If I had to select just one DVD currently available for someone to get a sense for the basics, it would be Introduction to Fly-Tying with Bob Jacklin.  Although some will be critical for one reason or another and I am certainly not conversant in all the potential ‘getting started’ DVD’s now out there, I have very specific reasons for such a recommendation.  Owner of Jacklin’s Fly Shop in West Yellowstone, Montana, Bob Jacklin… Well, let’s just say that he’s “been there, doing that” for a long time.  While this DVD not only covers the basics for tying nymphs, dries, and streamers, some of the history of American flyfishing and fly tying he relates amidst the tying instruction is worth the price of admission all by itself.

Who Is Bob Jacklin?

Having tied flies commercially since 1963, Bob Jacklin is owner of Jacklin’s Fly Shop in West Yellowstone, Montana.  (If you walk out the shop’s front door and turn left, the West Entrance to Yellowstone National Park is about ½ mile straight down the road.)  Renowned for his tying demonstrations at Federation of Fly Fishers conclaves and International Sportsmen’s Expositions, Jacklin has appeared on a number of television programs including In Search of Fly Water and Fly Fish Television.  With nearly 40 years of guiding experience in the Yellowstone region, Jacklin was inducted into the Fly Fishing Hall of Fame on 23 October 2004.

DVD Details

Filmed in his West Yellowstone shop, my copy of Introduction to Fly Tying with Bob Jacklin (purchased in 2005 from Jacklin’s shop while in West Yellowstone) is 71 minutes long; including a final ‘Recipes’ section.  (I’ve seen this DVD variously listed as 56 and 60 minutes; so, I don’t know if something has changed in the editing since obtaining my copy.)  The copyright is co-owned by Jacklin’s Fly Shop and F/T Video Productions – a video production company based in Ft. Collins, CO that produces a variety of content.  

There is an Introduction, seven tying segments, and a section of recipes for the patterns covered.  The video provides a basic Menu which allows the viewer to select “Play” (All) or an individual segment.  Retail price is $19.95, whether purchased through Jacklin’s shop or a number of retailers.  (I can think of 2 or 3 shops and at least one box store with internet sales where I’ve seen this DVD in stock.)

Video quality is good on a 12 year old RCA 13” television and excellent on my VIZIO 42” television (see link below).  Sound is clear.  Editing is ‘sedate’ compared to many videos I’ve seen recently; i.e., the production isn’t a dizzying series of quick cuts.  There seem to be three ‘magnifications’ from two angles.  If you need to back off to see the overall movements, but not necessarily up close detail, such as when he winds yarn, the viewer is given time to watch.  When a medium shot is needed, such as when he demonstrates how to do a hand whip finish, unlike many productions which switch to a close up where the tyer’s hands block most of the shot, the viewer is provided a perspective which permits a close enough view to see the details which need to be seen, while simultaneously gaining a context on the overall movements.  The close ups aren’t so tight that you can count the thread wraps, but just close enough to view the detail needed without losing perspective on the overall pattern.

General Observations

When I began fly tying, the ‘push’ of instructional videos and volumes of step-by-step manuals hadn’t been launched.  In my case, the gentleman who actually sold me my first tying tools and provided some insight was located 1 ½ hours down the road; which means I got to ask questions when I saw him, so I had to pretty much figure it out myself.  Mr. Jacklin also claims to be self-taught and I find it rather interesting that he and I have very similar techniques and preferences in terms of tools.  (We wind dry fly hackle with exactly the same ‘trick’ and he likes Regal vises, while using S&M Bobbins.  The Regal is a workhorse vise for me and I use S&M Bobbins regularly.  See review links below.)  It’s not too surprising or ‘coincidental’ since many of my touchstones were works by many of the same people he got to work with personally.

Throughout Introduction to Fly Tying with Bob Jacklin, terminology is explained.  For me, one of the keys is that it is the general terminology of the avocation found in most references, recognized by most tyers, and pretty much ‘standard’ for the last 50 years or more.  Too often anymore, I see books/videos by authors who have a very specific method for a certain technique.  They anoint that method with a name which then becomes associated with that specific instructor.  Ultimately, if you pick up one of the more ‘advanced’ books/videos, reference is made to that method, using the anointed name, and you become distracted by having to figure out what they’re talking about when, much of the time, it is a very slight variation on an ‘old’ technique or simply a new name for an ‘old’ technique.

