Fly Tying Videos: One Minute Fly Tying Tips

In this great video, Tim demonstrates how to create a nice, neat head on any kind of fly. When I first started tying, I was often frustrated by the bulbous, oversize heads on my patterns, ruining the fly’s profile. Had I known about Tim’s “no tie zone,” I would have been much more satisfied with the results (and might have caught more fish, too).

For the last five weeks, Tim has been demonstrating different methods for creating a stable, upright post for a Parachute pattern–the traditional method, the 90-degree method, the UV-resin method, and the needle method–as well as how to finish the post. In today’s video, he shows you how to hackle the post without using your tying thread. The problem that plagues many tiers is that it’s difficult to tie off the thread and then whip-finish without trapping a bunch of hackle fibers, which creates a messy-looking fly. Here, Tim shows you how to use UV-cure resin to secure the hackle to the post. The benefits are obvious, and the fly turns out looking clean and neat.

For the last four weeks, Tim has been demonstrating different methods for creating a stable, upright post for a Parachute pattern: the traditional method, the 90-degree method, the UV-resin method, and the needle method. In today’s video, he shows you how to finish the fly on the post itself, rather than behind the hook eye. This way, you don’t have to worry about trapping a bunch of hackle fibers when you whip-finish, and it makes for a much cleaner fly. You can use this technique along with any of the posting methods he’s covered.

Here’s the fourth installment in Tim’s series about different methods for creating a stable, upright post for a Parachute pattern. In the past three weeks, Tim has demonstrated the traditional method, the 90-degree method, and the UV-resin method. In today’s video, he shows you how to use a small sewing needle to provide enough stability for you to make tight wraps around the post material–and the hackle, if you want.Here’s the fourth installment in Tim’s series about different methods for creating a stable, upright post for a Parachute pattern. In the past three weeks, Tim has demonstrated the traditional method, the 90-degree method, and the UV-resin method. In today’s video, he shows you how to use a small sewing needle to provide enough stability for you to make tight wraps around the post material–and the hackle, if you want.

Here’s the latest in Tim’s series about different methods for creating a stable, upright post for a Parachute pattern. In the past two weeks, Tim has demonstrated the traditional method and the 90-degree method. In today’s video, he shows you how to use UV-cure resin, rather than thread, to stand the wing up and create a nice base for the hackle. This is surely the quickest way to make a post, and Tim argues that the weight of the resin isn’t a problem. So if you’ve got a UV kit, give this a try!

There are several techniques for creating a stable, upright post for a Parachute pattern, and last week Tim demonstrated the traditional method. In today’s video, he shows you what may be the simplest way to create an accurate, smooth, tight post, which then makes wrapping the hackle easier, as well. The key is to reposition the hook in the vise jaws so that gravity is helping to maintain tension on the thread. This is one of the those situations where you find yourself saying, “Now why didn’t I think of that?”

Creating a stable, upright post for a Parachute pattern is vital to both the fly’s look and its performance on the water. As you might imagine, there are several methods for tying the post, and Tim Flagler knows most of them. Here, he demonstrates the traditional method, which is simple and straightforward. One of the keys is spinning your bobbin to flatten the thread for more contact with the posting material.

In our sixth installment, Tim demonstrates a simple method for tying off the thread by making a whip-finish by hand. There is, of course, a tool to make whip-finishes, but some tiers prefer doing it by hand because it’s quicker. This is especially easier on larger flies, but can be tough when hooks get smaller.

Building a tapered thread body on a small hook, for a fly such as a Zebra Midge, is a fairly simple process, but things can go wrong pretty easily. You don’t want to end up with a misshapen or fat fly. Here, Tim shows you exactly how to use a three-step wrapping process to ensure a smooth body that tapers from front to back. His method of flattening the thread creates an even platform for the rib, as well.

The final steps of creating a Pheasant Tail Nymph involve adding legs that sweep back from the head along the thorax. In this short video, Tim demonstrates his ingenious methods for finishing the fly without creating a lot of bulk at the front end. By using the back end of his bodkin, he pushes the materials into place. I also love his method for trimming the excess pheasant-tail fibers so cleanly.

Every fly-tying recipe features specific materials . . . but none call for junk that’s on your hands. Yet, if you start tying with dirty, greasy fingers, you’re bound to transfer some of that gunk to the fly itself, and that’s a bad thing. If you want your flies to look as good as Tim’s, take the time to wash your hands very well, dry them with a clean cloth, and then spend a few moments removing any rough spots that might lead to frustration. As a bonus, you’ll be less likely to contract the flu, as well!

