are a sport and
craft that compliment each other. Under-
standing the species, it’s food chain and
how to properly imitate its diet are essential
items leading to a successful day of angling.
The advantage the angler who ties has over
his counterpart that doesn’t can be overwhelming.
This is not to say that you will not be have a prosperous day on the stream if you don’t tie your own flies. There are many fine production patterns available at the local shops that will work on most of all but the pickiest of trout. It is just the intricate subtle differences that that stubborn 24” Brown may be sipping that will enable the tier to imitate and trick his foe.  I remember a day on the Juniata River during a prolific sulphur hatch. I must have had
half a dozen different patterns in my box and all were being refused. An elderly local gentleman handed me
an obtrusive looking cream colored fly and told me to try it. I caught over a dozen trout in 30 minutes using his hand tied imitation. “I was sold”. The following day I purchased an inexpensive vice and tying kit and the “habit” began. It does become addictive. It’s hard to explain the feeling one gets the first time a really large fish accepts one of your creations.  Now I have a Renzetti Master Vice and a whole array of tools, gadgets and materials. I still consider myself a novice tier, but I will give my flies to other anglers and brag about their results. One of my fondest memories was a week that my friend Rich and I spent in the Smoky Mountains fishing the Little River around Townsend TN. It was the first week in May and the Hendricksons and Red Quills were hot and heavy all week. I had my tying materials with us and spent the first evening in the camper tying the best imitation we could come up with to match the samples we caught. The following afternoon the hatch was on along with about two dozen other anglers fishing the same water we had scouted the prior evening. We were catching one after another trout while the other anglers watched in dismay. What a feeling!

There are many styles and techniques of tying; I tend to tie in the “Catskill style” with sparse patterns.  One of the types of flies I use the most I have the most trouble tying. I can’t seem to master the art of spinning deer hair on the small Comparaduns I fish the most. I like to fish the slower waters of the streams I visit. I like to experiment with exotic materials as well. Thank you whoever for
Z-Lon.

Learning to tie is easy. I suggest a tying class from a local merchant, club or organization. Follow this up with videos.  The books are great but motion pictures offer so much more. Then just experiment and you will be successful.  Give tying a try; you’ll be glad you did!
Over the next few months I plan to expand this area of the Den and provide more coverage to this fine craft. In the meantime explore the links on this page. They offer a wealth of information on patterns, materials and tools.