Synopses & Reviews
Novice fly fisherman start fly tying with a predictable set of materials. Their benches are neatly arranged with small bags of elk hair, pheasant feathers, stray pieces of chenille and yarn. But eventually they find that not only are these materials more expensive than they need to be, they are also largely unnecessary. And so they starts making substitutions, using trial and error to gradually build up a bench of funky, personalized materials that work just as well as what the “experts” recommend.
For the first time, here is a book that truly demystifies fly tying, making it accessible to any fisherman with a vice, a hook, a few dabs of glue, and a handful of twisty-ties. Tying legend Jay “Fishy” Fullum brings together a lifetime of substitution experience to give invaluable advice on appropriate substitution materials. He describes how to find them and make them tier friendly, and how to turn them into flies that are practically guaranteed to catch fish.
Synopsis
In a friendly, humorous and non-technical way, offers directions and patterns for hand-made flies using off-the-shelf materials, saving money and creating better results.
Synopsis
Tying legend Jay “Fishy” Fullum shows you how to make flies that catch fish. Armed with a vice, a hook, a few dabs of glue, and a handful of twisty-ties, Fishy offers invaluable advice, directions, and patterns for making handmade flies with off-the-shelf materials—all in a friendly, funny, non-technical way. Along with 300 full-color photographs, he explains where to find the materials, make them workable, and turn them into flies that are practically guaranteed to catch fish.
Krazy Glue, packing material, fake fingernails, Christmas tree icicles, doll eyes, worn-out seatbelts, Mylar, floss—lurking in the junk drawers, crafts stores, or at your local dollar mart are the bits and pieces of unlikely materials that will let you create custom flies, save money, and get great results.
About the Author
Jay “Fishy” Fullum retired in 1995 after a career as a designer to pursue his decades-long passion for writing, tying flies, and fly-fishing. In the past twenty years he has designed nearly 150 innovative patterns, many of which are featured in his Creative Tying column in Fly Tyer Magazine. He is the author of three books, including Fishys Flies and Fishys Favorites.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Adhesives
How to use common adhesives in order to make your tying easier and the final product more durable.
Chapter 2: Paints
Using dabs of house paint or stripes from a permanent marker adds color to your flies, improving their fish-catching qualities. It also makes them look good in the fly box.
Chapter 3: Grocery Bags
Plastic bags from the corner store make for marvelous bodies on nymphs and spiders.
Chapter 4: Packing Material
Dont throw it away. This material can be used to create great bodies on dry flies.
Chapter 5: Plastic Lacing
Add flash, weight and establish a great silhouette on many of your favorite streamer patterns.
Chapter 6: Eyes
Doll eyes, stick-on, plastic and metal bead-chain and more. Eyes make your creations look more realistic.
Chapter 7: Craft Store Beads
Common craft store beads make for great bead head nymphs and even some unique nymph bodies.
Chapter 8: Dubbing
Learn how to make your own dubbing with natural and synthetic materials.
Chapter 9: Wing Material
A creative fly tier can make a lifetime supply of wing material for about ten dollars.
Chapter 10: Wings and Posts
Fibers from Mylar piping and seat belts cost little or nothing and work much better than the more pricey conventional materials.
Chapter 11: Ribbons
There are thousands of different kinds of ribbons, and they can be used for streamer bodies, wings, and wing pads.
Chapter 12: Yarns
The selection changes from week to week, offering the fly tier hundreds of unique possibilities.
Chapter 13: Backer Rod and Rubber WeatherSeal
One of my best finds in recent years. These insulation materials make great popper bodies for bass and panfish.
Chapter 14: Balsa Wood
Shape, sand, epoxy and paint this material, transforming a small piece of wood into beautiful popper heads.
Chapter 15: Foam Blocks
Here are the best types of foam to use, as well as instructions on how to slice it and shape it.
Chapter 16: Sheet Foam
Tie smaller panfish flies with a single layer, or combine layers to produce larger bass patterns.
Chapter 17: Hooks
Sometimes its better to tie a fly on a hook made for bait fishing.
Chapter 18: Great Legs
Learn how to put the endless variety of leg material to good use.
Chapter 19: Fingernails
Possibly the strangest material I use, but the end result is a couple of very productive patterns.
Chapter 20: Stretch Cord
Found in the jewelry department of the craft stores, this material is used for over bodies and to reduce tippet failure.