Lucy Boston

Saturday, September 26, 2009

How many flies can a fly tier tie if a fly tier can tie flies?

Many years ago I "drew" my B-I-L's name for the Christmas gift exchange.  He is a fly-fisherman extraordinaire, so I decided that since I like small, very detailed, hand work, I could learn to tie flies for his fishing and give him a great gift in the gift exchange, as nothing is better than a gift made from the heart, right? So.....
One:  I found a local gentleman that was well known for his expertise in fly-tying, was willing to give me a lesson or three, allowed me to purchase supplies from him according to where and what my B-I-L was fishing.
Two:  Flies are VERY small and even dozens of them don't make a very big or impressive gift unless they are "hooked" into something substantial - thus, I walked along Hoover Reservoir for many miles until I found a piece of driftwood I could use as a base for my flies to be attached to and gifted. 
Three:  I tied flies and flies and flies.  
Four:  I hooked those flies into the driftwood and dropped it into a large, wrapped box.
Five:  I gifted and it was loved!!!  
Six:  I had a new hobby that I loved.  ('cause I needed a another new hobby - har har) I don't know that it's really a great hobby for a non fly-fishermanwoman in inland Ohio, but I do like the creativity and fibers! And I was good at it, or so I was told. 
Seven:  Tying flies is the same process as making feather trees: a by-product NEW hobby (hee hee - another new hobby - I needed that!).
Anyway, fast forward to this month:  every year about this time, my brother-in-law asks me to make flies for him and his buddies for their annual fly fishing trip.  (The purpose of the different flies is to LOOK like something that would be in the river water at the time of fishing, like fish eggs, water creatures eating fish eggs, or flying insects hitting the surface of the water, etc.  Since I don't fly fish, I just make the flies that I am asked to make.)
Back to my original question:  How many flies can a fly tier tie if a fly tier can tie flies?
Eggs:


Egg-sucking leeches:







Wooly buggers:

A clamp, hooks, feathers, chennille, wool yarn, thread, glue aka head cement.  Tie on and wrap the thread, tie on the tail, tie on the chennille and feather, wrap the chenille, wrap the feather, wrap, wrap, wrap.  Wrap the thread around and tie off.  Cement the tie-off.  Remove from clamp and and hang to dry. (Here is a good part:  since I know how to make feather trees now, I have a bare tree armature awaiting wrapping with feathers, and that makes a great place to hang flies/hooks to dry.)
Bare feather tree armature:

Feather tree armature covered with drying flies:


The question again:

How many flies can a fly tier tie if a fly tier can tie flies?

100 eggs,
50 egg sucking leeches,
50 wooly buggers
Or until I'm out of supplies and/or time!
Then back to quilting!
Gwen's great "Turning Twenty",


Kay's great "Pastels"
Oh, and I baked some cookies for the OSU football game:
And the weekend is only half over!  Just think what I can get done tomorrow!
Sure am glad it rained all day, I got to enjoy time inside.  Hope your weekend is as enjoyable!  

2 comments:

  1. I am worn out just reading everything you have done in one day.

    ReplyDelete
  2. You really fill your home up with everything you do!!!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you so much for taking the time to visit!