Simple Hacks to Make Fly Tying More Satisfying

No matter how long you’ve been tying flies, you’ve likely learned the ins and outs by trial-and-error. Not that there’s any shortage of insightful instruction at your fingertips in this information age.

I did not have that luxury back in “the day” when I started, in 1970! A couple of fly-tying books with black-and-white drawings had to suffice.

But there are a few tips I can pass along, some borrowed, some that may be my discoveries (again, may be) that will make your tying easier. Let’s go!

Fly-Tying Comfort

The first order of business is to be comfortable when fly tying. If you are not, you won’t enjoy it or spend as much time at the vise. You might even experience real discomfort. And your position in relation to your vise is important. Most vise heights fall in the 4- to 6-inch range. Mine is a Renzetti 2000 and the jaws are between 5.5 and 6 inches from the pedestal base, which sits on my tying table that is 28 inches from the floor. I sit in a typical dining room chair. After years of tying, I no longer have my hands too high, which causes fatigue. My vises are all rotary, too, so allow me to rotate the fly whenever I please.

The First Loose Wrap

Beginners quickly discover that tying “winging” materials to a hook shank under pressure makes them spin around the shank, and forces them to the far side of the hook. First, lay a thread base on the shank to provide friction. Then, make your first wrap “loosely” to keep the material (a clump of bucktail, tuft of synthetic hair) atop the hook. After that, wrap the thread more tightly until you are satisfied that the material is secure on the shank.

Bobbin Tension Tricks

First, buy a thread bobbin with a ceramic thread tube to prevent cutting your thread. Many bobbins out of the package need adjustment to slow the spool down while tying. Tyers tend to end up with too long a length of thread between the hook shank and the tip of the bobbin. I like a 1- to 2-inch length of thread out of my bobbin. That’s perfect for thread control. More than that is clumsy and you end up “reeling in” slack over and over. Two ways to combat this: One, take your empty bobbin and squeeze the legs together under pressure. Now the increased friction will increase and you’ll tie with proper thread pressure. However my favorite method is to wrap my thread around one leg of my bobbin once or twice before setting the spool to begin tying. Works great!

Build a Hackle Frame

Nothing is as frustrating as tying in rooster saddle or hen neck hackles to a hook shank. Even with a thread base, they tend to twist around the shank and not lay out right. Long ago, I tried this: I made a frame against which I could lay the stem end (with feather barbules intact) on both sides of the fly. I use 25- to 40-pound-test monofilament. I tie one “snip” to the top of the hook (at the bend for most patterns) and one snip under the shank. I wrap them in with plenty of thread. Now it’s just a matter of tying the hackles to this frame.

Mike Scissors Hands

I’ve been production tying for years, and have learned to keep my scissors in hand. This works with short blades, and large finger holes are best for comfort. You can wrap thread with your bobbin, pause to clip some hair, fur, or a length of body material, without putting the shears down repeatedly over the course of your tying session.

Wet Your Flash Fibers

Many flash materials, such as fine Flashabou, Krystal Flash, Icewing Fiber and others, tend to scatter on your tying table. I pre-snip lengths of flash and “wet the strands” together into one bunch. Do this by pulling your desired length of snipped flash through a moist doubled-up paper towel, or pull the length between my moistened lips. Now, it’s easier to pick up, tie in, and will dry and separate in the wing of your fly just fine in minutes.

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• This article was featured in the May 2025 issue of Florida Sportsman magazine. Click to subscribe

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