Tim discusses the different numbering systems for tying thread, which can be quite confusing. For instance, in the “ought” system, the larger the number the smaller the thread, but in the denier system, the opposite is true. As always, Tim helps to clarify and simplify the issue.

In our fourth installment, Tim discusses the different numbering systems for tying thread, which can be quite confusing. For instance, in the “ought” system, the larger the number the smaller the thread, but in the denier system, the opposite is true. As always, Tim helps to clarify and simplify the issue.

Nothing ruins the look and the action of a good fly worse than a lumpy, overly large head. As Tim notes, one of the keys is using smaller thread, but you’ve also got to be careful how you cut the butts of your wing material and apply adhesives. Follow Tim’s directions, and you’ll soon be creating slim, proportional heads that will impress both your fishing buddies and the fish.

The first time I taught a fly-tying course with Dave Klausmeyer, editor of Fly Tyer, he told me to watch the students carefully when it came to using dubbing. “They’ll try to put half a rabbit on the thread,” Dave said, “So you have to show them how a little goes a long way.” In this typically great video, Tim shows how you can pull just a bit of dubbing from a clump, aligning the fibers so that they’ll spin around the thread easily. Once you’ve got that thin dubbing noodle, you can wrap a nice, smooth body on the hook.

Many fly-tying recipes call for a tail or a wing that is as long as the shank of the hook. But how do you ensure that you’ve got the proper measurement? In this video, Tim explains how hold the material, then mark it with a thumbnail, and reposition for tie-in. The process is slightly different, depending on whether you’re creating a tail or a wing, and Tim demonstrates both. The result is that you’ll end up with a fly that is both proportionate and attractive. .

In this video, Tim explains how to strip a quill so you can create a cool, segmented body on a fly. For some feathers, you can simply remove the barbs with you fingers, while peacock herls require a different technique–involving school supplies–to strip off the flues. Either way, you should soak the quill to make it easier to wrap.

In this video, Tim explains why you might want to invest in a rotary tying vise. The ability to rotate the hook around its shank makes creating attractive bodies easier, and it also helps with hackles and applying coatings. A rotary vise certainly isn’t necessary for the vast majority of fly patterns you’ll tie, but it will make tying many patterns easier.

In our fifth installment, Tim demonstrates how to properly seat a hook in the vise. There are three reasons that you really want to make sure you’ve done this correctly: 1. to avoid the hook slipping as you wrap materials; 2. to give you enough room to work (especially on small hooks); and 3. to keep from accidentally stabbing yourself, which can be really painful.

In our fifth installment, Tim demonstrates how to properly seat a hook in the vise. There are three reasons that you really want to make sure you’ve done this correctly: 1. to avoid the hook slipping as you wrap materials; 2. to give you enough room to work (especially on small hooks); and 3. to keep from accidentally stabbing yourself, which can be really painful.

Last week, in the first in this two-part series, Tim explained how slotted beads are your best choice for creating beadhead flies on jig hooks. Here, he shows you the easiest way to get the small beads on the hook, using plunger-style hackles, and then he demonstrates why the orientation of the slot in the bead is important. If you want to create attractive, fast-sinking nymphs, then this is a great method.

Beadhead nymphs are wildly popular among fly fishers for several reasons: they sink fast without split shot, they offer attractive flash in the water, and they catch fish. Recently, many anglers have discovered that beadheads tied on tactical jig hooks work even better because they drift in a more horizontal orientation, snag the bottom less, and penetrate well because of the ultra-sharp barbless hook point. The problem is that standard beads don’t fit right on these new hooks. In this video–the first in a two-part series–Tim explains how slotted beads are your best choice.

Adding some ribbing to a fly pattern serves several purposes: it creates segmentation that mimics natural insects; it adds flash, color, or translucence; and it adds to a fly’s durability. Here, Tim demonstrates the proper methods for ribbing a fly, and I’ve always loved the way he braces the hook shank with the tip of his bobbin and “helicopters” the wire to break it off clean.

In this first installment, Tim tackles the first step of most fly patterns: attaching the thread to the hook. We look forward to posting a new video every Tuesday, helping our readers improve their skills. And if you’ve always wanted to learn to tie, this series will be a great tool to help you get started.

Adding lead-free wire helps get your flies to the bottom, but it can also make patterns look lumpy and misshapen. Plus, getting the stuff on the hook can be a pain. Here, Tim shows you how he does it, using plunger-style hackle pliers and his patented helicopter move. You’ll never curse at your wire again.

