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Fly Tying - The Beginning (N/R)
Family Fishing: 
Cast & Credits:
Public Clips and Previews:
What you Get:
- 2 DVDs
- Chart: dry & wet fly proportions, tools list, materials list
- Instruction for 8 popular patterns
- Basic background on tools & materials
- Basic entomology (bugs)
- Helpful tips
- Fishing & lots of extra fun
Clay's View:
If I had to list my kids top 10 for most boring activities fly tying would be in the top...uh...I don't know 1 or 2; and watching fly tying videos would be met with all the outrage a 5, 9 and 12 year can muster. I know, I've tried and we're a fly fishing family, so what's a Family Fishing father to do.
Enter The Hollywood Casting Couch and four guys who thought it was time for something different. I'm a big believer in having passion for what you do, but frankly it's just not fair that anyone should get paid to have this much fun. The best part is you can be a part of the fun and learn to tie a few flies for only $24.95. Tie just 12 flies and the video pays for itself.
Disc 1 includes instruction for a Black Nose Dace, Brown Hackle Peacock, Peacock Nymph, Hairwing Variation, Hare's Ear Nymph and a Black Leech. I particularly like the focus on how to start and complete a fly. Some guidance on tools and materials is provided followed by a trip to the river to try out the new flies.
Disc 2 introduces tying instruction for the Hendrickson, Caddis Larva and Adult Caddis. Most videos show ancient drawings, possibly sketched by Darwin, of insects found in the aquatic environment; I was pleasantly surprised to get up close video of actual, live bugs.
The best part about this video is that you can actually learn to tie flies and may want to have a big bowl of popcorn on hand as well. The basic principles are used on many different types of flies, so once you have a handle on what you need, how to start, how to attach materials and how to finish you'll find following recipes for other flies to be straight forward. As a parent I'm always anxious to see one of my kids catch a fish on a fly, it's an experience they'll never forget. Now imagine your child (or your inner child) catching a fish on a fly you yourself tied...yeah....big huge wow event. I can't wait to show this to my 12 year old and see if she dusts off that fly tying kit she got for Christmas. Fly tying the beginning sets itself apart from the crowd (I know of 72 videos on the subject) by combining a good sense of humor with well delivered instruction, a combination that has worked miracles for educational programs for decades. The close-ups are razor sharp, repetition is used well to get key concepts across and nothing seems mysterious. Fly Tying the Beginning has great promise and I hope everyone who reads this review will buy a copy right now and give a few copies away as gifts; if for no other reason than to help fund their next video effort. If this video is a gift for a new fly tier you might want to include a beginning fly tying kit from Cabela's, Orvis, Bass Pro Shops or any number of other suppliers. The chart included in the box will help you select what you need.
Is this the last fly tying video you'll ever need, no, but even the best efforts of Hollywood are riddled with areas requiring improvement. If I were allowed only one comment for improvement I would suggest modeling future videos after the PBS wildlife show "Zaboomafoo", a show with near perfect pace, scripting, fun, silliness and great education. The hosts of Fly Tying the Beginning are having a blast and the fun is contagious, but the comedy segments tend to linger a bit too long and need to be more evenly spread across the entire video to prevent the sudden stall when shifting from frenzy to fly tying. I would like to see a slightly more methodical approach to showing the novice the minimum set of tools and materials, but the result is still effective. Fly Tying the Beginning is more like having your wacky cousin encouraging you to tie flies than a step by step instruction manual; if you hang out long enough you will learn to tie flies and it's good fun.
Wrap Up:
All things considered I would encourage anyone with an interest in fly fishing to get a copy of Fly Tying the Beginning. I gave the video 3-Fish for innovation, good instruction delivered well and fun, but I would guess that many of the members at Family Fishing would rate it 4-Fish.
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