View Full Version : info: flytying kit starter?
Hi everyone.
I have been flyfishing for a year now and am about to begin to learn to tie flies. Any suggestions as to the equipment I should get? I thought LLBean had a nice starter vice and materials/tools starter kit. Would it be better for me to buy the stuff separately? If so, what do some of you think my Xmas wish list for my fiancee should look like? Like, which type of vice, bobbin, sharp scissors, how-to instructional pattern book, & so on would you all recommend?
Thanks for the advice.
-Rob
Rob,
I bought a starter kit from B***Pro last spring and have really enjoyed tying. In fact, I started tying before I started fly fishing. The starter kit has a good video and usable tools; however, the materials (feathers especially) are of poor quality. Since most of my early flies were also of poor quality, that was ok. So, if you know that you'll be investing in better materials later, the kit is a reasonalble way to get going; however, there is a lot of wasted material.
If you've been fishing for a while and know pretty much what kind of flies you'll be tying, then I would suggest buying the tools and materials separately. I personnaly don't need an expensive vise. a simple vise for under $25 will do me and scissors, bobbin, threader, hackle pliers are another $20. A trip to a fly shop with another tier would give you better tools, better materials and less waste.
Loren
Rob, Loren is correct I bought a kit when I first started several years ago and I still have most of the materials that came with the kit. The only thing that came in the kit that I still use is the vise and it's about due for replacement. If you do buy a kit go for one with a video it's very hard to learn from a book, once you've seen how things are done a book will make perfect sense to you. Concentrate on the flies you actually fish with. If I can be of any help please don't hesitate to ask.
Good Luck,
BUDMAN
I've taken to craft stores for most of my materials. I got a big arse bag of marabou for like 1.69. Try MJdesigns.
Rod
Cheapo FF
Rob,
If you do purchase a kit try to find one that has a fairly good vise and tying tools. You will use some of the stuff in a kit, but for the most part you will be buying materials from the fly shop as most kits come with a selection of materials to tie wide slection of flies and only a few at that. Rod gave some good advice on the craft stores and if yoy need a good selection I would suggest the Fish Hawk in Buckhead or Unicoi Outfitters in Helen.
Also watch the board as we will be doing an other Fly Fling in the near future.
Flyguy
Rob -- While there are a lot of differing opinions, I think a kit is the best route for an absolute beginner with no equipment, no materials and no experience. I agree on a kit with a video, but I got started before there were videos and all we had were instruction books. It worked fine.
There are a lot of good books on tying but most of them say the same thing. Mainly what I look for are those with good color pictures of numerous patterns along with tying instructions for the specific patterns. Some books have no pictures or drawings with their instructions and I find that essentially useless -- especially if I'm trying to tie a pattern I've never even seen before.
Most kits have decent equipment - not top-of-the-line but OK.
If you don't have a Cabela's Fly Tying catalogue, order one. They're free and you can order it from http://www.cabelas.com.
They have an inexpensive portable kit with all the tools and a small vise for $29.95. I got one last year for streamside tying but find that I'm using it full time. It contains a vice, scissors, whip finisher, bobbin, bodkin, needle threader, etc. The stuff is made in india and it's not real high quality but I've been very happy with it and plan to get one for my daughter for Christmas.
Cabela's also has a big selection of tying materials, equipment, books, videos, etc. Everything I've ever ordered has been good to excellent quality and reasonably priced. Service has been excellent.
If it were me, I'd first figure out what patterns I'd want to start with (six to eight). Find instructions which tells you what materials you'll need then order the kit mentioned above and the materials necessary to tie those patterns.
Once you've gotten some experience, you'll then know whether you want to invest in higher quality equipment and start adding to the materials. In any case don't forget to order tying thread (I like prewaxed), hooks and head cement.
Once you get started, you'll probably become addicted and wind up with red eyes and cement covered fingers after working till the wee hours of the morning.
Good luck.
Mr. T
Bird Dog
10-14-98, 05:53 PM
Rob,
I started out with a fly tying kit in 1980 and have been tying flies ever since. There are many good kits, and many bad kits. If it cost less than $50 your buying junk. And most kits contain materials that you'll never use and too little of the stuff you really need.
I work at Unicoi Outfitters most Saturdays, and would be glad to talk to you about putting together a wish list. Even if you don't buy your stuff from our shop, I would still be glad to help. I can also give you some impromptu tying lessons (and I do it for free too!). I helped a guy put together a quailty kit last week and he went home with quality equipment for making woolly buggers, adames, elk hair caddis, hare's ears, and many more for right at $100. Considering he can now make about $1000 plus worth of trout flies, I'd say he got a bargin.
I agree with Bird Dog 100%. Unicoi hac a great selection of materials and all the tools that you need to tie flies for trout fishing in N. Ga and the surrounding area. You really neeed to see this fly shop and compare a kit to what they can set you up with....$100 is a great deral for all the starter tools and material that you need.
Take a trip up there...and enjoy the view of the scenery along the way...its great this time of year.
Flyguy
I agree with Bird Dog 100%. Unicoi has a great selection of materials and all the tools that you need to tie flies for trout fishing in N. Ga and the surrounding areas. You really neeed to see this fly shop and compare a kit to what they can set you up with....$100 is a great deral for all the starter tools and material that you need.
Take a trip up there...and enjoy the view of the scenery along the way...its great this time of year.
Flyguy
To everyone who has replied to my original post, I offer a hearty thanks. You have helped me a great deal with all your information and your offers of help. I hope I can help you all sometime, somehow, as I learn more too.
As far as I am concerned, the spirit of sharing and teaching you all have demonstrated is an excellent example of what I imagined to be the true spirit of flyfishing. Thanks!
-Rob
Rob,
If you think this board is great....Try the Fall Fling. There is always tons of info being shared form the guys and gals on the board...Great place to soak up a head full of trout fishing and more. Rememeber to bring the float tub and fishing gear...the water is also a great place to pick up ideas and hot tips.
Hope to see ya there....
Flyguy
Rob,
If I were buying a vise, I would go with a Renzetti Traveler (the true rotary vise) c-clamp or pedestal. You may want to go cheap now, but trust me, you will one day want the Renzetti and it just makes more sense to go ahead and get the best. Plus if you ever want to tie other non-trout flies, it makes more sense. Mine is so much better than the cheap vises all of my friends have that I can't imagine using anything else. As for books, I would go with Skip Morris's Flytying Clear and Simple. Also, you may want to look into the flytying cd-rom. I used a friend's recently and it is awesome and costs only $50.00. Enjoy your new hobby. --edwin
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