Personal Instruction

You can’t beat personal instruction. There is no substitute for immersing yourself in a classroom atmosphere far away from home-front distractions. One-on-one fly tying instruction forces you to practice under the watchful eyes of a pro. It makes you responsible for acquiring all the right equipment without cheating. It also provides you with that all important constructive criticism that every artist requires in order to hone their craft.

Just about anywhere there’s fishing and fly fishing in particular, you will find someone who is offering either personal fly tying classroom instruction, be it beginner or advanced level. Use an internet search engine to find an instructor in your neck of the woods. Just type in the keywords “Fly Tying Instruction” followed by the name of your hometown and scroll down the results. If the search happens to come up empty, don’t hesitate to place a classified ad that reads something to the affect: “Fly fisherman looking for experienced and/or professional fly tier to provide personalized instruction.” You never know the fly tying master you might lure into taking the job.

Once you’ve mastered the art of making even a few basic fly patterns such as olive wooly-buggers, pheasant tail nymphs or royal Wulffs, you’ll discover that fly tying is as therapeutic as it is creative. It’ll also save you money since creating a fly will cost you only pennies compared to the few dollars the local mega sports store can demand for a mass marketed product.

What It Costs

• Fly Tying Equipment (all inclusive “kit”):$150 - $200
• Fly Tying Instruction Book: $30 - $50
• Fly Tying Instructional DVDs: $15 - $30
• Fly Tying Online Instruction: Free
• Personalized Fly Tying Classroom Instruction - Beginners (three, two-hour sessions): $40 - $60
• Personalized Fly Tying Classroom Instruction - Advanced (three, two hour sessions): $60 - $75

Chances are you’ll take almost as much pleasure in tying these colorful flies as you will using them on a crystal clear trout stream or bass pond. After a short while, you’ll find yourself tying patterns you never before heard of. You might even find yourself inventing your own patterns, perhaps even marketing them to other fishermen and women.