This week,Tim talks about why he loves using pine squirrel in streamer patterns. The material is relatively inexpensive, has fine markings that imitate baitfish, and it undulates in the water nicely. Try tying your favorite patterns, substituting pine . . .
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Video: How to Tie with Hare’s Ear Dubbing
This week, Tim explains how he likes to store, apply, and tie with two kinds of hare’s ear dubbing–the finer body dubbing and the thorax material that contains more guard hairs. If you want your patterns to look as great as Tim’s, you’ll take his . . .
Read MoreVideo: How to Make Hare’s-Ear Dubbing
This week, Tim shows you how to make two kinds of hare’s-ear dubbing–one for abdomens and one for thoraxes. He shows you which parts of the hare’s mask to cut from and the how to blend the different kinds of hairs. You may never want to buy . . .
Read MoreVideo: How to Use Resins Safely
This week, Tim discusses his allergic reaction–complete with photos–to many of the resins used in fly tying and how he has come to deal with the problem. It’s worth thinking about using this method before you develop an allergy, so if you tie with resins . . .
Read MoreVideo: How to Trim Synthetic Fibers
This week, Tim demonstrates two methods for trimming synthetic fibers on patterns such as Bob Popovics’s Surf Candy. It’s easy to mess up fibers if you cut them too straight or try too hard to shape them. The results often look unnatural. Instead, Tim . . .
Read MoreVideo: How to Make a Sparkle Pupa Body
This week, Tim shows you an ingenious and simple method for creating the “bubble” body of a Sparkle Pupa, one of Gary Lafontaine’s greatest creations. Many tiers struggle with this feature, but Tim has an “automagic” way to “inflate” the . . .
Read MoreVideo: How to Make a Simple Hackle-Folding Tool
This week, Tim shows you how to make a super simple tool that will make folding hackles easy and fast. This is great for when you’re looking to create a swept-back collar of hackle fibers. Starting with a basic guitar pick (available for fifty cents at . . .
Read MoreVideo: How to Tie-In Bucktail
Tying-in bucktail–for a Clouser Minnow or other hairwing pattern–looks pretty easy, but the results are often less-than-optimal. The wing itself may look good, but the head can be messy and the hairs can fall out. Tim has an easy solution that will make . . .
Read MoreVideo: How to Tie in Squirmy Material
Although some anglers balk at using the Squirmy Wormy or similar annelid imitations, these patterns catch fish. But they can be a pain to tie because the elastic, round materials want to roll, squish, and break when you try to lash them to the hook. Of . . .
Read MoreVideo: How to Reinforce Quill Bodies
Last week, Tim showed you how to make a quill body, and this week he demonstrates several techniques for ensuring that all your hard work at the vise isn’t undone by the teeth of the first fish that eats the fly. A variety of adhesives and resins can be used . . .
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