Mnflyfish
Well-known member
I know, I know......someone asked it again! But what is a good inexpensive starter tying kit. I have looked at alot of them, cabelas, bass pro, orvis, fly shack etc. is there one that is at the head of them all?
good starter kit
- Thread starter Mnflyfish
- Start date
FrankB2
Well-known member
I've looked at kits, and found they offer a little bit of too much stuff
you may never use. Better to buy: a vise; at least one bobbin; one pair of
Dr. Slick scissors; thread in olive, tan, black, yellow, white (size 6/0); gold
beads in a 1/8"; some gold wire, small size; a spool of .015" lead (the non-lead type)Depending on what flies you'd like to tie, you can select your own material. Wooly Buggers? Buy a pack of olive and black marabou, and a Whiting Bugger patch of hackle. I use the marabou from the tail to wind a body, but you can also buy a spool of chenille in black and olive. So much of
my fishing is done with Woolly Buggers, so that's the pattern I mentioned.
You can google other flies, using "Pheasant Tail Nymph Recipe" (etc) as a search.
You'll get all the materials needed to tie each fly this way. Some people only
fish a few different fly patterns, and it's better to buy the materials for those
you intend to tie. You won't save any money buying a kit.
Add to the least of tool a whip finisher and head cement. You'll need a bobbin
threader (I make my own from thin guage guitar strings), and a bodkin(I make
my own from straight pins and wooden dowels.
Let us know what you want to tie, and you'll get all the info you need without
buying a kit
.
you may never use. Better to buy: a vise; at least one bobbin; one pair of
Dr. Slick scissors; thread in olive, tan, black, yellow, white (size 6/0); gold
beads in a 1/8"; some gold wire, small size; a spool of .015" lead (the non-lead type)Depending on what flies you'd like to tie, you can select your own material. Wooly Buggers? Buy a pack of olive and black marabou, and a Whiting Bugger patch of hackle. I use the marabou from the tail to wind a body, but you can also buy a spool of chenille in black and olive. So much of
my fishing is done with Woolly Buggers, so that's the pattern I mentioned.
You can google other flies, using "Pheasant Tail Nymph Recipe" (etc) as a search.
You'll get all the materials needed to tie each fly this way. Some people only
fish a few different fly patterns, and it's better to buy the materials for those
you intend to tie. You won't save any money buying a kit.
Add to the least of tool a whip finisher and head cement. You'll need a bobbin
threader (I make my own from thin guage guitar strings), and a bodkin(I make
my own from straight pins and wooden dowels.
Let us know what you want to tie, and you'll get all the info you need without
buying a kit
.brandy
Well-known member
I spent a lot of time finding a good kit. I ended up buying the Orvis Clearwater kit. Most of the materials that are in it I have already used. It has a good starter book and good quality materials.
The only thing that it doesn't have that would have been useful is a hair stacker.
Other than that, it's a great start.
The only thing that it doesn't have that would have been useful is a hair stacker.
Other than that, it's a great start.
bloodhound
Well-known member
as frank said,
if you are going to tie specific patterns such as bead head hares ear nymph, pheasant tail, sow bug's, and other smaller flies that run a more natural look why would you want to get a kit with a bunch of pink and orange maribou and hackles, egg yarn ect. ect. it takes forever to get what you think is everything you need and even then you still write list's of materials you are missing or ran out of.
alot of money but i love the montana mogoose vise made by griffin, if you take care of it you will never need another unless you tie commercially. when i started i bought a vise, stone fly tool kit (so-so) and the materials needed for LT. Cahill in 14-18, BH Hare's ear nymph 12-20, and pheasant tail BH and flash back and before i knew it i was ready to try new patterns as i got cozy tying these patterns.
if you are going to tie specific patterns such as bead head hares ear nymph, pheasant tail, sow bug's, and other smaller flies that run a more natural look why would you want to get a kit with a bunch of pink and orange maribou and hackles, egg yarn ect. ect. it takes forever to get what you think is everything you need and even then you still write list's of materials you are missing or ran out of.
alot of money but i love the montana mogoose vise made by griffin, if you take care of it you will never need another unless you tie commercially. when i started i bought a vise, stone fly tool kit (so-so) and the materials needed for LT. Cahill in 14-18, BH Hare's ear nymph 12-20, and pheasant tail BH and flash back and before i knew it i was ready to try new patterns as i got cozy tying these patterns.