Here’s the second part of Tim’s lesson about creating perfect hair wings every time. In last week’s Part 1, Tim demonstrated how to choose the right hair and then how to prepare it for tie in. In Part 2, he shows you exactly how to position the hair clump on the hook shank and then to use thread to create upright, separated wings. Follow these steps, and all your Wulffs and Humpies will look great and catch more fish.

Dry-fly patterns such as the Royal Wulff and the Patriot float well, are easy to see, and catch a ton of trout. What separates these flies from other dries are that the wings are made of hair, rather than hackle tips. In this great video, the first of two parts, Tim shows how to choose the right hair and then how to prepare it for tie in. Come back next Tuesday for part 2, which will demonstrate how to tie the prepared clump of hair to the hook.

Dumbell eyes add weight to a streamer pattern, plus they allow the fly to ride hook-upward and impart a jigging motion when you strip line. The problem is that they also tend to rotate around the hook shank, ruining both the fly’s profile and motion in the water. In this short video, Tim explains his method for securing the eyes to the shank through a series of different wraps meant to lock the eyes in place. I particularly like the penultimate step of wrapping around the previous wraps in order to tighten them. So the next time you’re tying a Clouser or a heavy nymph, use these steps to make sure everything stays where it should be.

For most household jobs, a single pair of scissors will do, but fly-tying is a different story. You don’t want to use your finest, sharpest scissors to cut materials that may dull the blades, and sometimes a specific kind of scissors are required to cut different materials. Here, Tim shows the different scissors he uses on his tying bench–from the big blades for cutting coarse materials to the “old Billy Baroo,” which are reserved for trimming hackles close to the hook. He mentions that he recently started using non-stick spring-loaded scissors;

Beads and cones come in a dizzying array of sizes, weights, colors, and shapes. So how do you figure out which kind you need? In this short video, Tim offers some useful tips for choosing the right kind of weight or decoration for a given pattern. Whether you’re tying size 20 midges or size 2 Slumpbusters, you’ll want to grab the right material to make the fly look and perform best.

Working with rubber legs can be a real hassle, as the wiggly material is tough to hold onto and to keep in place on the hook shank. In this video, Tim shows you how to use loops of legging material–rather than small strands–to solve these problems. By binding everything to the shank before cutting the legs to size, you can ensure proper placement and orientation, which will make your patterns much more attractive and effective. A little tugging on the legs doesn’t hurt, either.

Marabou is a great material for tails, bodies, and collars on flies such as the Woolly Bugger. In this video, Tim shows you how to choose the right feather, how to prepare it, and a cool trick for making the tying-in process easier.

For those of us with fat fingers, tying tiny patterns can be a real trial. Just getting the hook from the package to the vise can be frustrating. Here, Tim shares his secret weapons: plunger-style hackle pliers and a magnetic strip glued to a popsicle stick. As you’ll see, this combo works much better than fingers for getting everything in the right place, so you can start the tying process.

One of the first things you notice after watching Tim’s videos is that he’s always looking for ways to make the tying process easier, and he’s come up a bunch of novel tricks. Here, he shows you how keeping a simple sticky-note pad on your tying table can help you with materials preparation, organization, clean-up. There are plenty of other parts of the tying process you can struggle with, so it’s nice to not be looking for those Krystal Flash fibers you just cut or spending time scouring glue off the table.

Many classic dry-fly and nymph patterns call for tails made from hackle fibers. Here, Tim explains how to choose the right feather, find the best fibers, and strip them from the quil. Then, he has a useful tip for tying in the tail, which will ensure that it ends up right on top of the hook.

The Elk-Hair Caddis and similar flies that use deer or elk hair are go-to patterns for trout anglers everywhere. But tying in the wing can be a pain: sometimes the hair flares too much or spins around the hook shank, and the head can obscure the hook eye. Here, Tim shows you exactly where and how to attach a hair wing to get the best profile and to avoid these problems.

In the third and final part of his series on peacock herl, Tim demonstrates how the location of the feather and how you cut it from the stem can affect the way the material goes on the hook. Did you ever wonder how expert tiers create those full, perfect peacock-herl bodies, whereas your own look kind of sparse and thin? It all comes down to choosing the right herl, cutting it from the stem in the right orientation, and then tying it on the hook shank with the stem facing forward. The contrast between the properly tied body and the other is startling.

