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!!!