Just starting

[mattd]

Going to be taking a small break from the streams. With my first child due in 4 weeks and still preparing, I dont think I will make it out much the next year or so. I've decided to start tying flies but I don't even know where to start. I will be working with a low budget. What would be a good book and how much should I expect to spend to get started?

 

[djmyers]

I just started fly tying this spring. I initially started with a decent amount of supplies and tools and spent about $180. That would be enough to get you started with some of the simple patterns.
(pheasant tails nymphs, wooly buggers, etc.) You could probably get started for under $100 if you just but the tools and materials for one or two simple patterns.

 

[jayL]

I like the orvis fly tying guide.

It's broken into sections such as dry, wet, streamer, nymph, etc. It will show you how to tie a basic version of each... such as the Adams for a dry, or the hare's ear for a nymph.

The idea is that the basic patterns will teach you the necessary skills, and it will eventually reduce to mixing and matching techniques/materials/colors. It finishes with recipes for the entire orvis fly catalog, which is handy.

 

[stonefly]

cabelas has a whole fly tiyng kit with a book for 80 dollars but you might want to just buy a kit and then look on the internet for the patterns that you want to tie

 

[jaybo41]

I'm self taught on tying, never had lessons so I know it can be done. Although, just like learning to fly fish, a lesson or classes are probably the way to go. With that said, here is a book that I found extremely helpful. It doesn't have everything in it, but it's pretty good with the basics and easy to follow IMHO.

Basic Fly Tying

Then there is Fly Anglers Online

A real good online source of tying info.

I would recommend starting with a couple of patterns that you generally fish with. Buggers are a great choice for a first fly as you can learn many techniques. Hare's Ear nymphs would also be another good one.

I got a fly tying kit from Cabelas as a gift and it's served me well. I just add more materials as I need to tie. In 5 years, I've accumulated quite a bit.

Good luck!

 

[Padraic]

There are some great tutorials on www.troutflies.com

 

[mattd]

Thanks all. Cant wait to catch a fish on my own fly.

 

[ian_brown]

Here's a Dr. Slick kit that looks pretty good.

Kit.

I really like their scissors. I use my cheapo scissors for wire, and my good ones for hair, thread, etc.

BTW - I'm self-taught, and I've fount it much easier to teach myself to tie than to fish. And catching a fish on your own fly is a hoot.

 

[Padraic]

Here's my $0.02 on beggining fly tying... which may be over priced.

Get a good set of tools and a nice vice. Do not get a kit that includes materials. The materials that come with starter kits are fit for making cat toys, not trout flies.

Take a look at the fly patch on your vest to see what you want to tie. Chances are, there are a half dozen patterns on there that you use most of the time, all year. You'll enjoy tying them, and have confidence with them when you fish. Get the materials for those. And when it comes to dry flies, save money on the expensive hackle feathers by buying the sized packs of feathers. Whiting and Koeg put out packs called "100's", because the feathers in those packs should make a 100 flies.

Tye sparsely. A fly with 6 winds of hackle will not float any better than a fly with 4. It will how ever, catch less fish. Sparse flies have a better profile, let light through and generally perform better than heavily hackled flies. This goes double for dubbing and triple for hair wings.

Thread tension, thread tension, thread tension! The proper tension for tying is that point just before the thread snaps. The tighter the thread, the better the fly. Before you tie each night, start the thread and gradually apply pressure until you snap it. Do this a couple times until you realize that you can put a lot of pressure on the thread before it gives out. Through a half hitch in place when you are finished one step of the fly and about to reach for new materials. It'll keep everything under tension as you work and when the trout start chewing up your flies they won't unwind all at once.

 

[sandfly]

The orvis kit has some very nice material in it...plus its one of the few kits that has a whip finisher in it... :-D

 

[djmyers]

That is the kit I bought from Cabela's, the Dr. Slick. It is excellent quality from what I have used so far!! Would definitely buy it again.

A good site for materials too is :
www.wildernessangler.com

They have nice materials and you don't have any shipping to pay! Just need a paypal account.

 

[jaybo41]

Padriac gave some excellent advice. Not sure I could have mentioned anything better or additional to add at this point.

