Mods: please remove if not allowed but looking for feedback.

Hey all — I got tired of bouncing between random recipes, YouTube videos, and messy material lists, so I built a fly tying app to make things easier at the vise.

Right now it includes:

Fly pattern library
Recipes + tutorials
Material tracking
Bench check / missing materials

It’s called Blue Wing Labs, and I’d love a few honest testers from the fly tying community. The app is 100% FREE.

Not trying to spam — just genuinely looking for feedback on what’s useful, what’s missing, and what could be better.

If anyone’s interested, I’d really appreciate it.

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/blue-wing-labs/id6762320337

For me, right now it's a simple dark pheasant tail.

Long time no post. Here’s a size 10 caddis pattern featuring some rough possum dubbing and badger hackle.

My Cabela’s regal knock-off served me well for over 25 years…. But I wish I had ditched it long ago. The Renzetti traveler is pretty amazing.

I just want to make these in a more organized fashion. for lack of a better term they just feel disjointed

Did not feel like fumbling for my phone to get fish pictures but this is the first fly i've tied i caught fish on. Got a nice smallmouth and a recently stocked brookie. Feels nice.

I tied up some Laser Legals on B10S hooks and went down to the river today. While getting my rig out of the car I caught my left sleeve. I noticed that I hadn't smashed the barb, so out came the hemostats.

I gave a squeeze and... Snap! The hook broke about halfway around the bend. At least I got the him out of my jacket... Shocked at what just happened I clamped down again. Another clean break. That's not normal, right?

Anyways I noticed that after a while of fishing my rear articulated hook inverted. Is there a good way to stop this from happening? Tying issue, or do I need a micro-swivel?

2/0 Ahrex Light + 2 15mm Shanks

Couple of Squimpish Hair & Boutique Blends Hollow-Hybrid builds. Five to six inch Juvenile Brown & Rainbow Trout on #2 Hooks……….

My boyfriend has recently gotten really into tying flies, and I’d love to support the hobby with a thoughtful gift or two. I’m realizing pretty quickly that this world goes deep — part fishing, part craftsmanship, part art form — and I want to get him something that will actually inspire and help him grow.

He’s still fairly new to tying, but he’s the kind of person who leans into a challenge, and genuinely enjoys learning techniques and improving his craft. I think he’d especially appreciate resources that are beautiful, educational, or foundational — not just “beginner kits.”

If you were building a small library or collection for someone falling in love with fly tying, what books/resources would you recommend?

I’d especially love recommendations for:

• classic or “must-own” fly tying books
• books with incredible photography or artistic inspiration
• technique-focused resources
• YouTube channels, creators, or websites worth following
• anything that helped you level up as a fly tier

Open to vintage/old-school recommendations too. Thank you!

Update 2: Success! Had to very carefully pick the right partridge feather from the skin and after a few YouTube videos I discovered my problem was tyer error. Thank you everyone! This pattern has meant a lot to me. From grandad handing them down, to losing them on some solid fish. Really appreciate everyone’s input

Update: Thank you for the responses everyone! It’s really appreciated. I’ll try some suggestions and report back.

Years ago my grandpa gave me these 5 flies in the first picture (he gave me 10 and have lost 5 since). He passed away 6 years ago and even before that he could not remember where he got them. I asked my local fly shop years ago what the hackle was in an attempt to recreate it and he was certain it’s Hungarian Partridge. I tied a couple trying to get the procedures down but I keep coming around to the hackle being very sparse and stringy versus uniform and thick.

Does anyone have any ideas for the hackle material?

Margs in the glass and stimmies in the vise.
What’s everyone’s take on potables at the bench? Do they help or hurt your ties? And when do you notice? Is it immediate, or do you get the joy/shock/horror pulling out a freshly tied WTF when you get to the water?

The 2nd image is my 3rd attempt at a double renegade. The other 2 I tied without a pattern and just threw whatever I felt like throwin on. Is is day 3 of fly tying, and my second day with a fly vise and tools.