Starting up

[Chetty82]

I am looking to starting up fly-tying this year anyone got any books or videos they know of that would be a good idea i have started before but now that i am laid off i have nothing but time on my hands any local shops that sell material and books and videos on this any feed back would be appreciated

 

[OVERMAN4]

Check Youtube - many how-to's. The best part it's free.

 

[ian_brown]

To save money, only buy materials that you need for a specific pattern. Also, I would hold off on tying dries with hackles; good hackles are expensive, and the less expensive ones just don't work. Instead, learn to tie hackleless patterns like comparaduns, sparkleduns, EWC, etc.

Walt's worm is a great pattern to start with; it's easy and the materials are cheap: Hook, thread, lead, dubbing.

As far as books go, I liked "Fly Tying Made Easy" by Skip Morris.

 

[Chetty82]

Thanks it was pretty helpful i was looking at cabelas and they got a starter kit with dvd all the tools and book for almost 200 dollars

 

[MKern]

Stay away from most kits. The materials are crap. You'd get way more with $200 if you pieced it together yourself. Just go purchase things with some one who has tied before. They can lead you in the right direction.

 

[gfen]

I concur with that, at least for the tools. A bodkin/half-hitch tool, a hackle pliers, a Materelli whip finisher, a cermanic bobbin, and a decent set of scissors.

If you need to cut costs, I made a bodkin out of a sewing needle in a pen, and you can learn to whip finish with your fingers. I stole a comb from my kids to help clean out deer underfur.

I don't think a Griffith AA vise costs much, there's also the Cabela's branded vises. Or, Ebay!

Couple spools of thread (white, black, tan, olive, and brown are about all I really use...you can colour white with a marker), lead wire, french tinsel, crystal flash, and a few key colours of dubbing (black, white, grey, brown, olive).

After that, its feathers and fur to match the patterns. This is the part I still have issues with.

The web and Youtube for patterns, plus the library or just the coffee lounge of the local B&N bookstore.

 

[jayL]

I am still using an old, cheap, unbranded AA vise. If I've come this far, I'll never upgrade. I tie flies from size 2 to 26 with it.

 

[Fishidiot]

Chetty,
I'd endorse the guidance from the previous posters - good stuff. I'd add that you should use head cement (some tyers don't bother with this). Cement will make your flies much more durable and less inclined to fall apart or come untied. Just remember that when you glue the head of the fly that you stick the point of another hook thru the fly's hook eye so it doesn't get glued shut.

 

[MattBoyer]

Fishidiot wrote:
Just remember that when you glue the head of the fly that you stick the point of another hook thru the fly's hook eye so it doesn't get glued shut.

I just leave a scrap piece of copper wire on my bench for this purpose. Other than that, ditto what has already been said.

Boyer

 

[gfen]

Not only do I use a piece of wire, but I often heat the end to glowing with a lighter before passing it through so I can burn off errant bits of detrius from the hook eye...I like to crowd my heads.

Well, I don't like to...But I do it, anyways.

 

[Chetty82]

This information has been real helpful maybe i will see you guys around if you fish the little juniata

 

[WannaCatch]

Ok, here's MY starting up story.
I only started FF'n this year because a co-worker of mine and I both got laid off. Having someone be nice enuff to show you everything AND lay a bunch of their own flies they tied on you really makes a difference.
(shut up joe, I know you'll probably read this since you are a member here too!)
I joked an older gentleman that I talked to on Bald Eagle creek about selling me his kit since he said he doesn't tie any more. Low and behold he called me up today. He offered me his kit for $30. He said he graduated in '59 and took a fly tying class in high school. We stopped by today, on the way to the Little J of course, and I bought a working piece of history. Even the box that he made for his kit is 50 years old this year.
It's an old D.H. Thompson vice, boxes of hooks, alot of feathers, and tunz of other stuff that I haven't learned the name of yet. My mentor(joe) said that I shouldn't pass it up. The vice will last forever.
Soooo,,,, The gentleman was really cool, I got a great deal on a starter kit, and made another friend. He just said he was glad that it will be used, instead of sitting on a shelf collecting dust.
I will gladly use the kit, update any of the basic tools and even keep the name on the box, thanx to this gentleman.
All the info that you's guys have passed on is appreciated too. Making a list as we speak. I'm sure some will scoff at me buying and using such an old vice, but just like my ghetto vest and rod, I'm not into this to impress anyone. I REALLY enjoy FF'n. And now it will be another rush for me to actually TIE the fly, and use one of my own creations to catch-a-da-fish!

