Start Tying Your Own Steelhead Flies and Jigs
One of the best parts of steelhead fly-fishing is learning the art of steelhead fly tying. While you can buy pre-made flies, there is nothing more satisfying than tying your own flies and being able to share with your friends the fact that you caught a 20-pound fish using a steelhead fly you made yourself.
Tying your own flies can be a very relaxing and enjoyable hobby as well as very rewarding when a steelhead decides to take the fly or jig you tied yourself. While it is not complicated, steelhead fly tying for steelhead fishing can be a very delicate art when tying some patterns. Jigs are some of the easier types to tie and may be a good choice for tying if you are just starting.
The first piece of equipment you will need when you start steelhead fly tying is a good quality fly vice. This will hold your hook while you are tying it together. You will want a vice that can hold all sizes and shapes of hooks, and one that is easily adjustable.
Get a bobbin this will hold your thread. A bobbin will keep your thread tight, and easier to use, while you are tying your fly. Bobbins come in a variety of sizes, but they all do the same thing. Spend just a little bit more money on a bobbin and you will not have to worry about it cutting the thread before you are through tying.
You need to have a good pair of scissors too. To start out with, one pair of scissors is enough, but as you get better at steelhead fly tying, you will want to have a variety of shapes and sizes to meet the needs of the flies you are tying. The loops should fit your fingers comfortably, and they need to be sharp.
Hackle pliers are small pliers with enough constant tension designed to wrap hackle feathers around the hook. As with scissors, they come in all shapes and sizes.
Find a good bodkin, which is like a needle on a handle. You can use a bodkin to not only tie the steelhead fly, but also for delicate work that requires a small, sharp point like separating out pieces of feather and fur.
Of course, you will also need a large selection of threads, feathers and fur to match the different types of flies you want to match. Mink fur, deer hair, elk hair, and pheasant feathers are good materials to work with as are peacock, and turkey feathers, along with a good selection of yarn and dubbing.
If you are just starting out, or maybe you have been thinking of tying you own steelhead flies for a while but just were not sure of what you needed. There are many fly tying kits available from a simple basic kit to kits with everything you may ever need for fly tying on the market to day.
Several books and websites available can teach you steelhead fly patterns for steelhead fly-fishing. It would be impossible to explain in just a few short paragraphs all the patterns and techniques. One such site with plenty of information and patterns is Salmonfly.Net. The best way to learn how to tie your own flies is to experiment and keep doing it. You will eventually find techniques, and patterns that work for you, and be well on your way to becoming an expert on steelhead fly tying for your steelhead fly-fishing adventures!
Take a look at some of the Fly Tying Kits
Here are fly Tying Kits available on Ebay too!!
Tags: Steelhead Fly Tying