your honest opinion

[mamatried]

Well, to be completely honest with you; it’s looks fantastic.
Good job!

I’ve tied flies for 25 yrs+ and I’d be happy with that result.

[Fishnkilts]

Well, to be completely honest with you; it’s looks fantastic.
Good job!

I’ve tied flies for 25 yrs+ and I’d be happy with that result.

Thank you. I have only been tying for a few short years, and I still have issues with my proportions at times. Is there anything you all can tell me on how to be more consistent? Sometimes my first fly is perfect, then it goes south from there with another good one somewhere in the mix. Other times I start out ok, then tie one that is above the others, and then downhill again.
One of the best pieces of advice I ever got was to go as slow as I need to go and never mind about turning out high quantities right now.

[Ron Eagle Elk]

I've found that the more I tie correctly, the better I get. When I'm tying for a swap, I'll tie a half dozen or more, just to get to acceptable flies. Those go in my fly box, the acceptable ones go to the swap.

Hard lesson for anyone to learn, practice does not make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect.

[hankaye]

Fishnkilts, Howdy;

You and I share a boat.

I learned from the folks on here. One of the first things I was
told to do is count the wraps, another was set it all out before hand.
Meaning the various components. Just using those 2 I was amazed at the
'progress' I made. Being a more of the hap-hazard type of
person it took awhile...

hank

[Fishnkilts]

Fishnkilts, Howdy;

You and I share a boat.

I learned from the folks on here. One of the first things I was
told to do is count the wraps, another was set it all out before hand.
Meaning the various components. Just using those 2 I was amazed at the
'progress' I made. Being a more of the hap-hazard type of
person it took awhile...

hank

I've found that the more I tie correctly, the better I get. When I'm tying for a swap, I'll tie a half dozen or more, just to get to acceptable flies. Those go in my fly box, the acceptable ones go to the swap.

Hard lesson for anyone to learn, practice does not make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect.

Thanks guys, very much appreciated and will be used.

Hank, you brought up something and I have been toying with the idea of bagging hackle. One of the problems I have, and it drives me crazy at times, is, I'll look for the proper size hackle for a fly just to find out it's one size too big or too small. It's amazing how sometimes hackle will all look the same size on a specific area of a cape or saddle just to find out it's not the size you were looking for. So I pluck away and keep the ones I have plucked that are wrong in a zip lock baggie. So . . . I thought about plucking away at my capes and saddles and putting each size of the sizes I use in it's own baggie and mark the size on it. I figure it will save me so much time instead of spending time searching for the right hackle size. And I can keep this up until I get good enough at looking at a cape and knowing what size is what.

[hankaye]

Fishnkilts, Howdy;

Fishnkilts, Howdy;

You and I share a boat.

I learned from the folks on here. One of the first things I was
told to do is count the wraps, another was set it all out before hand.
Meaning the various components. Just using those 2 I was amazed at the
'progress' I made. Being a more of the hap-hazard type of
person it took awhile...

hank

I've found that the more I tie correctly, the better I get. When I'm tying for a swap, I'll tie a half dozen or more, just to get to acceptable flies. Those go in my fly box, the acceptable ones go to the swap.

Hard lesson for anyone to learn, practice does not make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect.

Thanks guys, very much appreciated and will be used.

Hank, you brought up something and I have been toying with the idea of bagging hackle. One of the problems I have, and it drives me crazy at times, is, I'll look for the proper size hackle for a fly just to find out it's one size too big or too small. It's amazing how sometimes hackle will all look the same size on a specific area of a cape or saddle just to find out it's not the size you were looking for. So I pluck away and keep the ones I have plucked that are wrong in a zip lock baggie. So . . . I thought about plucking away at my capes and saddles and putting each size of the sizes I use in it's own baggie and mark the size on it. I figure it will save me so much time instead of spending time searching for the right hackle size. And I can keep this up until I get good enough at looking at a cape and knowing what size is what.

All depends on how far down the OCD hole you care to tread.

hank

[letumgo]

Personnally I think you are better off keeping the feathers on the necks/capes until you are ready to use them. I believe the feathers will be in better condition for tying. However, you may want to make up a small travel kit with a selection of feathers. I have a small kit that I stocked with various color soft hackle feathers. This gives me enough feathers to use during a fishing trip, without feeling the need to drag along a bunch of different skins. I look back on my first trip to the Catskills and laugh. My car was filled with bins of feathers, "just in case"...

I've streamlined my travel kit significantly.

[Fishnkilts]

Personnally I think you are better off keeping the feathers on the necks/capes until you are ready to use them. I believe the feathers will be in better condition for tying. However, you may want to make up a small travel kit with a selection of feathers. I have a small kit that I stocked with various color soft hackle feathers. This gives me enough feathers to use during a fishing trip, without feeling the need to drag along a bunch of different skins. I look back on my first trip to the Catskills and laugh. My car was filled with bins of feathers, "just in case"...

I've streamlined my travel kit significantly.

Thank you. I did think of the condition of the feathers in a baggie the next day. Plus I didn't think about traveling with all the stuff either. That would be a ton of stuff.

[hankaye]

Ray, Howdy;

, I'm shocked you didn't include a link to the thread with your Travel Pack.
chuckle,

hank