Cabelas Fly-tying set

[Vinlandfrost]

It's $175 and includes all thompson tools and loads of other stuff. Any one ever seen this set or used it? $175 seems high but with all the stuff it comes with it may be a good deal. And yes, The only thing I've ever tied before is my shoe, never tried flies. [url=http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jhtml?id=0011282313201a&navAction=push&navCou nt=2&indexId=cat20532&podId=0011282&catalogCode=UE &parentId=cat20532&:54cb0]http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jhtml?id=0011282313201a&navAction=push&navCou nt=2&indexId=cat20532&podId=0011282&catalogCode=UE &parentId=cat20532&[/url:54cb0] parentType=index&rid=&_DARGS=%2Fcabelas%2Fen%2Fcom mon%2Fcatalog%2Fitem-link.jhtml_A&_DAV=MainCatcat20431&hasJS=true

[This message has been edited by Vinlandfrost (edited 25 April 2005).]

[countrygent36]

Looks like a pretty nice kit to me. Sure wish I had started with one that nice.

------------------
Remember to take a kid fishing.

[Al Beatty]

Hi Vinlandfrost,

It's a good kit and should serve you well for a few years. In time you may want to upgrade the vise and get more tools but it is a good way to start. Take care & ...

Tight Lines - Al Beatty [url=http://www.btsflyfishing.com:e4973]www.btsflyfishing.com[/url:e4973]

[Take-a-Gander]

That's the kit I started tying with, and as a previous poster said you may decide to up grade the vice, otherwise it has served me well.
T-a-G

[ranchwife]

Make sure this kit has what you want and is of the quality you want. Check the materials list then go to Hook and Hackle (www.hookhack.com) and see how much you could put together a kit with the same materials. Their prices are way better than Cabela's because they offer a 20% discount. I'm a huge Cabela's fan, but when it comes down to the dollar amount - I want to get the best materials for as little money as possible. Hook and Hackle has quality products at a great price!!

[Peter F]

I also started with their kit, but it was the cheaper one with the Master Vise. At the time the kit had Eric Leiser's tying book which is a bit outdated compared with all the nifty new books. (It was black and white). The kit was a very good investment. Tools were good enough to tie all the flies I needed the first few years, and then I began buying better tools and vises, one at a time.

------------------
Peter F
www.fishingwithflies.com
pfrailey@hotmail.com

[dphotoco]

Hi.

I haven't bought too many kits, in fact just one. I agree with JC and anything that gets you started is good. However my experience was not as good. The Skykomish kit from Scientific Anglers got me started but just when I was "speeding up" (I followed Al Campbell's series) from pattern to pattern many of the materials where finished. Then I bought a lot of materials and in the long run it became clear that buying quality tools and materials separately, as they are needed to tie each pattern is cheaper and your flies will have consistent quality (from the supplies point of view at least) from the very beginning.

Kits give a feel of ease because they come with "everything you will need" but not all of us fish the same flies hence not all materials on your kit will be used as much as others.

If buying tying tools and materials for the first time I would buy:

- a tools kit. Cabelas sells one for 35 that comes with everything you need to beging tying. I think it's called "deluxe". Many other stores have a similar one, I suspect is the SAME one just that it comes with different labels.

- materials for the first pattern, (criteria for selecting it, should be ease of tying, then usefulness to you. Follow the great series from Al Campbell), then of course, materials for the second and so on.

That way you won't end up with a lot of materials you won't use if tying "isn't your thing". Or dissapointed, like me, if there isn't enough marabou on your kit for tying 100 of those damsel fly nymphs!!!

[chewydog]

I probably had the same kit as Peter. I still have some material that is unused. Leiser's book was excellent. The vice would hold a hook firmly, and that is good enough to start.
The problem I had was with tools. A Thompson whip finisher with no instructions, I learned to whip finish by hand. A thread bobin that cut thread was frustrating. I thought I was doing something wrong, till I bought a different one on a whim.
Recap: I almost quit tying because of the tools they gave me. If I had it to do over again, I'd keep the book and buy decent tools and the material I acually needed.
This was many years ago, and I still don't know how to use that Thompson whip finisher.

[FIREMAN]

I started with a Cabelas kit which had the Jack Dennis tying book. That was about 4-5 years ago and it served me well. I just put the vise that came with it to rest and have replace a couple tools like a bobbin and new rotary vice. It will serve you well.

Seege