If I had to describe myself as a fly tyer it would sound something like this: A stubborn slow tyer hell bent on perfection with a slight hint of O.C.D. who avoids straight shanked hooks whenever possible. It’s the truth and as a result it has prevented me from tying and fishing patterns that I should. With that said I’m not the type to give up, it is the struggle that makes you better at whatever you do. Being a stubborn S.O.B. I of course decided to use the Mustad 37160 to tie my Copper John’s. This presents a bit more difficulty because the drastic curve of the shank tends to mess with the lay of the wire as you wrap the body of the fly (remember “stubborn”). As a relatively new tyer I find inspiration and advice from Switter’sB and KBarton, both of whom present loads of excellent information for anyone willing to read and practice. Specifically, Barton put an inescapable truth in my head. Once you notice a mistake you must fix it then and there, it won’t be able to be corrected after the fact, period. It seems simple but it’s hard to admit it to yourself and at times, harder to put into practice. Read the rest of this entry »