At The Bench

Learn How to Tie Flies and Lures

Without a doubt the best way to learn to tie flies is through personal instruction whether it be one-on-one with an accomplished fly tier or in a classroom setting with a small group of students and an expert instructor.

Another "up close and personal" way to learn fly tying skills is to attend fly fishing shows and conclaves. Generally, a feature of those events is a group of expert fly tiers gathered in a large room with each tier tying at a table as folks sit on the opposite side observing the step-by-step tying process of a specific pattern.

Finally, many local fly fishing clubs have regularly scheduled "Tie-Ins" were members and guests share fly patterns and tying techniques.

If you don't live where there are fly tying classes, local fly fishing clubs, or conclaves and fly fishing shows, don't despair.Thanks to the world wide web, books, magazines, videos, and DVD'S there are a number of ways you can learn both basic and advanced fly tying techniques.

On Line Fly Tying Instruction

I'm sure that there are many web sites that offer on-line fly tying instruction but the two web sites that I'm most familiar with are Fly Anglers On Line and Fly Fishers Paradise.

Fly Fishers Paradise, a fly shop located in State College, PA, offers a begining class taught by store owner Steve Sywenski. Once you reach their home page, click on "Access Site Archives". At the top of the screen is a menue. Click on "On Line Tying Journal" and you will be able to access the twenty-seven lessons that you find there.

www.flyfishersparadise.com

Fly Anglers On Line offers both a Beginning Fly Tying and an Intermediate Fly Tying Course taught by a long-time contributor, Al Campbell, who was taken in the prime of his live by a brain tumor.

The Beginning Fly Tying class has twenty lessons and the Intermediate Fly Tying Class has thirty-one lessons. The lessons in both classes are expertly done with clear and concise directions accompanied by excellent step-by-step photographs.

Once you get to the home page, click on "Fly Tying" on the navigation bar and then click on either Beginning Fly Tying or Intermediate Fly Tying on the navagation bar on the page that comes up.

www.flyanglersonline.com