Fly-tiers sometimes find themselves in a rut. Novices may find that they are not making much progress in learning the skills needed to produce top quality flies.

More experienced tiers may find that their tying has reached a plateau, and their flies never seem to improve.

That's a shame, because tying high quality flies is well within the grasp of every tier. In an effort to help remedy both situations, here is my list of fifteen ways to improve your fly-tying.

2. Use as fine a tying thread as possible. Most tiers tend to use thread that is entirely too heavy. A fine thread will actually tie a stronger, as well as a neater, fly. A fine thread allows you to take more turns around the material for added strength, but it doesn't build up unsightly bulk. Size 8/0 thread is certainly adequate for almost any dry fly and 6/0 is about right for most other things.

A beginner often feels that he or she should use heavy thread so it won't break as often, but beginners always break thread. It is best to learn to tie with the proper thread right from the start.

3. Always tie a fly to the proper proportions and strive for uniformity. Each style of fly has certain basic proportions which should be maintained relative to the hook size. For example, in most dry flies, the tail should be the length of the hook shank, the hackle one and a half to two times the width of the gap of the hook, and the wings about one quarter longer than the hackle. The wings should be placed a quarter to one third of the length of the hook shank behind the eye of the hook. These proportions should be considered at each step of the tying process. An experienced tier's flies are consistently well proportioned and uniform, whereas a beginner may well have a size 12 tail and size 10 wings all on a size 14 hook.

4. Always have a good visual background and adequate light at your tying station. Depending upon the materials being used, a piece of white or black paper behind your vise will greatly improve the visual contrast, and will allow for a greater degree of precision in your work. It will also prevent eye fatigue during long periods of tying.

5. Brush up on your basic tying techniques. It's easy to get lazy, and try to take shortcuts that may detract from the quality of the finished fly. I often find that some of the best flies I tie are those done as demonstrations. Why? Because I concentrate on doing each step properly, and on using good basic techniques.

6. Detect "problems" when they occur. Why wait until the fly is fished to discover that the tail is too long? If you are critical of each step, errors can be corrected as they develop, and the finished fly will be greatly improved.

7. The fly is not finished just because it is out of the vise. Often the only difference between a good fly and an excellent one is a little judicious trimming after the fly is out of the vise. This does not mean to clip the wings, tail, or hackle to the proper length, but to look for stray hackle or tail fibers that protrude at odd angles, bits of dubbing that produce a lumpy body, or fibers caught under the thread windings of the head. Inspect each finished fly, and make minor trimmings where necessary.

8. Be very critical of each finished fly. Ask yourself, "What is wrong with this fly?" Compare it with a fly tied by an experienced tier, and ask for criticism from others. How can you improve your next fly if you don't know what was wrong with the last one?

9. Watch others tie and ask a lot of questions. Books are helpful, but there is no substitute for watching an experienced tier. Almost always the better tiers will be more than happy to help in any way they can, but you must go to them; don't expect them to offer advice until asked.

10. Join a fly-tying club or start one yourself. No matter where you live you should be able to find others who are interested in fly-tying. Even a loosely organized group can promote an interchange of ideas and techniques that are certain to help each member improve his or her fly-tying ability.

11. There are few right or wrong fly-tying methods. There are many different techniques for achieving the same end result. Therefore, don't have a closed mind; learn as many new methods as you can, and use the ones that work best for you.

12. Experiment with new techniques and study the insects you want to imitate. You will usually find that the best fly-tiers are not content to do things in the "old way." They constantly look for new ways to improve their flies, new materials, and better imitations.

13. Don't worry about tying speed. It is better to produce one great fly in thirty minutes than a dozen poor flies in the same time. When I tie, I'm often asked, "How can you tie so quickly?" My answer is, "Don't worry about speed." As your tying improves you will discover the little tricks that lead to faster tying, but first, concentrate on quality.

14. Don't be satisfied with "good enough." Good enough may catch fish, but your tying will never improve if you settle for anything less than your very best. You must constantly try to make each fly better than the previous one. My saying is, "Good enough, isn't."

15. Practice! Finally, as in most endeavors, improvement comes only with thoughtful practice. Tie as often as you can, and make a serious effort to improve your results. Then one day you will look at last year's flies and think, "Did I tie those ratty looking things?" Then you'll be well on your way to gaining a reputation as a fly-tying expert. Good luck!

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