My folks got me a fly tying kit when I was about 11 years old along with a fly tying book. I started tying flies within an hour or so. It wasn't anything close to a professional kit in the least, but something you'd get a kid. It was pretty tough with that kit and being a kid but I did make progress. Some of the flies I tied sure looked a lot like the ones in the book
I caught my first fish around 4 or 5 years old on my dad's fly rod. Fished small creeks and beaver ponds on the western slope of Colorado. When I caught my a brookie out of a beaver pond on a fly I tied, I had a weird moment. I was very excited to have caught my first fish on a fly I tied, but I also realized my flies weren't even close to the ones I bought out of any store. That lead me to believe that brookies aren't very smart and I quit tying flies after that.
I still fly fish and thought I might get back into tying them over the years, but now days my eyes aren't nearly as good as they used to be and my hands are in fairly bad shape due to working with them, and bashing them repeatedly, over the years. I even have problems just tying a fly on to the line unless I have my readers on.
But good on you for starting it up, and by your pictures you have a talent for it for sure! I buy my flies for a few locals who tie, and they are very good and more than happy to make a few bucks on the side. They all tie flies for the local waters around where we live with is a perfect situation for me. As for my hands, they still get bashed up now and then as I still do all the maintenance and repairs on our vehicle, cut down trees, cut them to size and split the logs for firewood every year. Also included, any fixes needed in and around the house.
