Absolutely no good can come of this.
Before me, held in the tight grasp of my new finger pinching device, sits my very first tied fly. It brings a tear to my eye, though I can't decide if it's due to the momentousness of the occassion or if it's because it's one sad looking little woolly bugger.
At last October's Triangle Fly Fishers Annual Banquet and Auction Extravaganza, I bid on, and won, a beginner's fly tying kit. It's been sitting by the desk for the past five months while I've gathered the courage to give it a try. The myth is that I can save boat loads of money tying my own flies, but I'm fairly certain that it's just another hobby road to ruin.
All my fly fishing buddies do it and I regularly stop by the club's bi-monthly beer tie and hang out. Until now, I've found it easier just to watch, keeping both hands free for pouring suds. Besides, pitchers of Yuengling and sharp metal objects always seemed a precarious combination to me. But there haven't been any serious injuries, lately, so I guess it's safe enough.
Having some free time this evening, I finally broke down and put the kit to use. I fiddled with a couple of basic techniques, securing the thread to the hook and whip finishing, and then leapt into it by attempting to imitate the sweet little #8 olive woollies that my buddy John Martyn ties. He has nothing to fear. I think I'll call my version the bed-head bugger because it looks like my hair in the morning, what with its hackle lopsidedly sticking in all directions, and a few odd thin spots.
But it's a start and I might just see if I can fool a fish with it in the next couple of days. At the very least, I'll give a trout or two a good laugh.
Good luck with that! I'm not much of a fly fisherman, so I can't say much about the fly you tied. Hope you do well with it.
ReplyDeleteMike, not bad at all for a first fly. It'll catch fish and that's the whole point. I still have some of my first flies as well and they are definitely good for a laugh. Heck, some of my current flies are good for a laugh too.
ReplyDeleteOh, and you won't save any money tying your own flies. Trust me, I know of what I speak.
A face only a mother could love, haha. Great first bugger. My dad always told me the uglier the fly, the better it caught fish. I mean, honestly, would you want to actually fish a perfectly tied fly? I recently started tying myself, and the prettier ones definitely won't see the water until the ugly ones have worn out their welcome in my fly box. I started with Clouser Minnows. I have only tied about 10, and they do get better as you go. Keep it up! I recently picked up the materials for a fly called a slumpjumper. We'll see how they come out.
ReplyDeleteYou could always put it through the shredder and pretend it didn't happen. That's what I do with paintings of mine that I don't like. :-) The last rabbit that I attempted to paint could have been called a bedhead bugger, but he's no longer around to prove it. :-)
ReplyDeleteIMHO, you did right to create with an eye on another's inspiring work. I'm finding that's the road to beauty, instead of following step-by-step books on technique that drain away the creative impulse.
it'll fish!!!
ReplyDelete