hey, What do you think?

[flyfishermatt]

Hey im new here and i started to fly fish about two years ago. I just started tying flies and waqs wondering what you guys thought about this one. Any comments on what I am doing right or wrong, helpful hints or questions, feel free to speak up. Do you think this is a good fly, Ok, or bad? Thanks, MAtt

[gilly09]

Well,

If I were a salmon or trout, I'd eat it. You'll catch fish with it. salmon love those royal coachmens.

say, you better change your profile from "I don't tie" to something else.

[flyfishermatt]

oh, ok thanks. I just finished it today.

[rhino]

here is some help with you fly it all about size and proportions on the hook shank there are a ton of book out there that show the different parts of the hook like gape, point, shank, eye, etc.. two thing i noticed right off the bat are you need to stop all thread and meterials passing the point on the shank above the barb the only stuff past this point is tails and tags wings etc.. and use size or amounts of materials used like you have a lot of extra tail meterial and you did not go all the way to the eye also when you are trying to get this right you may crowd the eye which is dad if you use head cement some things i also recmond is classes and a book called tying dry flies by randall kaufmann otherwise that a great fly also when you pefect you skills you may want to try to tye as small as 32 i tye royal humpies on a size 26 and trust me even now some of my flies look worst you did a awesome job man!!!!



any ways good luck and tight lines rhino --123-3 --123-3 --123-3

[flyfishermatt]

hey thanks. But i was wondering what you ment about no materials past the point on the shank abouve the barb. Thanks for input, but i didn't understand that one point you made about the barb. :confused: Thanks again. MAtt ;)

[RogerStg]

Very nice, and very fishable.
A couple suggestions:
-Work on getting the tail to come straight back or pitch up slightly instead of curving downward. You went maybe one wrap too far down the hook bend.
-Work on getting the head neater and smaller.
-The wings should be a bit more pronounced than the hackle.

Nice job...welcome to my obsession (and many other's too).

[flyfishermatt]

thanks a lot guys. Yeah i saw i went too far down on the hook. Any tips one how to keep the head smaller?

[rhino]

hey thanks. But i was wondering what you ment about no materials past the point on the shank abouve the barb. Thanks for input, but i didn't understand that one point you made about the barb. :confused: Thanks again. MAtt ;)


but here goes here is a web page showing you the hook shank point and bend etc.. http://www.branhamssaltwaterflytying.com/flytying/beginnerscorner/basics.asp?id=3

if you lie the hook on a flat surface and take a ruler or strait edge and place the edge from the barb to the shank this is your stoping point in other words try not to tye on the bend of the hook great job flyfishermatt the shank end were the curve starts great job!!!!!!!!!!

good luck and tight lines rhino --123-3 --123-3 --123-3

[Armando]

Hi
Thats a good tie, Royal wulffs are great flies.
All you have to keep in mind when tying are proportions as Rhino said, the tail is too far behind the end of the hook so it looks downwards, tie it just two mm before and it will stay in place, the other thing is the head, looks like you grab some hackle when whip finishing, try to keep that clean.
Bottom line is, if you plan to tie for commercial porpouses, you have to be really neat if not who cares fish will eat it anyway.
Practice you'll get really good and thats not so far away.
Best regards

[flyfishermatt]

thanks. I knew what the barb and shank and all that but just didn't understand what you meant about no materials past that point i get ya now. Anyone know anything that can help me from crowding the head? I seem to be crowding it even though i leave lots of room. thanks matt

[RogerStg]

Anyone know anything that can help me from crowding the head?

Use fewer wraps and/or thinner thread. For example, when tying off hackle you only need 3 wraps maximum to secure it. Any additional wraps are to shape the head and tie off. Also, half hitches to tie off are more bulky than a whip finish.
Hope this helps.

[flyfishermatt]

ok cool. Ive been using half-hitches but ill use whip finishes now.

[Pauper Piscator]

Good looking workable fast water fly. Try "skating" that fly down through the riffles.

Good tips here. Here is one more. Try using 1x 2x or 3x long dry fly hooks for starting out. Gives you a longer shank to work with and you won't feel like the materials are piling up and and you are running out of space. I also like to tie "stimulator" and miniature hornberg patterns on a longer shank.

For dry flies, make sure you order "light, fine wire" hooks.

Drop of superglue will secure your heads with few wraps/half hitches but once you whip you never go back.

Last tip.. I prefer WAXED tying thread. Tighter wraps ans seems to grip the materials a bit better.

Tight lines!

[flyfishermatt]

hey i know its kinda off the subject but i haven't been able to figure out how to do the whip finish. Ive been to numerous places on the web and tried to learn it from my book but can't seem to get it. Do you guys know any good websites that could help me? thanks MAtt

[Armando]

Hi
The best way to whip finish with a tool or with your fingers is watching someone doing it, its not a big deal but it may be difficult to follow printed steps. Check out with your local fly shop.
If Im explaining it Id say, form an escalen triangle, so that the bottom line is being undertaken by the line that forms a 45 angle..........mmmmm no, this is not clear enough and sounds harder than it is.
Good luck

[rhino]

hey i know its kinda off the subject but i haven't been able to figure out how to do the whip finish. Ive been to numerous places on the web and tried to learn it from my book but can't seem to get it. Do you guys know any good websites that could help me? thanks MAtt


try wraping three of four turns around your half hich tool and pull tight over the hook eye instawhip!!! this works the best and is the fastest way to whip finish sure i'm good whith the whip finish but this is fasterif any more question leave a post up here maybe we all can help!!!

good luck and tight lines rhino --123-3 --123-3 --123-3

[Ben Emery]

When I first started tying, I went to a couple of tying classes and watched "the experts"...bought a whip finish tool worked with the instructions and practiced, practiced, practiced...am pretty good now but have tied hundreds of flies...good luck.

[Pauper Piscator]

The best whip finish instruction I ever got was to make the "figure four".

If your thread looks like a sideways "4" before you start your turns, you are in good shape!

Make the wraps, take up the tension on the tag and viola.

Now as for a Bimini Twist....sit in a loop of heavy line and twist yourself up like a caterpillar.

Or... just crimp it;)

[RogerStg]

Google “whip finish tool” and you’ll get results on how to do a hand finish as well as how to use tools.

If you buy a tool, get the Matarelli-style. IMO, it’s the easiest and simplest design.

[KMM]

Matarelli includes instructions with their product.

There are also also some animated whip finishing features on the web, of which I cannot include here do to possible copyright infringement.

Practice and you'll do fine with it.

Whip finishing is the number one thing asked at my tying exhibitions, so what do I do in response? I get up and grab the hand of the inquirer, sit him or her down at the vise and have them learn right there and then. Quite shocking at first, but very pleasing in the end to the inquirer-show attendee once he or she learns how easy it is. It my reason for being there, to teach.

KMM

So Cal

[pacres]

hey i know its kinda off the subject but i haven't been able to figure out how to do the whip finish. Ive been to numerous places on the web and tried to learn it from my book but can't seem to get it. Do you guys know any good websites that could help me? thanks MAtt

Hey Matt this should help a bit.

Click the video at the bottom of this page. (http://copperfly.net/whipfinish.php)

A hand whip finish is also a great thing to know, esspecially for you catskill dries. Hope this helps you out.

[flyfishermatt]

thanks. Hey, that last link isn't working. There isn't anything to click on once you are there.
So a whip finish is basically a half hitch that has been wrapped around or twisted a few times before it is tightened?
MAtt