Here’s a great video in our series called “One-Minute Fly-Tying Tips and Techniques,” from Tim Flagler of Tightline Productions. Each video teaches a single tying skill, from the most basic to the advanced. Ultimately, the series will serve as a sort of encyclopedia of tying skills that will be a valuable resource for anyone who sits down at a vise to create a fly.
Many fly-tying recipes call for a tail or a wing that is as long as the shank of the hook. But how do you ensure that you’ve got the proper measurement? In this video, Tim explains how hold the material, then mark it with a thumbnail, and reposition for tie-in. The process is slightly different, depending on whether you’re creating a tail or a wing, and Tim demonstrates both. The result is that you’ll end up with a fly that is both proportionate and attractive. .
I fly fish and tye flys
I enjoy the one minute tips on tying. Could you do a tip on using aftershaft feathers. Some birds have incredible aftershaft feathers and it is such a good material wasted when they are thrown away. I use them often and enjoy dying them for different applications and color effects.