[red owl]

I have normal sized hands but I want to try some #20 flies (RS-2 didn't look too difficult). Well, everything is pretty small. If I use a magnifying glass- it will be in the way when I'm wrapping on material, etc. How do you hold such tiny bits of material? Tweezers?

 

[Luke the Dog]

Not exactly sure what your question is, are you cutting materials down to size before tying them on? It's better to tie in big pieces and cut off the tag ends-biots or hackle for example...

 

[knute]

Pretty much fingers and no tweezers involved. Google "video on how to tie the ________ fly pattern" and you should get to some Youtube or other video links where you can see how to tie what you're interested in. For the RS2, Google "Hopper Juan" and go to Juan Ramirez's site and you can see a good vid for that pattern. Good luck.

 

[red owl]

I thought you weren't supposed to trim the ends of hackle, that you needed the pointy hackle tips to work correctly.

 

[sorelips]

I thought you weren't supposed to trim the ends of hackle, that you needed the pointy hackle tips to work correctly.

You don't cut the tip off, you cut the other end off. Sounds like you need to spend some time with books and you tube!

 

[bugz]

It is all in the fingers. Watch some videos for patterns you are interested in tying. Once you get the hang of pinching materials and measuring the lenghts against the hook shank and get a feel for working with materials it will get easier. A good starter fly that covers a few important techniques and is effective in large and small sizes are pheasant tail nymphs or hares ear. Work your way from tying size #12's down to #22's

Here is a video for the RS2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4E-OBxeqVbs

 

[Luke the Dog]

I thought you weren't supposed to trim the ends of hackle, that you needed the pointy hackle tips to work correctly.

You trim off the un-wrapped part of the hackle stem after you make the wraps. You should never have to trim off the individual hackle fibers, gotta size your hackle to the hook or required pattern size...

 

[red owl]

Well as I said, I've tied size 16 flies for about 40 years but once I'm down to size 18 things become a little more dicey. I want to tie some #24 muskrat nymphs and I'm looking at that tiny hook and my fingers and....GEEZ......
Guess I'll just wade in and give it a go. I'm thinking about a Jeweler's Loup- that thing they wear like a monocle. Maybe it will help my eyes see better.

 

[swimbait]

Eye problems and hand problems are different problems.

I have average sized hands. I tie down to #32. I use flies 24-26 regularly. It all comes down to how you use your tools. Thread control is huge. Understanding which thread to use for which bug, knowing how each thread behaves in different situations, things like that make a big difference. Bodkins are very useful for micro-manipulation and the application of cements. You can do things with the tip of a needle that just can't be done with the hand.

Repetition is the real key. You probably sucked at tying your shoes the first few times you did it. I know my mom had to beat me with a switch to loose the velcro when I was a kid, my knot tying was horrid. I now can tie a Bimini twist in four pound mono in about a minute. So practice a lot.

As far as the eyes go... My eyes were always bad, and have only got worse. I am super blind. I still have about a 10-14" range of near field vision without correction. I am not looking forward to magnifiers, I can tell you that. But the best setup I ever saw was a camcorder and video monitor system that Chad Schiel (another Rainy's contract tier) used for his demonstrations. Clear, crisp, and free of the headache-inducing optical distortions that seem to plague the common "magnifying glass" type apparatus.

Hope some of that is useful.

SS

 

[Oyey]

practice a little, big mitts shouldn't be an issue.

 

[Pete-G]

I need a magnifier to tie on flies while fishing. I have the flip down type on my hat.

I wear the same hat while tying flies. That way it's not in the way. It's much easier to tie small flies when you can blow it up with a magnifier.

 

[Oyey]

I would like to get one of the large, round, lighted magnifiers. I am blind as hell now, and it would likely easy the strain on my eyes, even with reading glasses.

 

[Oyey]

One other tip.. when you are holding tiny material.. learn to tie it in loosely, but not necessarily in place. Then move it in place, adjust for thread torque, and tighten the thread. Again, it takes a little practice, but with just a bit of practice, you will get efficient.

 

[red owl]

Well I did a couple of #24's last night. Went better than I thought. One the first I did it the regular way, abdomen, thorax, the head and wraps. I "ran out of room" and the peacock herl sort of covered the hook eye. On the next fly I did it in reverse order, first the herl- set back enough to keep the eye of the hook exposed, then the abdomen and I did the wraps (I use fingers) over the abdomen- the hook is so small they go down okay. Seems okay. I figure I'll get better as I tie more. In the past once I get the pattern down I'll take my first efforts and cut off the material to salvage the hook and re-tie.