Much of Jacklin’s ‘Old School’ (if you want to call it that) discussion/terms is understandable.  He has had the opportunity to work with many of the ‘legends’ in fly tying; including Lee Wulff, Helen Shaw, Herb Howard, Eric Leiser, Charles Brooks (see link for Living River below), and the “girls at Dan Bailey’s.”  In a very real sense, he picked up many of today’s ‘standard’ techniques directly from the individuals that created those techniques.

Mr. Jacklin is constantly reminding viewers that fly tying is “Your World;” i.e., you don’t have to tie flies exactly the way he, or anyone else, does.  However, he does note that his definition of an ‘expert tyer’ is one who can look at a pattern and replicate it.  These two viewpoints feed his ‘instruction’ and it’s a style which is no more complex than it needs to be; but, may be seen as a little too generic for those accustomed to many of the ‘modern’ instruction videos.

In a sense, his video is much like he is teaching a class at a conclave.  (In November 2011, Bob Jacklin was listed as offering a class simply entitled “Introduction to Fly Tying” for $75 at the International Fly Tying Symposium.  By comparison, $19.95 is a good value.)  He demonstrates and explains.  It is up to the viewer to watch and learn; with ‘learning’ seemingly defined as educators view it – a more or less permanent change in behavior resulting from practice. 

In other words, he doesn’t say: “Do it this way since it’s the only way or my technique works best.” 

He says: “This is the way I do it.  I do it this way because I’m self-taught or the pattern’s creator did it this way or someone known for fly tying offered this ‘tip’ and I found it to work well for me.  Now, use it as a starting point and practice until you find what works best for you.”

That is one of the biggest factors in why I recommend this video to beginners.  Being self-taught myself, I see the myriad levels of value associated with the phrase, “Experience is the best teacher.”  While there is nothing intrinsically wrong with learning a specific instructor’s specific technique and terminology, it does tend to make many tyers a bit too ‘mechanical’ at times.  To be sure, there is a lot of repetition in fly tying; but, one should never be so locked into a single way of doing things that they are unwilling to ‘experiment’ a bit with alternative approaches.

A simple way of stating it was provided by Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon.

“It is like a finger pointing to the moon.  Focus on the finger and you miss all the Heavenly glory.”

Tying Segments

Introduction to Fly Tying with Bob Jacklin covers 7 specific patterns.  In an overly grandiose description, the patterns are based on an ‘expanding horizons’ approach; i.e., simple to increasingly complex, with each building on the techniques presented in the previous segment.    While the selection of patterns is somewhat regionally biased to the Yellowstone area, they are usable throughout the US and the techniques are applicable to many of the more recognizable ‘standards.’

1.  Green Inch Worm – The viewer learns the parts of a hook, how to dress a hook with thread, how to wind material (yarn) on a hook, how to do a half-hitch, and how to whip finish by hand.  (I can whip finish by hand and many tyers do.  I personally prefer using a whip finish tool – see review link for Matarelli Whip Finisher below.)

2.  Wooly Worm – Predecessor to the Wooly Bugger (see review link below), Mr. Jacklin demonstrates how to tie a Black & Grizzly Wooly Worm created by another West Yellowstone legend, Don Martinez.  (If you’re interested in learning more about Martinez and regional variations on these patterns, you might try Trout Country Flies… by Bruce Staples.  See review link below.)  The beginner is building on the base provided by the Green Inch Worm in that one now learns to tie in a tail, the body is made of Chenille (a larger ‘yarn’ and wound to the hook the same way), and how to Palmer a hackle ‘rib.’

3.  Bivisible – This is a dry fly.  You tie in a tail, just as with the Wooly Worm.  The remainder of the fly is simply Palmered hackled, just more tightly wound than with the Wooly Worm.  For a full review of Edward Hewitt’s legendary creation, see review link below. 

4.  Gray Wulff – Another legendary dry fly or, more accurately, a style of dry flies, the Gray Wulff is the one Bob Jacklin points to as his favorite.  Again, it is simply a matter of building on what has already been learned, with the addition of learning how to work with hair (bucktail) instead of feather to make a tail and using the same hair in creating wings.  Otherwise, it’s a yarn body and hackle.

