How Do You Start Fly Tying With Kids? 

We came across this great blog post on Flymen Fishing Company's website we thought would be great to share with you. In Mark Dysinger's blog titled, "Teaching Fly Tying to Kids: Where To Begin?", he outlines 4 pragmatic tips that will help you get your little ones into the art of fly tying and we wrote a brief summary of each tip from his article in italics 

4 Tips to Introduce Kids to Fly Tying: 

1. Keep it simple - "By keeping the patterns simple, children can stay focused longer and have a greater appreciation for the fly building craft." (Patterns like wire worms, wooly buggers, & pheasant tails)
2. Start with large patterns - "It's much easier to view the progress of a fly under construction when all ingredients are readily seen." (Wooly buggers or bigger streamers are easier for kids to visualize how it comes together vs a chironomid with layers and layers of subtleties)
3. Hands-on time matters - "Yes, showing technique is beneficial, but until the rubber hits the road and rookies start using the vise and tools themselves, they really won’t grow." (Let them try, let them experiment, let them fail, and then be there to help correct and try again)
4. Manage the expectations - "Don’t push too hard. Remember, kids who are learning to tie flies are kids.  Fly tying is an activity that should be fun, not stressful with unreasonable goals." (everyone wants to see a young person have a finished fly they're happy with, proud of and that a fish might eat, but don't forget to keep it fun. Pink & purple mayflies might not be the most realistic, but if that's the colors they're set on using, support it)

Read the full blog written by Mark Dysinger here.

If you're ready to take the leap and start involving your kids in fly tying, we carry fly tying kits that have everything you need to start tying. You can check them out here.