MoscaPescador
Well-known member
Hi MnFlyFish,
Here's the reality. If you plan on making fly tying a life long hobby, buy your tools and materials separately. Most packaged kits on the market have inferior tools and materials. I'm sure that you don't want to keep spending money to replace tools and materials that you don't measure up to par. Do it right the first time around.
Since you are looking for recommendations on kits, here are some that are on the market.
Wapsi Starter's Kit can be found at some shops that stock Wapsi products. It has good materials and mediocre tools. I bought this for my young nephew for his birthday. It only set me back around $60.
Dyna-King makes a kit that has good tools (Dyna-King vise and Dr. Slick Tools) and mediocre materials. It will set you back $225. It cost more than the Wapsi setup, but the extra cost is in the tools.
MP
Edit: I let my nephew tie a few flies on my Regal. He hates his kit vise with a passion.
Here's the reality. If you plan on making fly tying a life long hobby, buy your tools and materials separately. Most packaged kits on the market have inferior tools and materials. I'm sure that you don't want to keep spending money to replace tools and materials that you don't measure up to par. Do it right the first time around.
Since you are looking for recommendations on kits, here are some that are on the market.
Wapsi Starter's Kit can be found at some shops that stock Wapsi products. It has good materials and mediocre tools. I bought this for my young nephew for his birthday. It only set me back around $60.
Dyna-King makes a kit that has good tools (Dyna-King vise and Dr. Slick Tools) and mediocre materials. It will set you back $225. It cost more than the Wapsi setup, but the extra cost is in the tools.
MP
Edit: I let my nephew tie a few flies on my Regal. He hates his kit vise with a passion.
flyfisher117
Well-known member
Cabela's Tying Kit
ok so just last year i started with this kit and liked it the only really bad thing i had with it is the bobbin was metal and would fray my thread, and if it bothers you the hackle is dyed but to learn on i dont think that reeally matters now this year i am looking at upgrading the vise just because i want a rotary and not a stationary but if you just want to give flytying a try you may consider this kit
oh yea ps i got the master kit just because its vise looked a little stronger and more durable
ok so just last year i started with this kit and liked it the only really bad thing i had with it is the bobbin was metal and would fray my thread, and if it bothers you the hackle is dyed but to learn on i dont think that reeally matters now this year i am looking at upgrading the vise just because i want a rotary and not a stationary but if you just want to give flytying a try you may consider this kit
oh yea ps i got the master kit just because its vise looked a little stronger and more durable
Frank Whiton
Most Senior Member
Hi Mnflyfish,
You are facing the same dilemma that new fly fishers face when buying a new fly rod. It is confusing and you can't buy a good cheap kit with all the tools and the good materials you need. You need to find a fly shop that has a vise set up and ask them to show you how to tie flies or join a class. A lot of schools have fly tying classes. So do some recreational departments. You need to get a feel of what fly tying is all about. If you like it then buy better tools to start with. Most beginners buy a cheap set to see what it is all about and they end up buying all new stuff in a short time.
I can highly recommend the Kaufmann Basic Beginner Kit. It gives you a book and materials to tie just the first nine flies in the book. You don't get a bunch of materials you don't need or that are poor quality. It doesn't provide any tools.
To get started you can get by with a bobbin, fly tying scissors and a vise. Feather-Craft sell some branded tools that will get you started. Give them a call and tell them you are a beginner. The same for Kaufmann.
The Orvis kit may be a good choice but I don't know anything about it. I bought the best Orvis vise that Orvis sold back in the seventies. It was not a good vise and I returned it with out even setting it up on my bench. That doesn't mean they have not improved over the years. The US has some really great vise makers and you don't need to buy a vise from Asia.
Frank
Streamborn Fly Tying Kits - Basic Beginning Kit
Designed and built by Randall Kaufmann for first-time tyers, this kit has every material for the first nine flies in Randall's book, Fly Tying for Beginners. Includes Tiemco hooks and the book.
