Re: [VFB] Teaching kids to tie

[Ed Engelman/Sue Atkinson]

When I teach youth their first fly I

1.  Teach them a one material fly.  I don't teach a woolly-bugger until a 
second or third session.  I have two favorite one-material flies:
	a. Tony Spezio's marabou damsel.  The pattern is on the VFB site.
	b. The marabou leech (Okay, sometimes I have them thread a glass bead on 
the hook first making it a two material fly.)

2.  Being able to control a bobbin is a skill.  To simplify a first fly, I 
teach first timers to tie with a 2-3 foot length of polyester sewing thread 
(usually from Wally World) held by hand (That is, without any 
bobbin).  That does mean that teaching half-hitches becomes of the utmost 
importance.  I teach them to tie a half hitch frequently throughout fly 
construction.

While Bic pens without the ink cartridge work well for tying half 
hitches.  I teach them to use their little finger.  I like to keep it a 
simple as possible.

For What Its Worth

Ed