Want to start tying

[bialeckij]

I've been fly fishing for around 2 years now and want to get Into tying my own flies I was looking on cabelas they have starter kits do any of you guys recommend these or any other suggestions would be appreciated thanks

 

[sandfly]

they are not bad, just some tools are on the cheap side. I do classes here at my shop, materials included if you are interested

 

[Tucker733]

The kit are pretty good I got one maybe 5 years ago and everything has worked great. I did have to add a washer to the vise clamp as it was beginning to wear.the kits are deal for the price

 

[shortrod2]

I have no experience with the kit you mention, but I do not recommend buying any of the kits I have seen.

However, I do see the difference in price between a cheap kit and a good vice, scissors and bobbin. The hair stacker, hackle pliers, whip finisher, bobbin, bobbin threader, bodkin, half-hitch tools, tweezers and dubbing twister in a kit may even be long term serviceable.

If you go this route understand that the vice, scissors and bobbin are likely to give you fits. Only you can decide if you are willing to put up with a vice that slips, scissors that don't always cut right and a bobbin that frays your thread.

If you can spare the extra min $200, I recommend going with good tools.

 

[gfen]

Sweat Jebus, people love to spent others' money.

Goto Cabelers and spend $40 to $55 (now $25 to 35 on sale) for one of their Toolkits With Cases. If you're feeling flush, add the cheapest ceramic bobbin they sell to your list.

The only thing in their kit that'll be of any trouble, at all, would be the bobbin. I'd suggest the $10 addition is well worth it.

Then, buy a box of hooks and whatever crap you feel the need to tie your first flies with. Keep it simple, and just pay attention to the ones you lose all the time (which is what, hare's ears and pheasant tails, right?), and just that.

You will go broke if you try to buy more than the simplest things for the simpliest flies you use all the time. You'll also forget something essential, anyways, negating your attempt to be full-featured.

Once you get your total outlay of $50-70 ($40-60 on sale!) junk home, try it out. You will quickly come to one of two conclusions:
1) "This is easy, and fun. I will buy more materials and replace equipment when I decide I need to."

2) "This is stupid. I'm spending $0.50 on flies from some Sri Lankan for the rest of my life, good thing I'm only out $50-70 ($40-60 on sale!) for stuff that is stupid."


$200... If I had your money, I'd burn my own.

 

[robkonowitch]

I agree. I am not a great tyer but... bought a nice new Apex vice and the tying improved

 

[BrookieChaser]

I agree with gfen's post.

Those Cabela's kits in the "wooden" cases can be had for about $40. The vice comes with a pedestal and clamp base.

 

[djs12354]

I also agree with Gfen. Get one of the kits. (and the ceramic bobbin)

I started with a kit from Bass Pro (via the Fly Tying Jam gentlemen). And no, I'm not claiming I am a Fly Tier yet. I'm not even to the level of fly-tying hack.

Find out if you really want to tie flies before dropping coin on an upgrade to the vise and other tools.

I found out you can spend more money tying than buying another rod pretty damn quickly.

 

[lv2nymph]

I think the "G" man is right on the mark. It's easy for tiers that have been tying for a long time to recommend spending the money and getting better tools right of the bat. But if it turns out you don't like it, can't do it, or whatever then there you are... Looking at a pile of money you now wish you didn't spend. I did just that bought a kit, found I liked it and replaced as I could afford, the upside of doing this is you'll work with the tools and the vise and with time when you're ready for a better vise you'll have a good working idea of just what kind of vise to spend a bunch on.

 

[shortrod2]

gfen wrote:
$200... If I had your money, I'd burn my own.

I am sorry if anyone thinks I am trying to spend someone's money. My intention was give the best advice I could given my experience.

I have only used three vices. First was from a cheap kit, simple tighten bolt to bring jaw together. Would not hold small hooks, but it was all I could afford.

Second was a Thompson Pro. I tied on this one for over twenty years, and hated it for most of them. I quickly grew tired of fussing with it after every couple of flies.

Third is a Dan vice. It is far from perfect, but it is 1000 times better than the Thompson. Hooks very rarely slip, easy to adjust, keeps its adjustment. That was around $50 10-15 years ago.

Most of the kits come with a vice that copies the old Thompson design. I can't believe the copies are better than the originals. I would rather skip lunch for a couple of months than go back to using that design. YMMV.

If I could go back in time I think I would have bought a Regal instead of the Thompson. I think I would still be using it today.

 

[shortrod2]

lv2nymph wrote:
But if it turns out you don't like it, can't do it, or whatever then there you are...

You sell it on ebay for 95% of what you paid.

 

[lv2nymph]

Well, that's true. Think I got a little caught up in the past, when I got mine I didn't have that option. Doing that didn't even come to mind. I didn't think you would get that much return on stuff like that honestly.

