Ok....time to get started....

[erhetta]

I finally won a decent E-Bay auction to get me started. I have basic tools, dunno the brand of vise, but it is a clamp style with rounded jaws, some different materials and hooks, and the motivation. When is the next noob get-together?

I have the Randall Kaufmann book, Fly Tying made easy for beginners and will probably start there.

Anyone have a good step-by for Fox's poopah? It seems to be the fly I have gone though the most of. I have not searched anywhere yet :(

I know I have to build my skills slowly, but also want to try to learn to tie patterns I will use and patterns to share at swaps.

Maybe I can tie my first "something" this weekend. I will share my progress (if anybody is really interested) so that somebody that is like me, starting out, wondering about things, can maybe gleen something from my experiences.

[David Lee]

Matt Frey ties the Pupa , his is the bomb !

Matt - care to post a step-by-step ???

David

[PatrickM]

Check out www.troutflies.com and click on the tutorial link. Lots of good step-by-steps, including one on the poopah.
Good luck.

What's up DL?

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Sometimes on Sundays at the shop it's not too busy and Andy can give you some tying tips if you bring the tools and materials.

[erhetta]

Hey Bill....thanks...I may take you up on that.....but really, when is your shop NOT busy? Every time I come over there are always peeps in there shopping, talking, watching vids, etc....

:D

[Ed Wahl]

You've got a good book, just start there. A big part of tying is mastering the basics, everything else works off of that. Starting the thread, wrapping the thread, tails, dubbings, hackles, heads, etc, etc. Gotta crawl before you can walk, walk before you can run. I think you'd be amazed at how many tiers started with just a book to go from, I think maybe 99 percent of us started that way. Give it some time, work your way through the patterns in the book(yes, you will end up using them) then branch out to your favorite patterns. Take the wooley bugger for example, the starter fly for untold thousands of fly tiers, simple, basic, easy to tie. That fly has caught almost every fish out there at one time or another.Wouldn't leave home without it. You'll get to your Poopahs soon enough, don't rush it. Ed

[dtp916]

Check out www.troutflies.com and click on the tutorial link. Lots of good step-by-steps, including one on the poopah.
Good luck.

What's up DL?

25 detailed steps on how to tie this bad boy!

Ain't gonna get any better than that. :D

[brun0]

Here are some websites with lots of recipes and some with step by step instruction. Enjoy-
Mike


http://www.cffu.org/CFFU/FlyIndex.html
http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flytying/fotw2/archive.html
http://www.ultimateflytying.com/
http://www.charliesflyboxinc.com/
http://members.tripod.com/stevenojai/flybox.htm
http://www.troutflies.com/
http://www.virtualflybox.com/index.php

[erhetta]

I love these boards....so much help. Thanks for the links and encouragement. :D

[erhetta]

On another note:

I got into trying the poopah and did ok...until....

I tied on my tinsel, added the chenille, wrapped the rib back, tied it off, got ready to put on the legs and snapped my thread. I tried to half hitch to re-start and it just got bulky right behind the bead. So much so that I cut everything off and started over.....same thing happened at the same place again. Checked to see that the wire was not sharp and causing the issue...found that the tinsel, of all things, was fraying the thread enough to pop it when I was moving on to tie in the legs.

With that noted, does anybody have tips on how to effectively deal with thread breakage late in the game?

I am going to Angola, IN for the next 4 days and bringing my tying gear with me to keep me occupied in my hotel room, so hopefully I will have some pics of completed flys for critique soon.

Thanks again to everybody.

[Darian]

Hmmmm,.... I've never experienced mylar tinsel fraying thread while tying any pattern. :? :? You might consider a different thread or one with a stronger tensile strength.... 8)

As to restarting after breaking your thread, try to start a new wrap similar to the way you started on a bare hook. A half hitch will have a natural build-up over the point where the threads cross (hope that's not too confusing).

When considering any attempt to restart, the size of the hook/pattern/thread will give you an idea about whether to just start over as you did. 8) 8) 8)

[dtp916]

I usually only break the thread when tying with 8/0 and hitting the hook point over and over again when I'm rushing.

[Hairstacker]

Erhetta, thread breakage happens to us all. Should rarely be a problem that would cause you to “start over.” Here’s what I do, which I have found works really well, and is essentially what Darian said:

Attach hackle pliers to the tag end of the broken-off thread and let it dangle freely -- this will hold the broken-off thread downward under tension and free up your hands. Then start new thread just as you normally would when starting a fly – 3 wraps forward and 3 or 4 wraps backward – but make these wraps on top of the broken-off thread hanging down from the vise. In other words, use these threads to lock off the broken-off thread so that what you’ve tied already doesn’t unravel. No need for any half-hitches and, after snipping off excess tag ends, you’re now ready to start tying again. The broken off tag-end, as well as the newly tied on thread should be secure, without undue thread build-up, and you can now merrily finish the rest of the fly.