So I was cruising Craig’s List the other day and found someone selling some fly tying stuff. I picked up an Anvil Apex Vice. 2 Thread bobbins 1 ceramic one steel. A bodkin, hair stacker, scissors, bobbin threading tool and whip finishing tool. A gallon zip-lock bag full of various threads, tinsile wire, fur, feathers and other stuff. Plus a book on fly patterns all for 100 bucks! He said it was over 300.00 when he paid it all, and not much of it was used the vice looks brand new and is still in the box.
My question is what should a guy have for basic tools is ther anything else I could use?
Does anyone have a plan for a box that I could store all this stuff in while not in use. Something that one could open and use on a table top not to small but not to large. It could be a home made or some other store bought idea?
I just started out myself and you’ve got all the tools I picked as my “starter set”. The only thing I can expand on is the “scissors”. I have three pairs on my desk and I wouldn’t give up any of them.
I have a pair of big kitchen scissors I don’t really care about that I use to cut wire and other such things that could wreck a nice pair very quickly. I think these were two bucks at Wallyworld.
Then there’s the pair of “general purpose” scissors made for tying. Small, sturdy, very sharp with blades about an inch and a half long. I use these for pretty much everything from cutting the thread to deer hair.
Finally, I have my micro-tips. Same style as the general purpose scissors, but the blades on these guys are tiny and insanely sharp. I use these when there’s a single stray hackle fiber I need to get rid of, or there’s delicate surgery to be performed on a fly in order to save it from the trash (“How the heck did that clump of hair get there? What is it doing!?!”).
Congrats on the deal, sounds like you got a good one.
Sounds like you’re all set for tools. They only thing you might want to consider adding at some point is a pair of hackle pliers- I prefer the “English style” or “EZ type plastic push button” ones. They go for around 2 bucks and are handy if you tie small flies with hackle wound around the shank (dry flies, soft hackle wet flies).
As far as storage, I use sealable rubber maid type containers for anything that used to be alive (hair, fur, feathers) to keep out bugs, and drop a couple moth balls in the container. Other stuff threads, flash, etc goes in zip locks by type all the thread in one etc to make it easy to find stuff.
If you don’t have the room for a dedicated tying desk, the portable bench is a great way to go, and keeps stuff like tools, spools of commonly used threads and wires handy. Another really handly product is the Renzetti Tool Caddy, which is a nonreactive foam block with cutout holes for tools and bottles of head cement to keeps them from getting knocked over and spilling) sold in many fly shops for around 18 bucks or so.
Some people sort the material by type; for example dubbings, synthetics, fur hair, etc. Another way is to sort the materials by the fly you want to tie. For example all the materials for pheasant tail nymph except for the hooks which are stored separately.
Sort as you want and place into separate zip lock bags and then these can be placed into larger zip lock bags if you want to sort materials further like separating floss from thread.
Then place the bags into the container(s) you want like a flip top storage/packing crate.
You will need good light source if you don’t have one. I use a flourescent lamp with magnifier at home and a portable Ott light when I am on teh road.
On what else you need, if you are going to use a dubbing loop style of tying, you need a dubbing loop spinner. I don’t use any dubbiing wax but you might need some. I use a whip finish instead of head cement but you might want to use head cement and pick up a super glue like Zap-a-Gap, and some clear epoxy.
These are minor items and you have all the major tools you need to tie flies. I would caution you to have someone that ties look at your tools, materials, and thread to make sure they are high quality. Poor quality tools and materials will frustrate you. It will be best to buy good stuff and throw the poor quality stuff away so you will not be tempted to use it.
Re: storing fly tying stuff: I started out with a large toolbox from the hardware store. It has a removable tray in which I store smaller boxes in which I store packages of hooks, beads, etc… The tray has room for longer small items, such as packages of herl. The lid to the tool box has two compartments that have separators that fit my spools of thread, wire, floss, etc… perfectly. The toolbox is more than long enough to store packages of long feathers, capes, etc… I also have packages of marabou stored in clear, lidded plastic boxes.
I obtained both sizes of small clear boxes from an office supply store. They are have lids and the smallest sizes fit perfectly in the tray.
Note that I said I “started out” with the toolbox. Since then, I have outgrown the toolbox, but that system worked well for my first year of fly tying.
my materials are in a plastic shoe boxes one for fur one for feathers and one for man made materials, this keeps them somewhat organized. the nice thing is I bought them at the dollar store so when find a better system I’m not out much money.
You got a great deal, your vise new goes for what you paid for everything, and that vise ought to survive anything but a direct blast from a bomb.
If I were you I would add a Hemostat clip or some hackle pliers, a pair of toe nail clippers for cutting wire etc and a good pair of scissors.
add a bottle of sally hansen’s hard as nails then start going through the beginner tying lessons here on faol.
I may have missed it but I didn’t see any hooks listed in your purchases. You will definitely need a few of those! As to other types of material, I would decide on four or five basic fly patterns that you use regularly. Buy the material for those and practice, practice, practice. When you have enough of those five patterns, select a couple more you would like to try and buy what you need. In this way, you taylor materials to your specific needs rather than trying to cover all the fly patterns known to man. An old tackle box will do a good job of organizing your materials for a while. Just my advice and well worth what you paid for it. Enjoy the dark side :). 8T
The comments about your collecting a lot of “stuff” is well taken. I recall seeing a comment on calling it “R” material because it might end up in your attic thereby increasing the “R” value of your insulation. I have another name for my best material.
I call it “Petting Stuff”. It’s to be looked at and petted but too nice to ever be used.
Welcome to the club of addicts.
I started with an old aluminum tackle box I had from several years ago. I then graduated to a 3-drawer plastic chest (Stor-all?) from wally world. I’m now using a 5-drawer chest from the same source. I have a couple of boxes that hold my thread and an assortment of small packages of dubbing, marabou, etc. All of this in about 2 to 2 1/2 years.
I don’t have a permanent place to tie, so I like for everything to be somewhat mobile. My current tying table is a 4 ft square coffee table in the living room.
Whatever these guys tell yo uthen you need to give me a call and I’ll pack up my bag and head over to your house and we can start tying up some bugs then head down to the lake to try them out on the dock pets!!
Okay, first of all , you can never have too much .
You will want more.
A while back I got tired of all the stuff laying around on my desk all loose and fluffy.
While going through a realativly high end magazine I came onto a tying table/ storage box. The good part was lots of storage , the down side was 1400$. My wife does comercial mill work drafting so I did some modification to theirs and came up with mine. I havent go a clue how to get pictures onto the internet. Ive tried and just cant get 'er. I live down in Parkville and if you send a pm I can meet up with you and show you the prints and pictures of finished prodcuct. I got the wood for free BUT also had access to a professional woodworking shop.
Took me about 140 hours ( I’m kinda fussy) and cost about 100 bucks all told.
Everybody that has seen it says its a dandy.
Perch
Steve, Perch and friends…I just bumped up a thread from last year about desks called “Fly Tying Benches” please take a look.
Word of caution:
Keep the drool off the keyboard it will short out your computer and for heavens sake don’t drink when reading. It makes for an awful mess.
As to other types of material, I would decide on four or five basic fly patterns that you use regularly. Buy the material for those and practice, practice, practice. When you have enough of those five patterns, select a couple more you would like to try and buy what you need. In this way, you taylor materials to your specific needs rather than trying to cover all the fly patterns known to man. An old tackle box will do a good job of organizing your materials for a while. Just my advice and well worth what you paid for it. Enjoy the dark side :). 8T