After a false start in January, caused by the closure of the Chequers pub in Lamberhurst, Keith's Fly-Tying for Beginners course got under way yesterday evening at the nearby Brown Trout Inn, appropriately enough. We all enjoyed some good pub fare beforehand and the facilities were more than adequate and we were made to feel very welcome.
We were graced by enough very experienced tyers to be able to offer 1-to-1 tuition to those of us who are just starting off, including one member who's only just bought his first fly-tying starter kit. There was lots of enthusiastic advice, and patient demonstrations of how to get the thread securely tied to the hook to start with, and we soon had our bobbins - er- bobbing.
Not wishing to be too ambitious, we confined the tuition to an explanation of what tools were most useful, and for what, plus hook styles, makes and sizes, and what threads to use. We then moved on to what is probably the most important stage of tying any fly, finishing off the thread so that it doesn't all unravel and fall apart before you've even tried to cast it. This is called 'whip-finishing' and although some dextrous tyers can do this with their fingers, most people use a special little tool called, appropriately enough a 'whip-finisher'. This is where it became fun, as there are two distinct styles of this tool, though they both do the same job. One has a swivelling handle, and is called the Matarelli style after its inventor.
Some swear by this style, and some by the non-swivelling style, and some just swear, as they try to get to grips with either of them. Apparently it's very easy after the first few hundred times of using it successfully, but before that stage it's a complicated procedure of holding, tensioning, twisting and rotating, and what works for one style doesn't quite work for the other. We consequently had intense discussions about which was best and how the other one works. I've only managed to succeed with one of these tools, though I have both, so here is a link to a video that not only explains all about how to use tha Matarelli (swivelly) style tool, but it also includes a slow-motion demo, which I found extremely helpful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEJOT2OyBio Of course you can find lots more instructional videos, for both styles, and there is a comprehensive set of videos available through this link https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLObNLlVNurUUfoKg-xAJy7aICtbbGNeme
If you missed this session but want to have a go at fly-tying, just contact Keith and he will send you a list of what you need and you can quickly catch up next time, when we hope to move on to tying a simple fly. We meet every month (pub closures notwithstanding) and it's a very pleasant evening of swapping tips and fishermen's tales over a meal and a pint, and the fly-tying is an optional bonus.
Tight threads - but not too tight.
PeterB
Comments