Fly Tying: Old Patterns for New Jewelry

If you'd have asked me when I started tying flies if I'd ever be making jewelry, I'd have laughed at you. Well, the joke's on me. Britt suggested fly earrings and so I've been making some of those to sell. The picture here is the small stock I have at Warm Hearts Yarn in White Rock. I have several more pair at the Fuller Lodge Art Center and a few more in the works at home.

At first, I chose patterns that were fairly realistic both in terms of size and color. Stimulators and various streamers filled the bill. Then I scaled up some popular patterns like the Copper John, Elk Hair Caddis, and Black Ant. Those scaled-up patterns have turned out to be the most fun and most popular. Then I tied a few just to be obnoxious, like a Bumblebee with bead eyes. Of course, I needed a logo and a hang tag. That was accomplished by scanning in a stamp and putting it on business cards. I hand cut the stamp and used it for a box I made my dad several years ago. I'll post a picture of the box in another post.

My father was a prolific tier, so I think about him every time I sit down to tie a fly. When I was going through his fishing and tying stuff after his passing, I must have found 200 size 8 wolly worms. That was his fly of choice for just about every fishing situation from Idaho to New Mexico. Not a bad choice, really.