Note: you can tie more than 9 flies with the materials provided. They will just be the same 9 flies. The book is oriented on how to tie flies and the procedures, not how to tie a bunch of flies.
Frank
You are facing the same dilemma that new fly fishers face when buying a new fly rod. It is confusing and you can't buy a good cheap kit with all the tools and the good materials you need. You need to find a fly shop that has a vise set up and ask them to show you how to tie flies or join a class. A lot of schools have fly tying classes. So do some recreational departments. You need to get a feel of what fly tying is all about. If you like it then buy better tools to start with. Most beginners buy a cheap set to see what it is all about and they end up buying all new stuff in a short time.
I can highly recommend the Kaufmann Basic Beginner Kit. It gives you a book and materials to tie just the first nine flies in the book. You don't get a bunch of materials you don't need or that are poor quality. It doesn't provide any tools.
To get started you can get by with a bobbin, fly tying scissors and a vise. Feather-Craft sell some branded tools that will get you started. Give them a call and tell them you are a beginner. The same for Kaufmann.
The Orvis kit may be a good choice but I don't know anything about it. I bought the best Orvis vise that Orvis sold back in the seventies. It was not a good vise and I returned it with out even setting it up on my bench. That doesn't mean they have not improved over the years. The US has some really great vise makers and you don't need to buy a vise from Asia.
Frank
Streamborn Fly Tying Kits - Basic Beginning Kit
Designed and built by Randall Kaufmann for first-time tyers, this kit has every material for the first nine flies in Randall's book, Fly Tying for Beginners. Includes Tiemco hooks and the book.
Note: you can tie more than 9 flies with the materials provided. They will just be the same 9 flies. The book is oriented on how to tie flies and the procedures, not how to tie a bunch of flies.
Frank
Mnflyfish
Well-known member
Frank, the big problem is, even though we have great fly fishng water around here, there are no fly shops, schools, classes or anything. Plus, i have to stick to a light budget.
peregrines
Super Moderator/Fly Swap Coordinator
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MnFF,
As others have pointed out there's a trade off between the cost and quality you get with the kits. So depending on your budget, and how sure you are that you'll get into tying, you could go the kit route-- just be aware that the vise may not be the greatest, since most kits come with soft metal jaws and are often poorly machined. Materials may also be limited. But if you're looking to limit your upfront investment to 60 bucks or so all in for vise some tools, a few different hooks and materials, then a kit is probably the only way to go. I would look for one that seems to offer the best selection of patterns you actually want to tie. Some also come with a DVD.
I can't knock kits, since many of us, including me started out that way, and money should not prevent you from tying whatever your budget. You'll likely want to upgrade the vise at some point, and you can use the experience you've built up tying to shop for a better one, especially if you run into other folks tying and get to try a few different styles of vises.
The other way to go is to put a "kit" together yourself. Depending on your budget you could get some old reliable standards that you could pass along to your grandchildren.
Old, used Thompson Model A c-clamp for about 25 bucks can sometimes be found on ebay, craigslist or "for sale" sections of FF boards etc.
I would also look for deals on used vises like these. They're excellent new of course, but are also bulletproof and might be good ones to look for if you can find a used one at significant discount off retail.
DynaKing Kingfisher or HMH Silhouette SX about 130 new
Regal InEX 120 new
Peak Rotary 140 new
Plus tools. Dr Slick makes an excellent toolkit for around 50, or you could select some "decent" ones yourself for around 30 bucks
Griffin metal tube Bobbin 7 bucks
Bodkin- any brand 2 bucks
Scissors- an inexpensive pair of 4" sewing scissors with a fine point about 4 bucks
"English Style" Hackle Pliers any import 2 bucks (if you want to tie flies with wrapped hackle like trout dry flies)
"Materelli style" import whip finisher 7 bucks (or original 17 bucks)
Hair stacker, any import (metal with two ends for stacking hair on small and medium flies) about 7 bucks if you want to tie hairwing flies like Elk Hair Caddis
From there, you'd add hooks and materials for a couple standard beginner patterns at a time. As you knock off flies, you'll also be building up an inventory of hooks and materials.
