TUTORIALS
Many fly tiers that have tied practical salmon flies (or other kind of flies) tend to wonder how to get started. When I started tying classic salmon fly, I did it in the old way, reading books and failing a lot, before I got better on my own. Here I will make some tutorials so anyone can get started and spend more time with the fun part. It gets more fun when you get hold on the technique.
Old way - tying in hand
The old masters used to tie in hand without the aid of fly tying vice. The vice became popular from the middle of 19th century and onwards. By tying in hand, you get more control of the fly, as you can rotate the fly however you want with no limits of movement. In the beginning, holding the hook can be tiring. When you get used to it, tying in hand is quite a great pleasure! Tying in hand will also give the fly another kind of expression. They look more rustic and gives feeling of warmth and old hand craft compared to the modern flies tied in vise, which are more artistic in a way.
Unknown fly - The "Ghost Fly" #2
One of the two most famous unknown vintage fly that made cover for the magazine Fly Tyer. It was described on John McLain´s old web site feathersmc where he presented the history and desciption of the patterns.
The second unknown fly presented here features a unique body with numerous veilings.
The Monaltrie Queen
Stages of a Dee fly turned into a tube version
Lady Caroline
A favorite from River Spey! The fly is acutally very simple, watch this video and learn how to make an elegant spey fly in no time!