FS Digest

What is a good kit for fly tying? Keep in mind that I’m only just starting it, but I don’t want to get stuck with a bad vise or something like that. Is there something good that I can get that isn’t overly expensive?

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by corbrat

FS Digest

I got the Orvis Premium kit for Christmas. Has everything you need to tie, plus materials for 160 flies. I used it for the first time today and tied some midges. I posted pics earlier. It’s around $200. I really don’t know how good the the tools are that come with it, but they work okay for me.

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by the_great_confuser

FS Digest

Where will you spend the most time fishing? What will you be fishing for? What is your budget?

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by Falsecaster

FS Digest

Orvis starter kit a good beginners set up. Good quality, range of materials, everything you need to tie your first flies.

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by Andramarchy

FS Digest

Don’t buy a kit.... I bought the basic orvis kit 2 years ago when I wanted to start tying. I still have 1/2 the materials from it. If I were to do it again I’d buy a vise in my budget and allot say $100 for materials. Find 4 flies that work for where/what you are trying to target. Talk to a local shop if you can. They can help you out in regards to colors/size. Then YouTube university is your best resource aside from a local shop. Most dvds on tying are outdated at this point. Someone has found a better/easier/quicker way to everything at this point. Sorry for the ramble.

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by swsjt

FS Digest

This^

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by shark82134

FS Digest

Buy a good quality vise, scissors, bobbin and whip finisher for tools. That’s all you need to get going. I highly recommend the renzetti traveller for a vise if you think it’s something you are going to get into. It’s a good quality, reasonably priced vise. Get some 6/0 thread for tying bigger flies and some 10/0 thread for smaller stuff. Get black and white. Those are the only thread colours I use anymore anyway.

For materials it’s critical you go one pattern at a time. Both for your skill development and material acquisition. Start with a simple pattern like a wooly bugger or a hares ear nymph. Get all the materials and practice tying a few dozen. Once you get that pattern down move on to another. At first there may not be much overlap in materials, but soon when you are looking at a new pattern you might only have to get one or two materials. Eventually you will have a good selection of materials and you won’t have to buy much.

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by Streamerstripper

FS Digest

Buy a kit..but with a caveat. Kits with materials, suck. Most aren't of good quality and most you probably won't use. Don't do that. But where I do like a kit, is for the basic vise and tools. While I don't think starting with a good vise is necessarily bad advice, I don't like it for a few reasons.

Reason 1-who knows if tying is something you'll take to? Not all fly fishermen and women have to tie their own bugs. Do I think it makes the most sense and works best for me? For sure. But maybe you won't. And now you've dropped $2-300 on stuff you'll be ready to sell in a few months because it's just sitting around.

Reason 2-what do you know about what you'll like/look for in tying equipment? You don't. There's 20 different bobbins out there that we'll all have opinions on as to why they work best for each of us. And guess what..none of us are wrong! It's a preference thing!

I started with a kit from Cabela's and tied hundreds of flies that caught a ton of fish, on a simple AA non rotary vise. I still employ a few of the tools to this day, years and years later (ie-old scissors are now my wire/lead scissors). So I'll always err on tool kits to start with a basic vise and you grow into more gear and tools at your own pace and upgrade when you see fit. Any advice that you 'can't tie good bugs on starter kits' is just a flat out lie.

Best of luck!

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by dahuii22

flyguy Loc: Lake Onalaska, Sunfish Capitol of the World!

Welcome to the Forum, corbrat. If I were you I would look around for a used set up on eBay or someplace. A lot of people try it and forget it. Maybe go to a trout unlimited meeting and see if someone has a good used vise to sell and some materials. Most tiers have 5 Xs the number of materials that they will need. You might even talk someone into giving you some quick beginning lessons. That will help you aa great deal.

Ron620DVS Loc: Guntersville Alabama

I agree with swsjt‘s recommendation...

doc alden

What is "overly expensive"? One man's trash is another man's treasure.

FixorFish Loc: SW Oregon

Sportsman's Warehouse has a couple of decent kits, as does BPS, for as little as $50-60 that has most of the tools and a halfway decent vice....no materials. As swsjt said.

re: "overly expensive".... anything that just sits gathering dust not bringing light to your life !

Iafierman

I went to Scheels all sports and got my first kit. I believe it was under $100. You could also check Cables.