Tying Fly
Fishing Flies – The Frankenstein Fly
by: Rick Chapo
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.
