Tie OneOwn

Tie Your On!

Flies to Fool the Fish

BY JIM RICCARDI

As the pages turn on the fly angler’s calendar, winter takes hold and our fly-fishing
experiences fade to happy memory. The spring thaw seems an eternity away. But, many
of us anglers tie flies through the long New Hampshire winters, making the off-season
seem a bit shorter and bringing us just a little closer to our sport.
©JIM RICCARDI PHOTO

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F or me, the winter months provide an
opportunity to fill in the empty spots in my fly
boxes. Most of my favorite flies have by now
TOOLS OF THE TIE
If you decide to learn to tie flies, you’ll need some basic tools to get
either been chewed up by hungry fish or left
started. There are several quality fly-tying tool kits on the market
dangling from a tree branch overhanging a good
today; or, you can assemble your own kit. Like any hobby, the gadgets
spot on the river. Tying more of the same flies may
and accessories available for fly-tying are endless, but here is a list of
seem tedious, but as my fingers repeat the familiar
must-have tools:
steps, my thoughts wander to the places where I
have used these flies, and I relive those angling
Vise: Holds the hook so that you can use both hands to tie.
moments in my mind. I’m reminded of time spent
Bobbin: Holds a spool of thread.
on the water and the fish I caught — or maybe
Threader: Pulls tying thread through the bobbin tube.
those that wouldn’t be caught. I’ll put together
Scissors: To cut material. Sharp scissors with fine points are one of the
some new and different patterns also, because fly-
most important tools.
tying is fun and creative as well as functional.
Bodkin: Otherwise known as a “dubbing needle.”
Some say that the act of assembling fur, feather
Half Hitch Tool: To tie basic knots. Often part of a two-sided tool with
and tinsel on a hook to create something that
the bodkin.
would attract a fish is an art form; others call it a

©NHF&G LIZA POINIER PHOTO

Hackle Pliers: Small spring-
craft. For some it’s only a means to a noble end —
loaded pliers with which to
catching fish. Any way you look at it, tying a fly
grasp tying material.
yourself and having a fish take it as food leaves the
Hair Stacker: To even up
angler with a great satisfaction. Getting feathers
the tips of a bunch of hair.
to bend just right, correctly spacing the turns of
Tying Lamp: Good light is
tinsel, and putting on just the right amount of
important — a crane lamp
material is a learning process; when you get it
works well.
right, though, you’ll be glad you made the effort.
For some folks, tying flies is equally or even more
important than the actual fishing. To these devout
tyers, the accomplishment of putting together the tying classes through their vari-
perfect fly rivals making the perfect cast. Some of ous chapters around the state.
their flies may never even see water — they are just Local sportsmen’s clubs and
to be admired as a job well done. organizations may offer classes also. Adult educa-
tion classes offered through schools and
Learning to Tie community recreation departments are a great
The aspiring fly-tyer has several avenues for place to learn, and can also give you the opportu-
receiving instruction. Volumes of good books, nity to meet like-minded anglers. Several
videos and CD ROMs exist to help you get started accomplished fly-tyers from around the state offer
and keep on learning. Taking a fly-tying class is one-on-one instruction. Fly-fishing pro shops are
a great way to start, and they are available from another good place to gain fly-tying knowledge.
several different sources. Conservation groups Your fishing buddies who tie flies are another
such as Trout Unlimited (www.TU.org) offer fly- source of fly-tying education — but be advised, if
you get too good at it
©JIM RICCARDI PHOTO

you may be tying as

many for them as for
yourself! Learning from
family members is not
only convenient, but is
often part of family tra-
dition. Many fly-tyers
are part of a rich sporting
heritage that has been
passed down for genera-
tions and will continue
into the future. Just as
fishing can bring a fam-
ily closer together, tying
flies as a family activity
can provide a lifetime of
To a hungry fish, this fly looks like a juicy grasshopper. A skilled fly-tyer enjoyment.
can learn to imitate any insect that might lure a fish.
continued on next page

4 WILDLIFE JOURNAL
 ©NHF&G LIZA POINIER PHOTO
TRY IT AT HOME!
The list of fly patterns in existence today knows no limit, but two of my
chosen ones are the Elk Hair Caddis (below) and the Boulder Bend (facing
page). The Elk Hair Caddis is for fishing on the surface and is productive in
New Hampshire waters and around the world. Vary the size and color, and
you can be ready for many different situations. The Boulder Bend is a fly of
my own creation for imitating baitfish of several species, and is especially
effective for rainbow trout and landlocked salmon. Both flies are easy enough
to tie, even for the beginner.

