Fly tying is not new to Hawaii.  Fishermen of these islands have been lashing a myriad of materials to fishhooks since ancient times. Surprisingly, fly tying in Hawaii has progressed slowly compared to the explosion experienced by much of the world.

 

One reason for this is that fly fishing in general has been slow to become recognized as a viable way to fish in the islands. The other, and probably the major reason, is that the vast majority of fishermen here have not been exposed to fly tying. This article will hopefully clear up some of the mysteries behind fly tying as well as serve as an introduction to fly tying to all fishermen who have not yet been exposed to this way of creating fish catching flies.

 

Clearly, the vast majority of fishing flies are created for use while fly fishing.  This, however, is by no means the only application of the creations that can come off a fly tier’s vise.  Flies can be used for just about any kind of fishing that is done with a hook and line.  Bottom fishermen and akule fishermen have been using simple flies for decades. Many jigs and trolling lures are nothing more than heavily weighted flies.  The dressed trebles found on the trailing hook of numerous plugs are nothing more than a fly tied on a treble hook.  With the resourcefulness and creativity that island fishermen seem to innately have, the possibilities are endless.  Fly tying can add a new and valuable dimension to the island fisherman’s “bag of tricks”.  It is also a great way to be creative, relax, and keep in touch with our sport while not on the water.

 

Fly tying is not difficult.  With the proper tools and a basic set of tying skills, anyone can not only tie flies but can tie ones that catch fish! 

 

 

 

The Tools

 

There are several essential tools that all fly tiers must have.  These include a vise, bobbin, and scissors.  A vise is nothing more than a devise that holds a hook in a stationary position so that materials can be tied to it.  Before the advent of fly tying specific vises, fly tiers used to hold the hook between their fingers while the fly was tied.  Others would use a vise grip, bench vise, or devices that were designed for other purposes.  There are still quite a few fishermen who still tie their jigs and damashis or sabiki rigs this way and although there is no doubt that this can be done, the fly tying vise offers the tier significant advantages.  The fly tying vise holds the hook with the proper amount of pressure so that the hook will not slip while tying or weaken due to too much pressure, a problem with many vise grips and other types of vises.  It also allows the tier to have two free hands instead of just one, as is the case with a hook held with one’s fingers. 

Both of these advantages greatly help with the ease of tying as well as the complexity and quality of fly that the average fly tier can achieve.

 

A bobbin is a device that holds the thread used to tie the fly.  The bobbin’s main purpose is to keeps tension on the thread during the fly tying process.  When creating flies it is critical to keep tension on the tread at all times.  With the spool of thread in a bobbin the devise can be hung from the hook to maintain thread tension again freeing up the tier’s hands.  Having hands free allows a tier to stop at any point during the tying process to prepare materials, answer the phone, watch the television, or go to sleep.  All of which, I find myself doing quite often during my tying sessions. 

 

Fly tying scissors complete the trio of absolutely essential tools.  There is one rule when it comes to scissors for fly tying, they must be sharp.  Tiers need to cut everything from hair to mylar as well as thread.  Often, very precise cuts must be made; therefore most tying scissors have fine tips and are extremely sharp.  The size of the scissors depends on its intended use.  A 4” straight scissors is a good size for most applications and is often times referred to an “all purpose” scissors.  Th

ere are numerous other tools used by fly tiers that are very important for specific applications, but at the core of it all the vise, bobbin, and scissors are the most essential.

 

 

 

Fly Parts

 

There are three basic parts to a fly that all tiers should be familiar with. These are the tail, body, and wing.  The tail refers to any material that is tied to hang off the back of the bend or curved end of the hook.  The body refers to material that is tied to the shank of the hook.  Body materials on flies are usually tied in and wrapped around the hook shank to form the body of the fly.  The wing of the fly refers to the material tied directly behind the eye of the hook.  The material can be tied on either side of the hook or completely around the hook.  It can be tied to represent part of the body of a baitfish or the back of a shrimp or crab.  Regardless of what it is intended to represent, it is still referred to as the wing.  Most flies will have a tail, body, and wing whether it is a trout fly or billfish fly.  Flies may have other parts, but almost all flies will have at least two of the three basic parts.  Most flies will also have a head.  The head of the fly is nothing more than the build up of thread directly behind the eye of the hook.  The “head” of the fly may or may not represent the head of the prey being imitated but it is still referred to as the head.

 

Let’s Tie One Up!

