Sport

The Reel Thing - Nothing wrong with a bit of bling when it comes to tying flies

Fly tying expert Terry Jenner 
Fly tying expert Terry Jenner  Fly tying expert Terry Jenner 

ALTHOUGH many of us may be currently enjoying this fine settled period of autumn weather, it can not hide the fact that the game angling season is rapidly coming to an end.

The good news is that, as of today, there are just another 79 days before a new salmon season begins on January 1.

In that time the more active among us might decide on a bit of winter pike fishing or a visit to the sea in search of bass or cod.

Of course, there are also many rainbow trout fisheries that will continue to give good sport throughout the year.

There is also something rewarding about going out on a relatively short winter day, facing the elements, and then returning to a warm fire and something soothing to eat and drink.

On the other hand, there are those who might well decide that this is the right time to clean out the tackle bag and repair and service rods and reels. It is also the traditional time to turn to the fly-tying vice.

Fly-tying can be a very therapeutic way to pass time. It can also be frustrating and either very intricate or quite basic.

Like many other aspects of angling it is hugely influenced by advances in technology and equipment.

When I first started to try and tie my own flies, the only way to learn was from a book or from a more experienced fellow angler.

In my case, the book was ‘Fifty Popular Flies and How to Tie Them’ by Tom Stewart and, while the techniques used and materials will still catch fish, they are a far cry from modern fly-tying methods.

For example, the tying threads now used make the old tying silk look like a ship’s hawser rope.

If you want to try fly-tying these days, you can now see the experts on YouTube, maybe join a course at your local tackle shop or club or visit one of the big angling shows where you can watch and talk to some of the best in the business.

I suspect that, like many other anglers, I already have more than enough flies to last this lifetime, but that will probably not deter me from adding to this collection.

It was not so many years ago that we relied simply on natural materials even if some of them were dyed.

It was all about furs, feathers and a bit of gold wire and tinsel, but now we have all sorts of flashy synthetic materials to add a bit of ‘bling’ to our efforts.

There may be a bit of commercial sense in the ‘bling’ as one professional tyer remarked to me that a successful fly has to catch not only the fish but the fisherman’s eye as well.