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Mustad Scandinavian Open
Fly Tying Competition 2011
 Mustad Scandinavian Open Fly Tying Competition (MSO) is
sponsored by Mustad, and organised by The Norwegian Forest Museum and the
Norwegian outdoor magazine Alt om Fiske. MSO may be the most prestigious
fly-tying competition in the world. It’s held annually with participants
from a large number of countries. The jury consists of
Torill Kolbu, Jan Løndal and
Edvard Bergene.
Prizes:
For seniors: The 10 best flies in a category are entitled to an MSO
diploma. The 3 best flies in a category will be awarded the prestigious
Mustad Scandinavian Open Medal, in gold, silver or bronze.
For juniors:
The 3 best flies, independent of categories, will receive
medals. The 10 best flies independent of categories will receive diplomas.
I am the technical
organizer of the Mustad Scandinavian Open, not a member of the jury. One
of my responsibilites is to listen carefully to what the jury says and
write the comments for each fly.
Tying errors:
Some tying errors are present in too many
of the flies. I have listed a few of these most common errors below:
 Head
The head is the first thing the jury studies. One of the most common
errors is that the hook eye is covered with tying thread or lacquer. It
should be lacquered to a shining, glossy finish without any bubbles. The
end of the tying thread or part of fly-tying materials should not stick
out in front of the head. There should be no lacquer on the fly-tying
materials behind the head. Slanting wing, antennaes,
tail, etc
Study your fly from all directions: From right, left, above, below, behind
and from the front. Are any of the elements of the fly slanting to one
side? Are antennaes, tail, legs, etc. symmetrically tied in? How is the
symmetry of the whole fly? Look at the wing from behind – is it slanting
to one side? Is it tied on top of the hook? The fish does not care if your
fishing flies have some minor errors. The flies will still catch fish. But
we can all improve our fly-tying skills, and we hope that the Mustad
Scandinavian Open Flytying Competition can help you to become an even
better flytier. We look forward to receiving your flies!
Flyfishing greeting
OT. Ljøstad |