Photos Stan Wright

 

 

We’ll start with a very basic baitfish imitation. This style of streamer fly can be tied in different colors, sizes, and materials to represent any baitfish that swims. The fly works equally well on fresh or saltwater species. Locally this fly has proven itself to be very effective on papio, barracuda, peacock bass and a host of other fish eating species. It is great behind a bubble as well as slow trolled offshore for shibi and aku, especially when the fish are keying on smaller baits. I don’t think this fly has a name. It is more of a style than a specific pattern. The fly has a body and wing but no tail (although one can be easily added if desired). By altering materials, colors, weights, and sizes, this one pattern alone can be tied in an infinite number of ways and is a great jumping off point for the new tier.

 

Step 1

 

Start by tying in the thread behind the eye of the hook. To start tying any fly the thread is anchored by taking five or so wraps around itself. Advance the thread to the bend of the hook and back forward again.  This will create a base of thread on the hook shank. Materials should always be tied on a base or thread rather than on the bare hook shank. The thread base helps grip the material and makes it easier to control the placement of materials.

 

Step 2

 

Tie in a piece of diamond braid.  Gold, silver, or pearl diamond braids are good color choices here. Cover the diamond braid with thread up to the bend of the hook. Advance the thread back to the point where the diamond braid was tied in.

 

 

Step 3

 

Wrap the diamond braid forward around the hook shank.  Be sure to keep the wraps right next to each other. This is the body of the fly.  Continue wrapping until the body reaches the hanging thread.  Tie off the diamond braid with three or four wraps of thread. The diamond braid will represent the body of the baitfish as well as add a bit of flash to the fly.

 

Step 4

 

Select your winging material. Bucktail is popular but any synthetic or natural winging material will do. Tie

in the wing at the point where the body ended. The wing should all be tied on top of the shank.  To keep the wing from going around the hook when tied another basic fly tying technique must be used. This technique is called the pinch technique. To do this, hold the material, in this case bucktail, in place along with the hook shank. Pull the thread between your fingers and around the material. At this point you should be holding the hook, the bucktail and the thread between your fingers. Do not pull the thread tight. This is called a loose wrap. Make another loose wrap and then tighten. Do not let go of the material or the hook while tightening the thread.  Instead just let the thread wraps tighten around the hook shank and material while you are holding it in place. If done correctly all the wing material should remain on top of the hook shank.

 

Step 5

 

At this point, the sky is the limit.  Any kind of winging material can be added in the same manner as in step 4.  In this case a darker color of bucktail is added on top of the first wing to give the illusion of the darker shaded back color that baitfish tend to have.

 

 

Step 6 (optional)

 

Tie in a couple of strands of flash material (in this case Electra Scale).  Note that the flash is tied in with one strand on each side and tied at the midpoint of the strands.  The strands facing forward are then folded back and tied down with a few wraps of thread.  If done properly the material should extend straight back above the body and below the wing.  This will represent the lateral line of the baitfish and add a bit more flash.

 

Step 7

 

Complete the fly by wrapping thread around the shank and building up a thread head.  The head should cover the exposed materials that were tied in and taper toward the eye of the hook. 

 

 

Step 8

 

Whip finish or tie about five half hitches.  These knots are used to finish all flies and are really all you need to make a sturdy fly. Trim the thread close and apply head cement or nail polish.  Although it is not necessary when a proper whip finish or half hitches are used, adding nail polish or head cement can add extra durability as well as a nice sheen to the thread wraps.  Instead of tying the whip finish or half hitches a drop of crazy glue can be applied to the head before cutting the thread.  This will work but it is more time consuming and, for me, far messier than the whip finish.

Eyes can be applied as well as epoxy (for supreme durability) if desired, but are not necessary.

The fly described in this article merely represents the entrance to the rabbit hole leading to the world of fly tying.  Hopefully, it will serve as an introduction and springboard for those who have not yet had exposure to tying.  Fly tying is a wonderful aspect of fishing that has for a long time gone underutilized by many local fishermen.  It gives fishermen another extremely effective option for bait or lures.  It adds an element of creativity to the sport we all live for.  Catching fish is always fun. If you are anything like I am, fooling a fish into taking something that you made… well that’s just borderline magical!

Nervous Water will be happy to answer any questions you may have about this article, fly tying, or fly fishing in Hawaii. Just drop us a line at info@nervouswaterhawaii.com or visit us at
3434 Waialae Avenue.