Catching a fly on your own fly is awesome! The only thing better, to me is giving some flys to your friends and watching them catch fish on your flys :-D

 

[jayL]

I'd say that catching a fish on a fly that you made with a rod that you built is pretty cool. Make it a wild fish, and that's about tops for me.

I actually just got that goal for the first time this weekend at the gunpowder with a wild brownie on my home made 9 footer and a hand tied PT nymph.

I woulda gotten this goal earlier, but I don't use the 9 footer too much.

 

[Padraic]

jaybo41 wrote:
Catching a fly on your own fly is awesome! The only thing better, to me is giving some flys to your friends and watching them catch fish on your flys :-D

My buddy, Paul G once caught a 21" smallie on a fly pattern I dreamed up and tied for him, on a rod I made for him and in a spot I found! The %$&)((#&^

 

[mattd]

Rod building will be my next venture. Pad, nothing better than a 21" smallie to test your craftsmanship. I'm hoping I can make bonus this month so I can start learning to tie. I'm gonna give it a shot on my own, I've self taught myself this far. If my flies end up looking like my casts I'm in trouble though. I taught myself on the little freestone streams and as soon as I get on a larger stream I'm a little lost. I only fish larger streams about twice a year so I'm in no hurry to learn. If I end up moving to MT next year I'm gonna have to learn. Oh yeah, and i think I will need something bigger than a 7 1/2" 3wt (My biggest rod). As with fly fishing my wife will probably catch on quick and will end up making me most the flies. As long as she keeps my box full I'll be happy!!!

 

[jaybo41]

My buddy, Paul G once caught a 21" smallie on a fly pattern I dreamed up and tied for him, on a rod I made for him and in a spot I found! The %$&)((#&^

I've not built one...yet...but that's got to be at the top of experiences. Very nice

 

[Bruno]

mattd

Here are two good sites http://rotaryflytying.com this one is 25.00 for a year subscription. About the same price as a book. I like the video. You can learn a good deal from watching

http://derekspace.net is also very good and free.

 

[sundrunk]

Buy top quality tools and materails...Make the long term investment for you're craft; do it right the first time...

A few years ago when I started tying I made the mistake of going cheap on my vise, tools and materails, only to regret it down the road. It's heart breaking buying the same thing twice...

Looking back now; the single most important tool in my box would be my dual-flex-head Giraffe lamp with full spectrum, day lite bulbs...The flex-ability of this system allows one to eliminate shadow while maintaining natural color of materails at the same time.

Determine What flys you really need and start tying imitations...


Prehaps the most promising aspect of tying your own stuff up, lie's in the fact that you'll start catching more fish..Educated trout know what a store bought fly doesn't look like...



Try tying over the vise, and get a nice tech stool or chair.

 

Well, as ALWAYS, on this site, there is some excellent advice given!
Now, I realize that not everyone lives within a roll cast of a local fly shop, but I notice an awful lot of members, here, referring to Cabela's kits and others. There's NOTHING WRONG with these kits, per se' but I guess I'm more or less a "softy" when it comes to "supporting my local fly shop, over using an "on line fly shop".
If, today, I were just starting out, getting into flyfishing and tying, knowing what almost 30 years has taught me................... I'd kill myself, but die much richer! No, seriously, If I were starting out, I'd visit my local shop and just ask the owner to "put together a kit" for whatever type flies you fish with most, or would like to try tying.
Of course, there's the crap-heads out there, that own shops and may try and tell you........... "Well, you'll need this $3,000.00 Twist-o-Matic vise and solid gold thread and......................" but I think, for the most part, most shop owners are pretty honest in dealing with the new tyer, because they see them as a future customer.............. buying materials, threads and assorted items!!
Your local fly shop also is a great place to learn "tips and tricks", and usually, owners and employees are more than happy to help you thru a problem, if they're responsible for helping you getting started.
Nope, I don't own a fly shop and my "local one" is 107 miles, from here. But, I support "my local shop", and the end benefits have been priceless to me.
Yes, I also, order many things "off line", as well............... I'm loyal to my fly shop, but not STUPID when I see a bargain!!
So, check with your local shop(s), of you're near to one and you may find out that your "first kit", consists of exactly what you'll use and want, be of top quality materials and you'll own nothing that's wasted!?!
Just a thought!