My name is Kim and I am hosting fly swaps on this site. I have been tying for over 50 years and hosting fly swaps for the past 13 years. I have a swap on the books right now - The Gilligan Swap (the swap theme is minnow/baitfish patterns). I'd LOVE to see some newer tyers join in my swaps as they are ALWAYS open to any and all level tyers AND I give a fly tying gift or 2 to all participants in my swaps - it helps ease the US Postal services need to keep increasing postage by keeping the value of the swap up! Fly swaps are ONE of THREE effective ways to learn how to tie flies as well as hone your tying skills. The others are fly tying classes and tying with an experienced tyer by your side.
If you are a newer tyer just let me know and I can provide you assistance to ensure that your swapping experience is a great one. Support i can offer you includes:
-giving fly pattern suggestions for that swap's theme such as:
The Red Setter
Deep Water Muddler
Royal Squirrel
Transparent Minnow
Silver Outcast
and more...
-providing you the tying directions for your chosen pattern along with some hints/tips/tricks in tying that pattern so you look experienced beyond your years,
-provide to you feedback after I receive your flies on where you did well as well as where AND HOW you can take steps to make those improvements.
To participate in any swap all you need are 5 BASIC components - your flies, with toe tags on each, all in your swap box, with a SASE, inside your sending (mailing) envelope. Let me know and I can PM you a "Fly Swaps 101" that defines each of these simple items so that you have no questions.
I hope that you take me up on this invitation, but, if you can not make this swap I will be offering swaps about every other month here on this site and hope to see you then. Two big ways swaps help your tying learning curve:
- you need to tie multiple copies of the same pattern and this helps develop your small muscle memory skills - your fingers learn to make the same movements over and over.
- you develop your tying eye. This means you start to recognize what a flies ratios are and when you are deviating from them. Ever try just learning how to EXACTLY tie a fly from a picture, book, or video and your fly fell a little short of that goal (Thank God I don't have my first attempt from the vise over 50 years ago!
). A developed tying tying eye will keep you on the right path!
Feel free tp either PM me or (if you are too new to PM yet) respond to me on this posting and I will be happy to get back to you. I check this site at least once a day and I do look forward to hearing from you. And remember - "The ONLY dumb question is the UNasked one!" - besides I'm loaded with dumb answers!
Kim
If you are a newer tyer just let me know and I can provide you assistance to ensure that your swapping experience is a great one. Support i can offer you includes:
-giving fly pattern suggestions for that swap's theme such as:
The Red Setter
Deep Water Muddler
Royal Squirrel
Transparent Minnow
Silver Outcast
and more...
-providing you the tying directions for your chosen pattern along with some hints/tips/tricks in tying that pattern so you look experienced beyond your years,
-provide to you feedback after I receive your flies on where you did well as well as where AND HOW you can take steps to make those improvements.
To participate in any swap all you need are 5 BASIC components - your flies, with toe tags on each, all in your swap box, with a SASE, inside your sending (mailing) envelope. Let me know and I can PM you a "Fly Swaps 101" that defines each of these simple items so that you have no questions.
I hope that you take me up on this invitation, but, if you can not make this swap I will be offering swaps about every other month here on this site and hope to see you then. Two big ways swaps help your tying learning curve:
- you need to tie multiple copies of the same pattern and this helps develop your small muscle memory skills - your fingers learn to make the same movements over and over.
- you develop your tying eye. This means you start to recognize what a flies ratios are and when you are deviating from them. Ever try just learning how to EXACTLY tie a fly from a picture, book, or video and your fly fell a little short of that goal (Thank God I don't have my first attempt from the vise over 50 years ago!
). A developed tying tying eye will keep you on the right path!Feel free tp either PM me or (if you are too new to PM yet) respond to me on this posting and I will be happy to get back to you. I check this site at least once a day and I do look forward to hearing from you. And remember - "The ONLY dumb question is the UNasked one!" - besides I'm loaded with dumb answers!
Kim
