“Complete freedom is not what a trail offers. Quite the opposite; a trail is a tactful reduction of options.” ― Robert Moor,** On Trails: An Exploration**
Web sites are great and all, I think they will catch on eventually. Not so good for structure though. Fear not, here’s a way to work through the posts on this site so you can fill up a fly box effectively (and go beyond).
** First- Turn right around ** If you can find a fly shop, fly fishing club, local prison or any other organization that has a fly-tying class that you can take without having to buy materials and tools do it. In fact, do it as many times as they will let you. Once you’ve determined whether this is something you’re going to want to do or not then come back. I’ll probably be here.
** Number Two ** Decide if this is an approach you agree with and that this is a resource worth using. These posts are more philosophy than how tie.
** Three A ** Time to spend some money. You’re going to need to buy the tools which (more or less) you’ll use to tie flies first through last. The list is here:
** Three B ** Hopefully you read this before you went to the Fly Shop. If not, you’ll need to go back. Pick out something to tie and buy ** just ** the materials you need to pull that off.
Here are two good patterns to start out with. They’re both quite tolerant of mediocrity.
- Slumpbuster
- Hare’s Ear Nymph
The materials for each fly have a link to a post explaining the components
** Three C ** While you’re out, stop by the drug store.
** Four ** Find a place to tie, and maybe something to hide all this stuff you’ve been buying in.
** Five ** Tie like your life depended on it. Once you’ve tied up a bunch of the starter patterns, branch out into the mid-range patterns. A little more complexity, some new materials.
- Beetle
- Scud
- Sparkle Dun
- Caddis
- Crackleback
** Fish, repeatedly ** At any point here, you’ll have a nice little selection of flies to try out on fish near you. Go out, put a few into the trees and tie some up to replace what’s lost. See if your decisions about color and size are right. If you’re not catching fish, definitely blame the flies.
** Six ** Still with me? Tie these patterns. These aren’t the most complicated flies you can tie, but they are the most complicated flies you’ll tie for this box.
- Chubby Chernobyl
- PT Nymph
- Wooly Bugger
** Seven ** Improvise. Look through the posts tagged “materials” and find the “Pieces of Flair” posts. Use these to add new materials to the existing patterns. Look through the posts tagged “patterns” and find the bonus patterns you can tie with the materials you already have.
** Eight ** What are you still doing here? Fish more or find something else to tie. It’s a big world out there.