ELK HAIR CADDIS

Hook: Dry-fly hook, any size (#12 to #16 are my favorites).
Thread: Brown or tan, or to match the color of the body.
Body: Dry-fly dubbing. Olive and tan are favorites, but any color can be used.
Hackle: Brown, usually — but use any color to match the color scheme of the
fly. Tied at the rear and wrapped over the body using 4 or 5 turns.
Wing: Elk hair tied tent-shape over the body.

To improve your fly-tying technique, take

advantage of an array of how-to books.

continued from page 5

Select a feather that is suitable for a dry fly and
secure at the rear of the hook shank. Fly-tying courses typically run about 4 to 6
weeks and will give you a good foundation to start
with. Improving on your skills can be a lifetime
pursuit, with new patterns and techniques coming
out constantly. At first, take pride in being able to
assemble a few basic flies that look good and catch
fish — after all, the fish are the final judges of your
efforts. In time, your skills will grow, and you’ll be
Build a body of synthetic dubbing keeping a slim tying a wider variety of flies and using more
shape. Wrap this toward the front of the hook, involved techniques. Above all, remember to
leaving a gap behind the hook eye for the wing. have fun tying flies: that’s what it’s really all
about.

What Fly to Tie?

Once you’ve been through your basic training,
what types of flies will you be tying? Just the term
“flies” can lead us to believe that all fishing flies
imitate small winged things — but this is not
Wrap the hackle feather around the body and always the case. Some flies do imitate aquatic
secure at the front of the body (4 or 5 turns). insects such as mayflies, caddisflies and stoneflies
during their various stages of life. But, you can
also tie nymphs, which imitate these insects be-
low the surface during their immature or larval
stage. Then there are dry flies and emergers, which
mimic the nymphs hatching into adults on the
surface. Wet flies are a good place for a novice to
start. These are sub-surface flies that can be repre-
After trimming the hackle fibers off the top of the fly, sentative of a swimming or hatching insect; or,
secure a small clump of elk hair in the space they may just be tied in attractive colors to get a
between the body and the hook eye. Trim the excess fish’s attention and induce a response.
elk hair, leaving a small amount showing to Big fish eat little fish, and little fish are imitated
represent the head of the insect. by a style of fly called a “streamer.” Streamers can
©NHF&G LIZA POINIER PHOTOS
imitate different species of baitfish when tied in

WILDLIFE JOURNAL 5
natural colors — or, you can tie them with bright Jim Riccardi (right) is
colors and cause an impulsive, reactive strike. a freelance outdoor
There are popping bugs that can bring a smashing writer and fly-fishing/
strike on the surface, and large streamer flies for fly-tying instructor.
use in saltwater. Even land-based insects like ants He also is a volunteer
and grasshoppers can be imitated with flies. An instructor with Fish
endless variety lies ahead of you. and Game’s Let’s Go
Naturally, some flies are more popular than Fishing and
others, but a list of good flies to learn to tie for New Becoming an
Hampshire waters would include the Black Ghost,
Outdoors-Woman
Woolly Bugger, Hornberg, Elk Hair Caddis and
programs. He and his
Hare’s Ear Nymph. As your skills increase, the
wife Kristen live in
Gray Ghost, Golden Demon and the Muddler
Newport, N.H.
Minnow are important additions. Every tyer de-
velops his or her own list of favorites in time; and
as much as I like variety, there are a few that will
always have a reserved spot in my fly box: the Elk
Hair Caddis, the Woolly Bugger, and one of my

©NHF&G LIZA POINIER PHOTO

own creations — the Boulder Bend.
Fly-tying is a fun and rewarding activity that
complements the wonderful sport of fly-fishing. A
fly-tyer can achieve immense gratification from
creating the final link between angler and fish —
the fly.

BOULDER BEND
Hook: Medium- to long-shank streamer hook, size #4 to #10.
Thread: I usually finish it off with a black or red head.
Tail: Orange marabou, tied short and slightly full.
Body: Bill’s Bodi-Braid or other pearlescent mylar braid. Use
two layers on flies size 6 or larger.
Throat: Orange marabou, short and slightly full like the tail. Turn the hook upside down or rotate the vise and tie
Wing: Light olive marabou over which is a smaller amount of in a throat, same as the tail. Turn the hook upright.
black marabou. I also tie this with brown instead of olive.

Tie on a tail of orange marabou. It should be short Use a bunch of olive or brown marabou for the
and fairly full. wing, topped with a smaller bunch of black
marabou. The bottom section should be two-thirds to
three-quarters of the total wing width.

Advance your thread to the front of the fly and secure

a piece of pearlescent mylar braid. Wrap the braid
around the hook shank rearward to the tail of the fly,
then forward again; tie off. Trim the excess marabou and finish off the head.

©NHF&G LIZA POINIER PHOTOS

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