2torial #0958:
Learn2 Tie a Fly (continued)

Gather your materials

To get started, you need to obtain certain items, which you can find at a fly fishing or sports equipment store, or by typing "fly fishing" into an Internet search engine. Here's what you'll need:

A tying bench. An area devoted solely to tying is ideal, but you can also use a kitchen table, office desk, or card table. You'll need about 3 square feet (1 square meter) of open space.

A vise. Get a base vise, because they don't have to be attached to anything. They stand on their own, so you can set them up on any flat surface.

A hook. You'll need a size 14 fishhook for this nymph.

Thread. To guarantee the thread is as unobtrusive as possible, choose a color that matches the dubbing color. For a nymph, use size 6/O or 8/O.

A bobbin. This is used to hold the spool of thread while you wind it onto the hook.

Yarn. For this nymph, use glo bug, leech, or mohair yarn.

Floss. Silk, rayon, or nylon floss is used for building a fly's body. For this particular nymph, buy a spool of four-strand rayon.

Dubbing. This is any soft, smooth material you can wrap around the hook shank to help form the body of a fly. For nymphs, use either natural dubbing--like rabbit or squirrel fur, or peacock herl--or synthetic dubbing, like nylon.

Hackle. For this nymph, use hen feathers.

Tying scissors. Make sure they're sharp and your fingers fit through the loops.

A storage case. It's not necessary, but a case helps to organize, store, and transport your materials. Also, it'll keep potentially dangerous supplies like scissors, finisher cement, hooks, and needles away from children and pets.