains, like what nail clipper hangs from, are also used. Again you can snip off the beads in pairs (using wire cutters). Using eyes made from bead chains adds a little weight to the fly too.

Peacock Herl

Here you have two choices. Purchase a peacock tail feather or purchase a package of herl already plucked. The latter is shown in the picture. When using the tail, you are able to better select what you want for a particular fly. This material is cheap and is very effective. Fish seem to be very attracted to it.

Head Cement

This is used to glue down the thread after it is tied off. You can buy the type that needs thinner to dissolve it. You can also get a water based variety which doesn’t smell but takes longer to dry. If you sneak some water based Varathane (Diamond Finish), this will also work very well.