Another newbie here. I am rapidly finding out that in the long run it will probably be cheaper and definitely easier to tie my own flies.
My question is simple. Where can I get a good starter kit at a good price and what should be in that kit to give me the best start on tying.
Mac
[url=http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flytying/kit/:ca7c7]this[/url:ca7c7] would be your best bet.
Cordially,
mcsteff
p.s. “in the long run” it will not be cheaper :lol: but it will be BETTER and much more SATISFYING
enjoy
mcsteff
“I am rapidly finding out that in the long run it will probably be cheaper and definitely easier to tie my own flies.”
Welcome to the madness. It starts out innocent enough, but before long you’ll be selling your blood to support the addiction. 
Thank you for the suggestion. I saw this when I first logged on. I was curious if there was a good beginner set that could be purchased where I would not have to buy the pieces seperately. My frustration arises from instances like on Bass Pro you can buy a set for trout, a set for bass, a set for panfish or a set for jigheads. EAch set has all the materials and tools you need… meaning I would end up with four vises… etc…
MacFly
:mrgreen: You are one of several who have told me that over and over… like everytime I ask a question… :lol: if this keeps up I may just have to give up this sport… NOTTTTTTTTT :!: :lol:
That’s why Al’s article is great for a beginner or any experience level for that matter. Kits tend to dovetail you into specific type of flies. All you need are the basic tools (e.g., vice, scissor, bobbin). Check at Al Campbell tying series on the main FAOL Page and look through some of the flies that interest you and make a laundry list of the materials you will need to tie them. Better yet, why not go through the tying series start to finish. You’ll discover through Al’s writings that fly tying is about technique. The tools used in most are generally the basic ones Al writes about in his article suggest by mcsteff for your reading.
When your done there, be sure to check out Ronn Lucas Salmon flies series.
Enjoy!
NOT is right, just your blood.
Hi Mac
You’ll get lots of opinions on this. Here’s mine.
Dr. Slick makes a very nice set of basic tools that you can find in most fly shops or catalogs. Scissors, bodkin, bobbin threader, hair stacker, bobbin, Matarelli whip finisher, and hackle piers. Goes for aroudn $45 and the tool quality is very good.
Augment that with a small pair of flat bladed (no teeth) needle nose pliers for mashing doen the barbs on your hooks and you are pretty well set on tools for a beginner.
You’ll probably add a few extra bobbins and some other tools over time. Many may be things you improvise for yourself --razor blades, pins, toothpicks, small side cutting pliers, etc.
The next big decision is your vise. You can start out cheap (well under $20)while you find out how much you like tying, but you’ll probably find yourself trading up in time. The vise can be fixed or rotary. If you have the budget for it I’d start with a good rotary. The Renzetti Traveler rotary that goes for under $180 works fine for me, but more experienced tyers have lots of other vises they like. For a stationary vise I was pleased with a Thompson that cost about $65.
Another decision is how your tying area will be organized and, thus, how your vise is mounted to make it stationary. I don’t have a dedicated tying space, so I use a tying station --basically a flat surface plus storage areas for tools, threads, etc. My vise mounts to that. There are vises that mount to a table of desk top with a C-clamp, but consdider the potential for damage to good furniture. And there are heavy pedestal stands for a vise.
That’s really enough for a beginner.
As for materials, don’t start off with a whole bunch of stuff. Get black, brown and white thread --the white can be colored with Sharpie indeleible ink pens. Buy only the furs, feathers, and other materials you need for the fly pattern you are going to tie this week. Over time you’ll add much more of these materials than you think now but, buying them one fly patterna at a time is better than getting a big grab bag of stuff you may never use.
Hope this helps.
the only thing I’ll add is to buy as many ceramic tube bobbins as you can afford. no way one bobbin is enough. unless you enjoy rerigging the damn thing every time you need a different thread.
mcfly55
Welcome aboard! Nice to see a new addict come in here. You’ll find this the best site on the net for the fly fisher, tyier, rod builer, etc.
Ooooop’s did I say “ROD BUILDER”??!! I’m sorry! Promise you will never go there, never!!
As far as material’s go a lot of share our over stocks.
macfly55,
If you are the same macfly55 from the San Diego area that posts on another bb, then you may want to check out the local fly shops for tools kits and materials - assuming that you haven’t done so already.
