Tying Fly Fishing Flies - The Frankenstein Fly
You can buy flies for fly fishing, but you'll want to tie your
own at some point. Undoubtedly, your first fly will be the
Frankenstein Fly.
Of Flies...
There is a particular fly for every fish, location and
situation. There are basic flies like the Woolly Bugger and
millions of exotic ones. You can buy thousands of them, but it
will set you back a pretty penny. So, it's time to tie your own.
The first step in the fly process is getting some educated
advice at the bookstore. You'll need to browse the fishing
section for the hundreds of books on the subject. You'll see
books like "Flies for Idiots", "Be One With The Fly", "I Fly,
You Fly, We All Fly" and other mythical titles. Pick the one
that seems tailored to your needs, buy your tools and supplies
and head home.
One of the first flies most people try to tie is the Woolly
Bugger. It can be used for most situations and seems fairly
simple to tie. Since this is your first time, you'll actually be
tying the Frankenstein Fly whether you realize it or not. This
is true regardless of the specific fly you try to tie.
With the Woolly Bugger, you'll use a jam knot, a fluffy piece of
marabou, lead wire and so on. You'll follow the directions in
detail. You'll wind. You'll strip fuzz. You'll wrap like you've
never wrapped before. In the end, you will have followed every
step in agonizing detail. As you finish the last step, whip
finishing your fly, you'll step back to admire the best Woolly
Bugger.
At this point, you'll look at the book and your masterpiece.
Then you'll jump on the Internet and pull up pictures of Woolly
Bugger flies. Then the neighborhood will shake with a piercing
scream. Yes, you've created something that faintly looks like a
Woolly Bugger, but strikingly like Frankenstein.
Congratulations, you've tied a Frankenstein Fly. Welcome to the
league of mad tie scientists.
Have Faith
Tying flies is definitely an art. You will almost never get it
right the first time. Don't be discouraged. Keep at it. Who
knows, maybe the fish will find your Frankenstein Fly to be a
tasty treat.