5.  Royal Wulff – This is the pattern Lee Wulff, the creator of the Wulff dry flies (see link below for a more complete discussion of this style of dry flies), claimed was created based on his ‘strawberries-and-cream theory.’  (For further insight, you might try Lee Wulff on Flies and Trout on a Fly, both by Lee Wulff.  See review links below.)  Once again, this is simply a matter of tying a Gray Wulff, except that a different material (Peacock Herl, see link below) is used for the body and is divided into two sections by red floss.  It is an example of taking the skills you have developed through the first four patterns and realizing that it is often a simple matter to substitute materials to create a different effect.

6.  Jacklin’s March Brown Nymph – This is Mr. Jacklin’s personal favorite (see review link below) and his ‘alternative’ to the more standard Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear (see review link below) as a ‘go to’ nymph pattern.  This isn’t simply a matter of substituting one of his patterns for a better recognized one.  Rather than a style of tail that you’ve already been taught in the previous patterns, you are given insight into creating a split tail.  He provides instruction of using a dubbing loop; a technique which makes a potentially more durable body.  The viewer is now shown how to use lead wire to fashion a weighted underbody.  Finally, insight into wing cases and one alternative for legs is demonstrated.  In other words, variations not only on the materials, but the techniques already presented; all of which are applicable to a variety of patterns.

7.  Platte River Special, Jacklin Style – The “Jacklin Style” is a weighted underbody over wound with Vernille/Ultra Chenille (see link below).  The ‘new’ technique is creating a feathered streamer wing.  Otherwise, viewers already know about a weighted underbody, winding yarn (Chenille), winding hackle, etc.

Final Thoughts

The base techniques presented in the patterns used for this DVD are exactly the same as those used for uncounted others.  It’s not about learning to tie a specific pattern or legendary standards.  It’s about learning a basic group of terms and techniques which you can then apply to virtually any pattern you come across.  The ‘trick’ is realizing that one part (maybe a couple parts) of a more ‘advanced’ pattern may require a more ‘advanced’ skill – e.g., parachute wings, epoxy backs, quill bodies, etc. (see review links below) – but that you already have most of the skill needed to construct the fly.  If you can realize that as a tyer, the mental hurdle often involved in tying ‘new’ (to you) patterns is greatly lowered.

Likewise, if you start from a solid, “Old School” set of tying techniques, you can then ‘experiment’ with new variations or specific variations of those techniques to discover which works best for you in a given circumstance.  (There is no, one-size-fits-all way of winding hackle, dubbing bodies, etc. that works ‘best’ for all patterns.)  That’s the ‘magic’ of focusing on a set of basic techniques rather than on learning how to tie a specific pattern. 

As such, that is the strength of the DVD Introduction to Fly Tying with Bob Jacklin; i.e., you actually learn to tie many patterns by being systematically taken through a series of patterns which ‘build on’ each other.  If you master those basic skills and that mindset, then the avocation of fly tying really does become “Your World.”  If nothing else, it’ll make it much easier to move on to more advanced flies, simpler to create your own interpretation of existing flies, or develop your own, unique patterns.  You know, make their World fit your needs.  

Reviews Cited Above

VIZIO VO42L FHDTV10A television 
Regal Fly Tying Vise 
S&M Bobbin  
The Living River  by Charles Brooks   
Matarelli Whip Finisher 
Wooly Bugger  
Trout Country Flies: From Greater Yellowstone Area Masters  by Bruce Staples   
Bivisible 
Wulff Dry Flies  
Lee Wulff on Flies  by Lee Wulff
Trout on a Fly  by Lee Wulff   
Peacock Herl 
Jacklin’s March Brown Nymph 
Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear Nymph 
Vernille/Ultra Chenille 
Parachute Dry Flies 
Mike Mercer's Biot Epoxy Stone  
Quill Body Material   

Other Fly Tying Videos and Books Reviewed 

Andy Burk's World of Fly Tying, Volume One 
Signature Nymphs with Tim Fox 
Trout Dries and Steelhead Flies with Tim Fox 

Barr Flies...  by John Barr 
Fly Tying with A.K.  by A.K. Best 
A.K.'s Fly Box  by A.K. Best   
Good Flies: Favorite Trout Patterns and How They Got That Way  by John Gierach 
Fly Fishing Yellowstone in the Park  by Bob Jacklin & Gary LaFontaine  
Creative Fly Tying  by Mike Mercer  
Fly Patterns for Stillwater...  by Phillip Rowley 
From Field to Fly...  by Scott Seymour  
 


Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD