I’ve gotten good information from this bulliten board and I’m fairly new to the sport and I don’t want to spend a fortune on individual flies. I’ve bought some tools at the white river fly shop and I’m wondering if the tools i purchased are good quality. The tools inclufde a Supreme Rotating Fly Tying vise, Hackle Pliers, Hair Stacker, scissors, Bobin, adn Bodkin.Some other questions i have are that if I’m going to be tying mostly dry flies would I need fly head cement? Some of the specialty tools I didn’t know if i need them so i didn’t buy them. Thanks for reading.
dmark,
Sounds to me like the tools you have purchased so far, are just dandy! You should be able (after years and years of practice …OK, I’m kidding) to tye just about anything you will ever want to tye! Head cement is fine … I don’t tend to use it, because I usually catch the trees around me before the fly comes un-wound.
Take advantage of the instructions here on the home page by Al Campbell. Pay attention to what others say here on the board. Ask lots of questions. But above all … HAVE FUN!!!
I’m fairly new to the tying world as well, but yes I think you should get some head cement. While it is not required, in my experience cementing your knot will help your fly last longer. Prior to tying my own flies, I started cementing the knots on my store bought flies because some of them would start to come undone just from casting. You can also snag some other alternatives, such as Hard as nails finger nail polish (clear).
Welcome, as for what tools and materials you need to start with…
I can’t say how good the stuff from White River is, as I don’t own it… but at the very least, I believe it will get you started, and there isn’t a need to get a top of the line vise until you are sure you’ll like this part of the hobby and want to throw your money into it. The one thing I’d recommend on splurging for is a good bobbin. If your bobbin is breaking off your thread it can be the most frustrating thing in the world.
On head cement: If you think you want to try it, try it. But there’s no substitute for a good, strong, neat whip-finish that can be tied quickly. Aside from traditional patterns & wet flies where a laquered head is part of the pattern, I do not use any head cement, just 2 whip finishes, and not once have I had a fly come undone because of a poorly secured head.
I’d say see if your whip finishes are holding without the cement, and if they’re not, then use a drop of cement on your flies until you feel your finish knot has improved.
Its just an extra step that, for me at least, is unnecessary, so I eliminate it.
Will just throw this in, as I’m still here today.
White River stuff is just fine stuff! (HA! I started out on equipment from WR many years ago, and still use it in my traveling tying case). You can tye just using your fingers, or a vise grip, or a tree branch, to hold your hook … it just depends on your determination! Main thing; ask questions, and have fun!
I also use a dubbing twister, a tool for making a dubbing loop. In my case I took a piece of solid #12 copper wire (house wiring wire) and made a shepards crook shape from it. Works great, and cost nothing since I have scraps of house wiring wire in my garage.
I started out whip finishing by hand, but now use a whip finisher. The one I use is a Matarelli knock off. It was about $3.50 or so, and works great.
The longer I tie, the less of the specialty tools I use. I have a few, but seldom use them. The vast majority of the time, probably 95% of the time, I use only the tools you have purchased, and that I have mentioned above.
If you’re going to be tying with deer/elk/calf hair get a comb of some sort to remove all of the underfur from the hair. I used to use a cheap plastic one but my wife, bless her, recently gave me an eyebrow comb/brush which works well. Instead of using a dubbing twister, I use the split thread technique, and simply use the bobbin as the twister; one less thing to fool with. Two thumbs up for Sally Hanson’s Hard As Nails, too; great stuff.
I would suggest getting a bottle of clear nail polish just to have on hand. I’ve been using the same one for like three years-it never seems to run low, and set me back like .99c four years ago.
You might also want to get the hackle pliers with the handle. I love mine.
Also, your tools will do just fine if you take care of them to an extent. I seem to only have low end stuff and it’s been working well for me for years. Maybe spend some money on a nice scissors when you find out what your needs are in the future.
For a finish knot I have been using a retractable pen. Just half hitch around the pen towards the writing end and put the small opening where the pen pops out over the eye of the hook and then cinch her down, Do it a few times and your done…
You Are Cordially Invited, to partake in next years “Beginner’s Only Fly Swaps”! Five fly swaps that run from November through April. I post the invitation to the swaps on the Fly Swap BB at the beginning of October.
This years group (10 member) has already done the Soft Hackle Wet Fly Swap, they are now doing the Nymph Swap. They will be doing the Dry Fly Swap for February, the Streamer Swap in March, with the Terrestrial Swap for April.
I am creating an updated CD of all the Fly Patterns on FAOL (1997-2009), that also includes “Al Campbell’s Fly Tying Series”, all 60-parts.
You can send me your mailing address by posting a private message to me. I will be mailing these CD’s out at the end of April, when the Beginner’s Only Fly Swap is competed. There is no charge for the CD or for the mailing, I just ask that you “Pay Forward” by making copies for friends.
Swapmeislter Parnelli
Charterd Member of “Friends of FAOL”
I’m sure your tools will do just fine. Sounds like you have all the basic items you will need. Don’t bother with buying anything more until you discover that you need it. I recommend getting some head cement, particularly when you’re at the beginner stage. Nothing worse than putting a lot of time into a fly and having it unravel. You may elect to drop it later on when you can reliably make whip finish knots. Personally, I still use it and I’ve been tying for 30 years or so. Use half hitches for now. Your kit might have some kind of half hitch tool. If not, you can improvise with a pen as mentioned by vmabuck above.
I missed the question you had about the quality of your tool quality.
The stuff I use is all relatively inexpensive, and yet it works quite well. A lot of the higher dollar stuff is not much better than the mid price stuff.
Some exemptions do exist. The best vises are quite a bit more money than the cheaper ones, but I use a used Thompson A that I bought on Ebay for less than $20 if I recal, and it works quite well. The cheap vises from India and similar countries are not very good, I learned on one, and was happy to buy the Thompson when the Indian vise bit the dust. The Thompson A is Light years ahead of the cheap import that I learned on. My point about the Thompson A is that good does not necessarily mean high dollar.
My first pair of sissors were about $4 or so, and I used them for several years. I now use a pair that was about $10. Are the $10 sissors better than the $4 pair? Well, yes, but the inexpensive pair worked very acceptably for several years.
One exception is that I would recommend the use of a ceramic type bobbin. I used a couple of different really cheap bobbins, and the ceramic one made a huge difference. Even then, I only paid a few bucks for it, maybe $7 to $10 or so.
My point is this. The tools do not tie the fly, the fly tier ties the fly.
Having $500 worth of tools will not make a poor tier a good tier. On the other hand a good tier can take $100 worth of tools, including the vise, and do a very good job of tying. This assumes of course that your vise is a used Thompson A or a similar vise that was purchased used.
I’ve tied thousands of flies form tiny midges to stacked deer hair bass bugs. I learned to whip finish by hand right away because many of the master tyers do it and recommend it, most notably A.K. Best and Lefty Kreh and several others. It gives you the ultimate control and allows you to tie in ways you can’t do with a tool. Once you master it, which doesn’t take too long, you can tie much faster with it. I have taught children to do it, so it’s not too hard.
You can place each wrap with precision and feel the right amount of tension. (plus it’s very strong and eliminates the need for cement in most patterns. You will definitely need super glue on the bellies of bass bugs, but I usually don’t use anything on the final whip finish.)
I highly recommend it. Plus, if you can’t find the tool, you can still tie flies.
As for your tools, it sounds like you got the right set. As with fly rods, equipment is only as good as the one using it. In other words, expensive tools won’t make you a better tyer any more than a Sage will make you better caster. Only practice will.
I have an expensive rotary vise, and a cheap one and I tie just the same on both.
The one thing I’d recommend on splurging for is a good bobbin. If your bobbin is breaking off your thread it can be the most frustrating thing in the world.