FLY TYING: CREATING INSECT IMITATIONS FOR FLY FISHING

Creating artificial flies is an activity that complements fly fishing. The objective for those who take up this craft is to tie imitations of insects that inhabit aquatic ecosystems and serve as a food source for the fish living there onto a hook.
This requires a certain level of manual dexterity, as well as a keen sense of observation to accurately understand the size, morphology, and colors of the insects we wish to imitate.

There are essentially six tools required to create your own imitations.

The vise holds the hook on which hair, feathers, and various other materials are assembled.

The bobbin holder is used to hold the spool of thread required for tying.

Scissors, which must be small and precise.

The dubbing needle is used to extract small hairs from the body of the fly during the finishing stage.

Hackle pliers, necessary for gripping the feathers that will be wrapped around the hook shank.

The whip finisher, used to tie the finishing knot on our flies.

Hooks, which are indispensable, vary in shape (the most common being straight and curved shanks) and size depending on the types of flies being tied. For fishing in rivers and streams, a range from size 12 to 20 will be more than sufficient.
Tying threads are used to secure materials to the hook to create fishing flies; they are made of both natural and synthetic fibers and come in various colors.
Tying materials deserve a separate mention. A wide variety of products are available on the market, ranging from classic natural fibers to increasingly innovative synthetic materials.
Among natural materials, the most commonly used feathers are: pheasant tail, partridge, goose, and cul de canard. They can be natural or dyed. Primary colors include tan, olive green, bronze, light and dark gray, and other decorative shades.

Rooster or hen neck feathers are also used, marketed as bird capes, which naturally include the feathers. They differ in color—which can be natural or dyed—and origin. Necks can come from common roosters or genetically selected ones, providing feathers better suited for fly tying. Costs and quality vary accordingly.
To begin tying, even the most economical capes in colors such as ginger, blue dun, gray, and red can be sufficient.

The most frequently used hairs are hare, llama, deer, or squirrel. These can also be in natural tones or dyed.
Among synthetic materials, polypropylene hanks, antron, or plastic yarns are the most popular. They are inexpensive, easy to find, and available in an infinite variety of colors.

DIPTERAN

CADDIS

STONEFLY

MAYFLY

WINGED ANT

CRICKET

GRASSHOPPER

COCKROACH

We would like to thank Massimiliano Pozza, Giorgio Nardi, Giovanni Nese, and Bruno Righetti—who recently passed away—for the kind permission to use some of their photos.