How to Tie Flies

In Short

This manual is a concise guide to crafting artificial fishing lures, covering essential tools, hook selection, and wrapping techniques for various fly styles. Author Ellery Clark Gregg systematically details the construction of bucktail streamers, wet and dry flies, nymphs, and floating bass bugs. He pairs technical instruction with practical advice on stream tactics, insect behavior, and pattern selection. Celebrated for its clarity and utilitarian focus, the work endures as a timeless foundation for fly tiers, offering clear directions alongside a extensive reference table of traditional dressings.

The Story

The manual begins by introducing the fundamental equipment, hooks, and raw materials needed to tie effective lures. Gregg demystifies the craft by explaining that very few tools are required and that many can be made at home, though quality items like a cam-lever vise, sharp scissors, and hackle pliers greatly assist the tier. He details materials ranging from peacock herl and silk floss to quill bodies, spun fur, and stiff neck hackles. He emphasizes that proper execution depends on mastering small details, such as wrapping thread smoothly, using correctly sized hackles, avoiding oversized heads, and securing materials without cluttering the eye of the hook.

From these foundational tools, the guide moves into specific lure constructions, starting with bucktail streamers and transitioning into traditional wet and dry flies. Gregg illustrates how to secure tails, build tapered bodies, and attach wings or hackles cleanly. In discussing dry flies, he underscores the necessity of using stiff neck feathers from mature cocks to ensure proper floating capabilities, while advising soft, webby hackles for wet flies so they sink quickly and provide lifelike motion in the water.

The arc then expands into aquatic life imitations, specifically nymphs, which represent the vast majority of a trout's daily diet. Gregg provides actionable instructions on using screen nets and rakes to capture natural stream nymphs for study and copying at home. He moves past traditional trout patterns to detail larger lures, including bass flies, feather streamers like the Supervisor, and floating bugs crafted from deer hair or shaped cork. To complete the construction segment, he outlines essential angler knots for stream use.

The final section shifts from construction to application. Gregg shares his personal list of favorite flies, offering tailored reasons for each choice and explaining how size, shape, and presentation often matter far more than precise color match. The book concludes with a comprehensive, alphabetically ordered reference table detailing the precise color and material dressings for over three hundred classic fly patterns.

How It Unfolds

The toolkit and workspace The book begins by detailing the basic equipment, recommending cam-lever vises, hackle pliers, fine scissors, and specialized tying silks to prevent bulky hook heads. It introduces core body and wing materials, highlighting how specific feathers and furs affect buoyancy or sink rates.

Building basic streamers and flies Gregg walks through the mechanics of securing thread, attaching tails, and wrapping bodies smoothly without bunching. He details the precise pinch-and-loop technique needed to secure wings straight on top of the hook shank.

Imitating stream life and nymphs The guide shifts to aquatic larvae, explaining how to collect natural nymphs from riverbeds using wire screens to duplicate them at home. Step-by-step methods show how to build realistic flattened bodies, leg arrangements, and hard wing cases using goose feathers, raffia, and wool.

Constructing large lures and bugs Instruction broadens to bass flies, feather streamers, and floating surface lures built from trimmed deer hair or sanded cork cylinders. Detailed steps cover shaping cork bodies, slotting them over kinked hooks, and lacquering them for durability.

Selecting patterns and field application Gregg outlines his top personal lure selections, explaining stream strategies such as letting surface bugs lie motionless to trigger strikes. The manual closes with an extensive catalog specifying the exact material dressings for over three hundred standard fly patterns.

The People

The fly tier The craftsman seeks to master a delicate trade, striving to build durable, balanced, and lifelike lures. They are challenged by common beginner mistakes such as over-sized wings, crowded hook eyes, and improper thread tension. Through diligent practice of Gregg's techniques, the tier transforms raw feathers and thread into pristine, functional art.

The angler The fisherman aims to trick wary trout, bass, and salmon into striking artificial lures across diverse waters. They face difficult stream conditions, selective fish, and environmental variables that make standard lures ineffective. By studying natural stream insects and adjusting presentation methods, the angler achieves a full creel and a deeper connection to the water.

Ellery Clark Gregg The author acts as a grounded teacher and experienced craftsman who values artful precision and field utility over rigid doctrine. He challenges the belief that exact color match is paramount, proving that fly proportions, size, and delicate presentation govern success. He shares his personal lures, like Gregg's Demon, to demonstrate practical innovation on the stream.

In Its Own Voice

"The principles used herein, and the methods of construction employed, are those used by the professional fly-tier who practices fly-making for the sake of art, and tries to achieve with each finished fly, a masterpiece."

Gregg introduces his guiding philosophy, setting a high standard of craftsmanship for readers embarking on the discipline of fly construction.

"Hold this in the water, and have your fishing partner go upstream, and with a regular garden rake, or some such tool, rake up the bottom, turning over the stones and gravel."

The author offers practical advice for gathering live stream nymphs to examine and copy at the workbench.

"I have little faith in color in the dry fly, except light or dark shades. I do believe that the size and shape have a great deal more to do with the success of a dry fly than color."

Reflecting on his stream experience, Gregg shares his pragmatic view on what truly attracts fish to artificial lures.

What It's Really About

Beneath its instructional guide on winding thread and shaping cork, the book explores the observant relationship between the craftsman, nature, and the sport. Gregg argues that successful fly tying requires careful observation of natural stream life rather than strict adherence to commercial formulas or rigid color matching. The text asserts that understanding insect behavior, stream mechanics, and clean lure proportions far outweighs complex equipment or decorative excess. By mastering basic physical techniques and analyzing what fish actually eat, the tier achieves both artistic mastery and angling success.

Why Read It Today

Gregg's manual remains a valuable, no-nonsense resource for tiers, woodcrafters, and angling historians alike. Readers will appreciate the clear, concise prose and logical structure that demystifies a complex traditional craft. The text offers a refreshing contrast to modern commercialized sport writing, focusing on simple homemade tools, observation, and self-reliance. While contemporary readers must navigate mid-twentieth-century terminology and historic hook references, the foundational principles of feather manipulation, thread control, and stream tactics remain completely accurate today. The vast reference chart of fly dressings alone serves as an incredible historical archive for anyone interested in classic American fly patterns.