A Brief History of Fly Tying & Fly Fishing

Series Summary

Fly tying is the craft of making an artificial fly that a fly fisherman can use to catch a fish. The artificial fly is connected to the fisherman’s line and is used to simulate a real fly or bug landing on the water surface. This entices the fish to come to the surface for a snack, and once the fish attaches itself to the line via the artificial fly, the fisherman has done his job. If you are a fisherman who has taken up the hobby of fly tying, you will need to obtain some basic equipment including string, fur, feathers, and of course hooks. In this series of instructional video clips, you will learn all about fly tying. Are you new to fly fishing? Watch the introduction to fly tying and get a list of the necessary tools needed for tying your own flies. Watch as our expert recommends different materials that can be used such as feathers, fur, string and hooks. Watch these how to videos and see how to hook and thread the tying tool to get started on your handmade fly. Watch as our expert ties the tail end and constructs the chenille body of the fly. Watch as he demonstrates the technique for tying a whip finish knot using the tool and his bare hands. Watch these videos and you will also learn how to apply a dubbing body and dual hackles.

Video Transcript

"Hi, this is Robert Brown. In this clip I am going to be talking to you about the hobby of fly tying. Now fly fishing and fly tying have long and rich histories and over the past 10 years, there have been phenomenal increases in the number of individuals that both enjoy fly fishing and spend their leisure time in the hobby of fly tying. I am going to go over with you some of the basic tools that are used to tie flies and we will be taking a look at common materials used in fly tying from feathers to hairs from various animals. It is important to know that fly tying truly got its start when fisherman first realized that fish in rivers feed primarily on insects both terrestrial and aquatic that occur in their natural living environment. After you get a start in fly tying one of the things you can do quickly is get a hold of some books on fly tying and there are a limitless numbers of books available to you to explore in your hobby of fly tying."