If your not from S.D. then you can skip the rest of this.
Both San Diego Fly Shop in Solana Beach (near train station) and Stroud Tackle (S.D.'s oldest fly shop) in San Diego (on Morena Blvd east of Mission Bay) have selections of materials, vises, and tools, including tools only kits and kits with materials. Stroud Tackle does have a better selection over a wider $ range, but both are good stores. I believe that both stores carry the Dr. Slick tools that oldfrat mentioned. If you go into Stroud Tackle, be sure to ask Eileen for what you are interested in - not everthing is on display due to the limited space available. Stroud usually has some “Tie a Fly” kits for basic patterns that have a sample fly and materials to tie a dozen copies.
The San Diego Fly Fishers club has periodic fly tying classes available for free to club members.
I also recently did a fly tying clinic for a group anglers through the www.sdfish.com ff board and we are going to try to do some more of those in the future - you might want to keep an eye out there for an announcement.
I might suggest contacting Al & Gretchen, owners of BJ’s and are a sponsor here on FAOL.
They can set you up with the whole set of tools at a very reasonable price which would includ a Dan vise.
Not one of the highest priced vises but will last forever. Liz ties on one prefering it to higher priced vises.
Check out their web site and or give them a phone call.
Just my 2? worth.
Denny
Macfly55–Everytime I see a post like yours I know ahead of time what some will suggest. I cant understand why one would even mention a $180 vise for a beginner. I teach beginner tying ,one group over 150 boy scout and if they cant break Griffin vises no one can. Griffin has a first time tyer kit for $45 a Superior 1A vise, thread bobbin, scissor, whip finisher,hackle plier and bodkin. Every thing that your grandchild that was mentioned in your profile will use when you update to more expensive equipment if you keep tying. I only use Griffin-8 vises all models hold the hooks the same way, from size 5/0 to 24. Hope you have a friend to teach you the three basic things to tie, how to start the thread–pinch metiod to add material and whip finishing at the eye of the hook. A five minute lesson-------hook a spool of thread some yarn hackle and you can tie your first Wolly Bugger.
Macfly55;
Listen to Mr. Fitzgerald. You can always upgade later.
Mr. Fitzgerald, Kindly read my post more carefully and I believe you’ll see I did not recommend that he start off with a $180 vise. Not that there’s anything wrong with doing so if he so chooses.
Personally, I like to start off any new hobby with tools that are of adequate quality and then trade up once I’ve learned if the hobby is going to stick and have a better idea of what I need or can really make good use of. That was the spirit of my advice.
My first fly tying equipment was a cheap kit I was given. The quality was awful and it did not represent good value. Hard to tie well with a vise that won’t hold a hook in place or scissors that don’t cut well. I believe the Dr. slick kit represents great value. But that 's just me.
The tonality in this post is intended to be constructive, not argumentative. And I certainly won’t argue the merits of a Griffin versus a Thompson versus a $29 Cabela’s versus a Renzetti.
Excellent advice!!
Another thing I’ll add is beware of fly recipes that specify hooks by model number instead of type. Before you know it you’ll have a zillion different hooks that vary only slightly, (believe me, I know!). Explore hook comparison charts and see if what you already have is close to what the recipe calls for. In many cases substitutes work just fine and the fish don’t seem to care.
As for tools, whatever you buy take care of them and you may be surprised how long they will last. Most tyers today would laugh at the scissors and vice I bought when I started tying but they served me well for over 20 years before I finally upgraded.
Have fun, buy wisely, and enjoy a lifetime of pleasure!!
Sorry Oldfrat – I guess I should have said “I cant understand why one would even mention a $180 vise”------- No need to scare the man off. A friend of mine ties on a $600 model and I love getting out one that I paid $6 for at Bass Pro.
Wow, thank you to everyone for all the advice. Now I have a better idea of what to get and how to approach it all and not spend my money unwisely. believe me when I say I will read, reread, and read once more all that is said (at any time).
MacFly
macfly55,
I see Denny was to modest in his reply to mention that he and his daughter raise and sell the best hackles in the world. They are sponsors here. Checkout their website at http://www.conranch.com/