New here, I would appreciate some help

[Oenophileangler]

Bob, you're (still) a great guy!

Dale

[letumgo]

Dale - Welcome aboard this forum. I am glad you’ve jumped right in, and shared with us your beautiful flies. Nice job. You are a natural.

There is a tutorial section, towards the bottom of the forum. Many detailed tying instructions, with step by step details which may be useful.

Welcome.

[Oenophileangler]

Thanks, Ray. Great site here. I’ll post more later!

Dale

[hankaye]

Oenophileangler, Howdy;

Well, ya got the hard bit out of the way. chuckle.

I started 11 years ago and these are the folks that got me taught.
When you go to Hans' site subscribe to it that way you can just scroll down you subs list to find it.
Another is Davie McPhail;
https://www.youtube.com/c/DavieMcPhail
There are large amounts of them on the YT...
Ray's suggestion about the tutorial section will be a huge help.
Not to worry about getting a hackle to long the trout will gladly chew it down to the length they prefer.

Whatever else, have fun with the learning. Should it stop being fun, go do something else until the feeling goes away.

hank

[Theroe]

Oenophile
Welcome to the forum!
Fear not, your are flies are quite well done and believe me, they will catch fish.

This is the best resource on the inter-web.

Good luck,

Dana

[Roadkill]

Oenophile.

I think the only help you will need is cleaning all the fish you can catch with your flies!!

[Premerger]

Well done with your ties.
How did you tie the hackle in?
Partridge and grouse can be tied in tip first for spiders. There's a good explanation of that technique in Robert Smith's North Country Flies.

[Oenophileangler]

Premerger, I haphazardly tied hackle down throughout the turns. I have to just tie down the stem on the end.

Dale

[DUBBN]

Premerger, I haphazardly tied hackle down throughout the turns. I have to just tie down the stem on the end.

Dale

Winding the thread through the hackle will make the pattern much more durable.

[Oenophileangler]

Pritt's Winter Brown #3 (North Country Flies)
Hook: TMC 3761SP-BL size 14
Body: Ephemera Silk Orange #625
Hackle: English Woodcock
Head: Peacock Eye Herl



I started out just tying random flies that might look good. Now, I'm trying to tie patterns that have been documented in the past. This is from Pritt's public domain book.

My Peacock head does have more green without the artificial lighting used for the photo. I'd have to use a very high ISO using existing light. I have to figure out the best lighting to photograph flies.

I am better at turning Herl and hackle now. I have to be very deliberate and careful not to twist. Robert Smith, in his youtube video tying this fly, dubs with some Fox Ear Fur, but Pritt doesn't specify this, and I like it without.

I like sparse hackle, but I ran out of barbs on this feather (this is two turns and maybe three would have been nicer). I wish I could easily find feathers to use with small hooks. Ideally, I would like to tie size 16 or even 18. My Partridge body has a bunch of small-ish feathers, but not this Woodcock.

I like how Updtate, in his February 13, 2021 post, has a really nice Peacock Herl Head, in his Winter Brown fly:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=9603&p=105855&hilit ... wn#p105855

Anyway, I'm just thinking out loud. I welcome comments and criticism!

By the way, I'm very slow at tying. I'm glad I don't have to make a living at this!

Dale