Fly tying is a lot of fun and hopefully you'll get a lot of fun out of it. There are a lot of reasons to start tying. The only caveat is that saving money is probably not one of them... The temptation is to tie a lot of different things requiring different materials, and unless you're tying a ton of flies that you'd be buying anyway, it'll end up costing some money like any other enjoyable hobby.
As far as instruction etc, you might want to do a search for a TU chapter near you (the a Hiawatha chapter in Rochester might be close to you.):
Council/Chapter Search | Trout Unlimited - Conserving coldwater fisheries
Most chapters have fly tying courses or at least informal get-togethers where you'll learn a ton, as well as group trips to local water, casting clinics or informal casting on the lawn before meetings etc. It's also a great way to see and try different gear as you run into people with different stuff.
Good luck. Keep asking questions, i know this can be pretty confusing.
As others have pointed out there's a trade off between the cost and quality you get with the kits. So depending on your budget, and how sure you are that you'll get into tying, you could go the kit route-- just be aware that the vise may not be the greatest, since most kits come with soft metal jaws and are often poorly machined. Materials may also be limited. But if you're looking to limit your upfront investment to 60 bucks or so all in for vise some tools, a few different hooks and materials, then a kit is probably the only way to go. I would look for one that seems to offer the best selection of patterns you actually want to tie. Some also come with a DVD.
I can't knock kits, since many of us, including me started out that way, and money should not prevent you from tying whatever your budget. You'll likely want to upgrade the vise at some point, and you can use the experience you've built up tying to shop for a better one, especially if you run into other folks tying and get to try a few different styles of vises.
The other way to go is to put a "kit" together yourself. Depending on your budget you could get some old reliable standards that you could pass along to your grandchildren.
Old, used Thompson Model A c-clamp for about 25 bucks can sometimes be found on ebay, craigslist or "for sale" sections of FF boards etc.
I would also look for deals on used vises like these. They're excellent new of course, but are also bulletproof and might be good ones to look for if you can find a used one at significant discount off retail.
DynaKing Kingfisher or HMH Silhouette SX about 130 new
Regal InEX 120 new
Peak Rotary 140 new
Plus tools. Dr Slick makes an excellent toolkit for around 50, or you could select some "decent" ones yourself for around 30 bucks
Griffin metal tube Bobbin 7 bucks
Bodkin- any brand 2 bucks
Scissors- an inexpensive pair of 4" sewing scissors with a fine point about 4 bucks
"English Style" Hackle Pliers any import 2 bucks (if you want to tie flies with wrapped hackle like trout dry flies)
"Materelli style" import whip finisher 7 bucks (or original 17 bucks)
Hair stacker, any import (metal with two ends for stacking hair on small and medium flies) about 7 bucks if you want to tie hairwing flies like Elk Hair Caddis
From there, you'd add hooks and materials for a couple standard beginner patterns at a time. As you knock off flies, you'll also be building up an inventory of hooks and materials.
Fly tying is a lot of fun and hopefully you'll get a lot of fun out of it. There are a lot of reasons to start tying. The only caveat is that saving money is probably not one of them... The temptation is to tie a lot of different things requiring different materials, and unless you're tying a ton of flies that you'd be buying anyway, it'll end up costing some money like any other enjoyable hobby.
As far as instruction etc, you might want to do a search for a TU chapter near you (the a Hiawatha chapter in Rochester might be close to you.):
Council/Chapter Search | Trout Unlimited - Conserving coldwater fisheries
Most chapters have fly tying courses or at least informal get-togethers where you'll learn a ton, as well as group trips to local water, casting clinics or informal casting on the lawn before meetings etc. It's also a great way to see and try different gear as you run into people with different stuff.
Good luck. Keep asking questions, i know this can be pretty confusing.
mcnerney
Administrator
Mnflyfish: Without a fly shop or club nearby my next suggestion would be to do a Goggle search for fly tying or a specific pattern your interested in, there are a number of fly tying videos on the internet that would be useful. Another excellent source is Charlies Fly Box (check out the fly box section on his web site, as he details how to tie all of the patterns he has listed).
