3 Tips for Faster Fly Tying

Fly tying can be a patience testing, time consuming hobby, but there are little ways to make it a bit easier on you.  When I first began doing small commercial tying orders around 19 years old, I learned very quickly that the faster I could tie the more I could ultimately make.  These are just a couple things that will save you a few extra minutes per session on the vice.

Keep your scissors in your hand at all times

This will immediately shave a ton of time off of how long it takes you to tie a fly.  It seems like it would really complicate things, but once you practice it for a few flies you will begin to feel more comfortable with them in your hand than not.  Slide them towards the top of your middle and ring fingers on the hand that you hold the bobbin with, then slide them down when you need to put them to use.

Tie in sections

If you’re tying large quantities of one pattern, it’s can be advantageous to systematically tie your flies in steps.  You will be able to find rhythm in doing the same thing over and over again.  For example if you’re tying a lot of chironomids it might not be a bad idea to tie up a bunch of gills and have them readily available for the next time you tie.

Be prepared

Spend less time searching for materials by spreading everything out in front of you before you start tying.  If you want to go a step further, you can pre-cut certain lengths of material ie. wire, flash or body material.

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