Beginning tyer's check in

[littlelehigh]

Well I have had my vice now a week and have been working hard at learning to tie. I had a vice and tinkered with tying when I was 14 now I'm 29 in 2 weeks. I was amazed at how much I remembered from 15 yrs ago! I already have the whip finish down pat. So anyway I would say I have down pat the green weenie, sucker spawn, san juan worm, and phesant tail. Hare's ear is coming along porportion seems to be my only trouble but I am sure that will come after a couple more.
Last nite I tied 2 elk caddis that looked correct and porportioned well (It looked like I used equal deer hair vs. a commercially tyed fly I had) BUT when I dropped them in a cup of water they when head down and started sinking.
I picked up a Cabela's material kit last week and used it's dubbing with a rooster neck hackle and whitetail deer hair. I will try again today or tonite. The only thing I can think is I used a SE3 #12 hook instead of a dry hook. Should I have used muskrat dubbing instead my barbules were alittle long and I had to trim them.
Any thoughts would be great.

 

[Heritage-Angler]

This might help you.....

http://www.flyfisherman.com/ftb/hwcdc/index.html

 

[tomgamber]

if you palmered hackle onto the body it should still float...learn that elkhair caddis, learn an adams, a hares ear and a wooly bugger. The just tie a lot of all of them in a lot of different colors and sizes. You'll be able to match most situations and then when you need to tie for something you know you will need, like a sulphur hatch, you can just tie the appropriate size nymphs and dries in the right color and catch fish. When you get tired of that, they you can get fancy. But you can fill your boxes and be fishing sooner with a few basic patterns in a lot of colors and sizes.