 

[DGC]

What you want is someone who actually has one of these kits to chime in. For the rest of us it is all guesswork. Those of us who have tied a while and upgraded don't go back and sample the new kits and we have no idea if we neverf put our hands on the stuff. At least I don't.

I am a tweener on quatlity vs cheap kit. By going individual pakistan or india made tools, then adding a first level Griffin vise, I think it's the 1a, you are looking at excellent tools and excellent vise for about 75 bucks.

Then there are the materials.

25 packs of hooks, beads from Allen. I see they just raised their prices on hooks by about 20 percent, so maybe 50 packs from elsewhere would be even better. Mustad barbless dry fly goes for about 7 bucks for 50.

dubbing, peacock, marabou, thread and sample packs of hackle, etc from your local shop or one of the sites that ships free or very cheap rounds it out.

Good luck and enjoy. I can't imagine fly fishing without fly tying, not that there's anything wrong with not tying.

 

[djs12354]

DGC wrote:
What you want is someone who actually has one of these kits to chime in. For the rest of us it is all guesswork. >

Good luck and enjoy. I can't imagine fly fishing without fly tying, not that there's anything wrong with not tying.

DGC

Not being a smartass here (yeah, I know it's a change) but I am/was a user of one of those kits. May not have been Cabela's but I wager the contents are very similar. Vise, bobbin, scissors, thread, feathers, chenille, hooks, DVD and, IIRC, a hare's mask. There is enough material to tie a decent amount of flies and the DVD gives pretty good illustration of the steps involved.

Yes, I have purchased better tools and a better vise, but that was after getting my feet wet, so to speak. Part of the reason for the new vise was frustration with the kit vise, but that had more to do with fumble fingers and eyesight than the vise not functioning properly.

Did not know that Allen had raised their prices. Thanks for the head's up on that. I knew I should have ordered last week!

 

[gfen]

To reiterate, the kits I"m referring to are the tool kits in the wooden cases.

With the possible exception of the bobbin not being very good, and the scissors going dull after 2 years (although I still use mine 6 years later after multiple sharpens); there's nothing in there that you would regret as "junk."

I would not suggest an entire assembly of hardware and materials; I suggest buying the materials to tie one or two of your flies in addition. Start small, you'll accumulate enough junk in your future.

Carry on with the arguments.

 

[RickinPa]

Contact Fly Tiers Heaven in Sunbury. Take his beginner course. I think he provides everything for small fee. You learn how to tie and learn what tools you like.

Rick

 

[krayfish]

the nephews got a beginner tying kit back in January. it came with the Vice bobbin scissors half hitch tool some supplies and DVD. they went crazy tying flies for about a week and then put it in the closet. the bobbin that came with the kid is junk and kept cutting the thread. before wrapping up a bunch of money see if you even like doing it. a big dinner catch should be enough to get you started but I would add an extra bobbin. lots of places will be run programs for beginners to show them the ropes for free. if you like doing it upgrade as your gear becomes dated. Just my .02

as you upgrade your tools you can keep the old ones to the side to start a kid for a friend in the fly tying hobby

 

[poopdeck]

I recently started tying flies but I have been tying bucktails for 25 years or so. I started on vice grips. They worked just fine. I bought a Thompson for around 14 bucks roughly 20 years ago. I still use the Thompson for both flies and jigs. Not a thing wrong with it. I recently inherited a rotating Griffith vice. I really don't use the rotating feature so its not much different from the Thompson.

I buy ceramic bobbins made in india for around 5 bucks a piece at gander mountain. they do not cut the thread and they work perfectly fine. So good that I don't understand the need for a 10, 20, or 30 dollar bobbin. My half hitch tool is a pen barrel. Works great, its only a half hitch. my whip finishers are also made in india and did not cost more then 8 bucks. They work great and I feel no need to replace them. My scissors I paid 12 bucks for. Again, they work great.

I think we can conclude that I am very cheap. I am very happy with my cheap tools and I will not be replacing them. I can afford the best stuff but I really do not see a need. They are flies, we are not splitting atoms or performing brain surgery. You will be perfectly happy with the cheap stuff for years to come. If you really enjoy it then treat yourself later on and upgrade.

 

[shortrod2]

Some of the responses in favor of a kit use the idea that you may decide to abandon fly tying and therefore your loss will be less.

However valid that aspect may be for some, I completely disregard that argument. Fly fishing just would not be the same for me if I were to buy my flies. The only flies I buy are from small fly shops that I want to help support. I rarely use such flies and have never caught a fish on one. YMMV

 

[BTRobertson]

I'm going to go to a free fly-tying class before I spend ANY amount of money on anything. Orvis just opened a new shop in Pittsburgh at the Galleria Mall, and they offer a free tying class. That's when I'll make my decision - after I've tried it for free. Can't beat that happy medium, right?