Charlie's FlyBox - Metro Denver, Colorado's Best Fly Fishing Retailer (flyshop) with online Fly Tying Tutorials
Here is an example of what turned up when I did a Goggle search for Hare's Ear Nymph Pattern: How to Tie a Hare's Ear Nymph
Good luck, and don't hesitate to post your question on this site, we have some very talented folks here that are more than willing to offer advice.
Larry
Charlie's FlyBox - Metro Denver, Colorado's Best Fly Fishing Retailer (flyshop) with online Fly Tying Tutorials
Here is an example of what turned up when I did a Goggle search for Hare's Ear Nymph Pattern: How to Tie a Hare's Ear Nymph
Good luck, and don't hesitate to post your question on this site, we have some very talented folks here that are more than willing to offer advice.
Larry
Fly2Fish
Well-known member
As someone who in the past year just got back into tying after several decades absence from it - and remembering that my first "starter's kit" many years ago had a bunch of materials that I never needed and not much of what I did - I agree with the others who suggest buying a few quality tools and only those materials that you need to tie what you're going to be tying initially. You can always add materials as your skills develop to allowing you to tie more sophisticated flies requiring different materials.
Where I do disagree is with those of the "build your own kit" posters suggesting $100+ vises, since by definition a beginner is not sure how well he will stick with fly-tying, so it really isn't prudent to be laying out $100+ for a vise that may end up hardly ever being used. For myself, after reviewing several comprehensive vise reviews (Selecting the best fly-tying vise, by Hans Weilenmann and Bruce Salzburg & Fly Tying Vises, The Fly Fish Ohio Shoot-Out Review Summary), I ended up buying a Danica Danvise which can currently be bought new with explanatory DVD for under $70 (J. Stockard) but has true rotary capability, ball-bearing construction, bobbin holder and many other features normally only found on high-end vises costing several times as much. And just as importantly for my need to tie small Western tailwater flies, it doesn't require an expensive set of midge jaws (just finished tying a #30 nymph with no jaw slippage problem whatsoever and plenty of room around the hook for the tying process; this after tying a #2/0 large saltwater fly earlier this evening in a fly-tying class).
Where I do disagree is with those of the "build your own kit" posters suggesting $100+ vises, since by definition a beginner is not sure how well he will stick with fly-tying, so it really isn't prudent to be laying out $100+ for a vise that may end up hardly ever being used. For myself, after reviewing several comprehensive vise reviews (Selecting the best fly-tying vise, by Hans Weilenmann and Bruce Salzburg & Fly Tying Vises, The Fly Fish Ohio Shoot-Out Review Summary), I ended up buying a Danica Danvise which can currently be bought new with explanatory DVD for under $70 (J. Stockard) but has true rotary capability, ball-bearing construction, bobbin holder and many other features normally only found on high-end vises costing several times as much. And just as importantly for my need to tie small Western tailwater flies, it doesn't require an expensive set of midge jaws (just finished tying a #30 nymph with no jaw slippage problem whatsoever and plenty of room around the hook for the tying process; this after tying a #2/0 large saltwater fly earlier this evening in a fly-tying class).
jr1964
Member
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Start with the basic tools a vise, good quality scissors, bobbin, bodkin, hackle pliers and head cement. Then consider the fish your going after and search the net for the patterns they will take in your area. The next step is to do another search for materials used in these patterns and purchase only what you need. The most important thing is to buy quality tools, you don't have to purchase a 350.00 vise but a vise in the 50.00 to 80.00 range is good. Same goes for materials cheap materials are like anything else cheap it a liability when you have the once in a lifetime fish on the line, forget the Walmart $2.19 hooks that look like they will work and just pay 7.50 for the Mustad hooks you know will work. Sewing thread is not the same as tying thread and tying thread cost about the same. Just Don't get cheap.
mcnerney
Administrator
Considering your budget, I would highly recommend you take the time and listen to the episode by Charlie Craven, Fly Tying Techniques You Can't Do Without, that was on AskAboutFlyFishing.com last night. Here is a link to the show: Fly Fishing - Internet Radio
He gives some very good pointers about the basics you need to have when first starting out.
Larry
I'm in the same boat as you, I have started looking into fly tying but budget is important. I think I've looked at many of the same kits as you have, there is a lot to choose from, its a bit confusing. Keep us posted on what you decide to get.
Cabot
Cabot