 

[Chetty82]

Yeah but my vise is a wal-mart special from a fly-tying kit I bought several years ago. So I think I got dibs on the laughter part. Oh and wanna I have joined you in the layoff been laod since march 2. Unfortunately my fishin buddy does not like ff'n jsut catching them with worms and going to to the river to catch walleye.

 

[vern]

WannaCatch,

When you go through the materials, you might want to be on the lookout for at least two items that are rarely available today - jungle cock and condor quill.
I would recommend setting them aside and only use them when you feel you want to tie a classic for display.

Condor quill was used and available up until the 1970s, when DDT and now lack of habitat made the California condor quill almost extinct. Orvis had a commercial stone fly pattern a friend of mine used to tie for the then Anderson's Cross Fork Tackle Shop that used condor quill for the abdomen.

Another is natural mottled turkey - good stuff. Was used for nymph coverts and wings in some patterns. There's modern stuff that imitates it.

Some of the hooks may well be classic and irreplaceable as well.
Older, pre-mid 1970s Mustad 94840 were good dry hooks.

Jungle cock is used for eyes on some classic streamer and salmon ties.

That Thompson vise will serve you well, even if you decide to purchase a modern rotary vise. I still use my Thompson B for certain flies.

 

[WannaCatch]

Yea that's all cool. I'm taking my box over to my friends place and we're gonna go through it an start tyin some of the basic stuff, ,,, usuals, sulphurs, caddis.
I got my first book too, from Barnes n Noble. Author Peter Gathercole. Fly tying for beginners. It looks like a pretty informative book. Tools, materials and Core techniques. Show's how to on fifty flies. Just enuff, but not too in depth to put me off.

 

[Chetty82]

I cant find the yellow crane fly maybe I should call spruce creek outfitters and see if they got one. If they dont i really have nothing as far as materials go. If anyone knows where one of these can be purchased that would be great. Or if you have the pattern and if you could post the pic that would good as well. Like I said before I am new I have only tied like 7 flies so far that the kit I purchased can tie. Just lookin for some pointers that is all.

 

[shakey]

wanna catch,great story!

chetty82,here's a pointer:the more you tye the better you get.haha

 

[Chetty82]

I figured that shakey but I am just looking for the yellow crane fly cant find the pic or the place to find and purchase one until i get the materials to tye my own. Until then I will be spending the money on flies

 

[Chetty82]

Was curious when tying flies you guys usually tye different sizes right of the fly of ur choice? But I am sure you guys dont go to extreme sizes they are more subtle. I just wanted to clarify that info. And also if there is one fly u needed to tie for a specific stream or specific trout and so on. Would you buy the materials to tie it or would you just buy a few of the flies in that pattern?

 

[gfen]

Now, I'd probably buy the materials. I like stuff, and I still have enough personal disposable income to take care of it.

I think sizes depends on what it is. IE, when I tied sulphurs, I stuck to sizes 16 and 18, as I thought that's all I'd probably run into. I was wrong.

Last night I tied some Adamses. Sizes 20 through 12 (only one of them, but why not?). Two of each. I don't feel I need a dozen in each size, just a couple. If I were going away on a "big" trip, I'd certainly tie more.

So, to put it into perspective, this summer I chartered a boat to take me fly fishing for stripers in the back bays of the Jersey shore. He'd provide me flies, but I'd much rather make my own, so I'll buy the materials to tie up a handful of what he recommends. I'll never use 'em again, and I doubt I'd need lead eyes or hooks that big again, but so what? If I can afford it, I will.

That's part of the fun.