Fly Tying Hook Proportion Guide

Fly tying proportions are the quiet framework behind every fly that fishes well. They influence how a pattern drifts, how materials breathe and move, how cleanly a fly turns over, and how natural it looks to a fish. When proportions are right, a fly simply works. When they’re off, even the best materials and technique can feel slightly wrong.

The Feather Craft Fly Tying Proportions Reference was built to take the guesswork out of that process. Instead of relying on loosely defined rules or memory, it clearly illustrates standard proportions for dry flies, wet flies, streamers, and mayfly nymphs—showing how tails, bodies, wings, hackle, legs, beards, and heads relate to the hook and to each other.

This guide is meant to be used at the vise, not just admired. Whether you’re refining a familiar pattern, adapting proportions to different hook sizes, or developing consistency across a box of flies, it provides a dependable visual baseline. Shaped by years of tying and fishing, it’s a practical reference you’ll return to often—helping you tie cleaner, more balanced flies with confidence and intention.