One of the hallmarks of good production tying is neatly dressed imitations. If the body is to be made from thin materials (such as tinsel) then the tailing materials are extended under the full length of the body (Figure 1). When the body material is wound over the tailing material, it will form a body […]
Production tying is not about sloppy or inferior work. No, not at all. Production tying is about efficiency in tying; that is, being able to dress very nice flies with minimal confusion, error, and material waste, and doing so very readily. Preparing and winding hackle is one of those places where every tyer can gain […]
I had a nice note from my friend, Tom Sutcliffe, the other day. He lives in South Africa and has written several delightful books about his fly fishing adventures. I then had the opportunity to visit his web site, and had the opportunity to examine all the many topics he covers. I greatly enjoy reading […]
I like my friend Theo Bakelaar’s tie-off knot so much that I have been using it on everything. As I was doing so, I realized that I could tie it faster by bringing the bobbin toward me through the loop, rather than putting it through the loop away from me. This may have been the […]
In classical fly tying, materials are lashed to the hook, and any excess waste end is trimmed away before the materials are wound or otherwise manipulated to form a specific part of the fly. In production tying, such management of the waste materials is in itself a waste, a waste of time. Production tyers pre-trim […]
The basic premise in fly tying is to attach materials to the hook with thread wraps. The materials need to be attached between layers of thread. If one ties material against the bare metal of the hook shank, the material will spin around the hook between the metal and the thread, causing all sorts of […]
My long time friend and fishing companion John Beth has been building specialty knives for years. His recent newsletter features many exquisite examples of his masterful craftsmanship. His ability to produce detail and composite different materials into objects of priceless beauty is stunning. Here are a couple of examples of his recent work. If you’d […]
The basic premise in fly tying is to attach materials to the hook with thread wraps. The materials need to be attached between layers of thread. If one ties material against the bare metal of the hook shank, the material will spin around the hook between the metal and the thread, causing all sorts of […]
Production tying requires not only precision, but speed. There are a number of tactics that the tyer can use to increase speed and still maintain quality. One of these speed tying tips is to use the tag end of the thread to speed the initial application of thread to the hook. Once the overlock knot […]
I’ve had several comments on the D & D Midge Emerger with questions about sizes. The one shown in the post (see below) was on a size 18. but certainly they can be dressed on 16-22 with no problem at all. I use only 3 pieces of herl on the 22.