Have you ever wondered why there are different kinds of hackle available in fly shops and catalogs? In this video, Tim explains the differences among the three most popular kinds of hackle: rooster cape, rooster saddle, and hen cape. Capes and saddles come from different parts of the bird, and they display different characteristics, which affect how you might use them. Tim really pulled out all the stops when it comes to video special effects and graphics here.

In this video, the second of a three-part series, Tim uses macro images of peacock eyes and herls to explain how different parts of the feather are constructed differently, which will inform your choice of herls for a given pattern. When you are using herl for a fly body or thorax, make sure you are orienting the herls correctly to get the best effect.

Trout teeth are small, but they can be sharp. And if they happen to cut the material that you’ve wrapped around the hook shank–peacock herl or hackle quills, for instance–the whole thing can come unraveled, rendering the fly useless. One way to keep this from happening is to counterwrap another material, such as wire or hackle, over the top of the body material. The top material crosses the strands of body material, locking them down. This will make your flies last longer, allowing you to spend more time fishing and less time changing flies.

In this video, Tim shows you how to prepare hair–whether deer, elk, or something more exotic–to be tied on the hook. The cleaning and stacking process is not difficult, but if you don’t do it correctly, your flies won’t be very attractive. The cool thing about Tim’s videos is that there is always one little thing you learn to make life easier–in this case the final tap of the stacker at a 45-degree angle.

In this video, the first of a three-part series, Tim explains some of the different uses for peacock herl, including the different parts of the feather. Peacock herl can help you crate bushy bodies or thoraxes, or slender quill bodies. Knowing how and when to use peacock herl will make you a more versatile tier.

In this great video, Tim demonstrates how to create a dubbing noodle by splitting your tying thread and inserting the dubbing into the middle. This technique requires a dubbing needle and a thread that is easy to uncord and flatten. Strategic spinning of the bobbin first flattens the thread and then creates the noodle. The end result is a brushy, natural-looking body on the fly.

A great way to make a buggy body for a nymph or streamer pattern is to apply the dubbing with a dubbing loop. In this great video, Tim shows you exactly how to create the loop, how to hold it open while you insert the dubbing, and then how to spin the loop into a dubbing noodle that’s easy to wrap around the hook shank. It’s a cool technique that you can use on many patterns.

There are many ways to use dubbing to create bodies, thoraxes, and such on a fly, and each creates a different effect. Here, Tim demonstrates a technique called “touch dubbing,” which allows the individual hairs of the fur to splay wildly, resulting in a really buggy effect. The keys are to properly prepare the dubbing, use the right wax, and add the dubbing a pinch at a time.

Tim shows how you can pull just a bit of dubbing from a clump, aligning the fibers so that they’ll spin around the thread easily. Once you’ve got that thin dubbing noodle, you can wrap a nice, smooth body on the hook.

Tim demonstrates a simple method for tying off the thread by making a whip-finish by hand. There is, of course, a tool to make whip-finishes, but some tiers prefer doing it by hand because it’s quicker. This is especially easier on larger flies, but can be tough when hooks get smaller.

Wrapping a single strand of, say, chenille on a hook to create a fly body can be frustrating enough, if the wraps don’t touch or the body comes out lumpy and uneven. When you add the complexity of multiple strands that have to be controlled during the wrapping process, it can drive a tier batty. But Tim Flagler has a ridiculously simple solution–instead of repositioning your thread at the front of the shank and wrapping the materials up to that point, wrap the materials behind the thread, using the tension of the handing bobbin to keep all the matrials in place.

One of the more frustrating things that can happen when you’re tying a fly is when the work you’ve just done unwraps–because you lost your grip, you didn’t secure tha material well enough, or the thread breaks. In this great video, Tim shows you how to use quick half hitches to save your work. This allows you to pause–to answer the phone, for instance–without worrying that the peacock herl you just wrapped is going to come undone. It’s a simple trick that can save time and help you avoid cursing at the vise.

Spinning the bobbin first can also help you to tie in materials easier. After watching the video above, you’ll look at thread in a whole new way.

Tim teaches you how to properly use the tool designed to create whip finishes. When you look at the tool, it’s not necessarily clear how you use it, and the thread can sometimes fly off in the middle of trying to tie-off the thread. Here, he demonstrates how to address the thread with the tool and then how to properly angle it to ensure you get a nice, smooth knot.

Tim tackles the first step of most fly patterns: attaching the thread to the hook

Tim shows you how to load your tying thread into the bobbin. Some begginers struggle with trying to get the limp thread through the tube, but Tim shows two simple ways to accomplish that.

Tim demonstrates a cool and quick way to break off the tag end of your thread after you’ve tied on.