Beginner fly tier

[mediclimber]

RUMPF

 

[shakey]

WAPSI

 

[mbaker]

have to recommend against buying a kit. I have found you get mostly junk for equipment, and most of the materials cannot be used for anything unless you like your Adams size 10 and fluorescent pink.

I thinks its wiser to buy a fairly good vise and basic tools seperate, and your materials as you tie the individual flies

 

[mediclimber]

Wow, where did you get that kit from? In a twisted sort of way, I'd like to see a floresent pik Adams, maybe just once. Bet you can see that puppy at dusk real good. :-D

 

[tomgamber]

Sounds like the first kit I had that my (not knowing any better but meant well) mother bought for me 25 years ago.

That said, a decent Cabela's. Wapsi, Rumpf (have used their materials but have never seen a kit) will get you started. Inspect the tools and if they seem anything less than adequate, look elsewhere but don't write off buying a kit until you have really looked at a few good ones and they do exist.

Don't write off buying a simple vice like these and then passing it on to another beginning tyer someday. I tied on the equivalent of the cheapest one for 10 years before I bought better vice. And if you pass it on or upgrade you are only out 10 or 20 bucks and you can spend the difference on good materials. But don't rule out a kit until you have looked at them.

Tying flies doesn't have to be a huge investment. It will be eventually, to the degree you choose to let it, but you don't have to start that way.

 

[StudentofTheStream]

I'd say buying a kit isn't necessarily a bad investment. I don't remember the brand I got when I first started but it came with a cheap vise, some hooks of varying size and basic started material. I'd say it was actually beneficial as I could tie many easy standard flies such as pheasant tails, walts worms, a color range of buggers and quite a few different streamers. The cheap Thompson A vise type will hold flies quite well and is absolutely worth the price until you get a really good idea of what you like and what you want to upgrade to.

Like Tom said, don't count them out just do your homework and look into getting something with good tools and decent materials. I don't think you'll regret it.

 

[mediclimber]

The Cabellas Premium kit or any of the Orvis kits is a good start. I know the old kits referred to with the weird dyed turkey and goose feathers and bucktails. Funny thing is those weird colors seem to work well on big saltwater flies.

 

[fritz]

I agree with MKern and.......if a new tyer can get lessons from a local flyshop--that's a huge help. I like the following two tying books: "Poul Jorgenson's Book of Fly Tying" and "The Universal Fly Tying Guide" by Dick Stewart.

 

[chstrcntyfish]

Just checked on here and I thought I'd let you know that I bought a cabelas vice and tool kit. I started out with some patterns that I looked up online. I tied some scuds, zebra midges, and BWO comparaduns. The scuds aren't as good as I'd like them to be because of the dubbing I used. I'll have to get some more of that, since I used dry fly dubbing. The zebra midges came out looking pretty nice. The vise as far as I can tell works good.it held all of my hooks to the point where I could bend them without it slipping. The only thing is it is not very adjustable. You cannot change the height. Also you cannot spin it to look at the other side of the fly without loosening the screw to the base. That doesn't really matter to me though. because it is in its own box with the tools, so I can just spin that because it is very small.

 

[mediclimber]

Dubbung is a learned skill, the more you do it, the better you get. Almost everyone uses too much dubbing to start with. You want to just coat the thread very thinly and evenly, kinda like core spinning angora or whool for knitting and weaving. Get some dubbing wax, it helps. Keep working on one or two patterns until they come out looking like the book shots or as close as you can get. Don't get frustrated, it doesn't help in the end, just walk away from it for a while. The longer you tie, the more goodies you'll pick up. If you'd like to try a Renzetti rotary vice, let me know, I'm off Sunday and can give you or anyone directions to my place to sit and tie for a while.

 

[ErnieBall]

just upping this topic for easier access for me.


good info!

 

[yea-who]

This is a great Site with dem tie in sum Patterns.

http://www.theanglersnet.com/Fly-Tying-Videos/archives.asp?section=6