want to start tying need some guidance!

[streamwalker]

well ive been fly fishing for a few months now and i really have a itch to start tying my own flies. i need a vice that can handel small dry flies but also handel big flies for bass and saltwater. i was thinking of the renzetti travler vice. would this be a good choice? also i was wondering if someone could point me in a direction to a website with good fly tying materials for good prices and also if someone knows of a website with patterns for flies that would also help. thanks guys!

 

[williamhj]

also i was wondering if someone could point me in a direction to a website with good fly tying materials for good prices and also if someone knows of a website with patterns for flies that would also help. thanks guys!

For materials, besides local shops, my first stop is usually Caster's online fly shop. They have a great selection and free shipping. I also order from JS Fly Fishing and fly tyer's dungeon. There are others I've order from but those are the main ones.

For patterns, I generally google whatever I want to tie and 'recipe' and something will come up. Youtube is invaluable for learning to tie since you can watch how the steps are done.

 

[txshane]

I have a Renzetti Traveler. I have the midge jaws for it too, which make tying #18 and smaller flies easier. It's a GREAT vice. I tie really large bass flies on it as well.

Feather Craft is another good place for materials. I buy stuff lots of places though.

 

[streamwalker]

well its kinda weird you said casters fly shop i live only about 20 minutes from the store haha. so i guess i will go there in person i also might take a fly tying lesson with dave.

 

[MoscaPescador]

well ive been fly fishing for a few months now and i really have a itch to start tying my own flies. i need a vice that can handel small dry flies but also handel big flies for bass and saltwater. i was thinking of the renzetti travler vice. would this be a good choice?

The Traveler will get you started fine. If you plan on tying a lot of flies each year, you may want to look at a Presentation series vise.

What you should really do is visit that local fly shop. Ask the guys there about the positives and negatives of each vise. Don't be afraid to ask them what they use and why.

also i was wondering if someone could point me in a direction to a website with good fly tying materials for good prices and also if someone knows of a website with patterns for flies that would also help. thanks guys!

As far as materials, buy local as much as possible. A fly shop is a resource that you do not want to lose. I will let others recommend their picks.

As for fly pattern websites, Google is your friend.

Dennis

 

[mcnerney]

Check out YouTube and do a search on fly tying, you will find a wealth of information there. While on YouTube be sure to search for Hans Weilenmann, Davie McPhail and Charlie Craven. Another good source for materials is J Stockard. JS Fly Fishing: Rod Building Supplies, Fly Tying Materials

 

[comeonavs]

I am in the same boat,I think with YouTube (and my wife's) help I might be able to tie a few. I am looking to start tying the basics, RS2, Zebra Midge, San Juan Worm, Barr Emerger and a myriad of nymphs midges. Probably will continue to buy dries otherthan Elk Hair Caddis til I have 1/2 a clue as to what I am doing.

I am looking at the peak rotary vise that comes with some tools, anyone use the Peaks and have feedback.

Also tools what all are the essentials Bobbin and how many, Whip Finisher, Scissors etc etc

 

[williamhj]

I am in the same boat,I think with YouTube (and my wife's) help I might be able to tie a few. I am looking to start tying the basics, RS2, Zebra Midge, San Juan Worm, Barr Emerger and a myriad of nymphs midges. Probably will continue to buy dries otherthan Elk Hair Caddis til I have 1/2 a clue as to what I am doing.

I am looking at the peak rotary vise that comes with some tools, anyone use the Peaks and have feedback.

Also tools what all are the essentials Bobbin and how many, Whip Finisher, Scissors etc etc

Did you see this thread? I link it because it has a lot of info that might be helpful. If you still have questions definitely ask them. Don't be afraid to tie dries. Depending on what you fish, if you get brown and grizzly hackle you can tie a ton of common patterns, including caddis, stimulators, and adams along with a lot of others. Just give it a go and you'll learn. Maybe you'll still want to buy you 20's and smaller dries, but 10's - 18's a great to tie. Don't forget comparaduns too, great patterns and not too tough once you figure out tying in the hair.

 

[comeonavs]

Did you see this thread? I link it because it has a lot of info that might be helpful. If you still have questions definitely ask them. Don't be afraid to tie dries. Depending on what you fish, if you get brown and grizzly hackle you can tie a ton of common patterns, including caddis, stimulators, and adams along with a lot of others. Just give it a go and you'll learn. Maybe you'll still want to buy you 20's and smaller dries, but 10's - 18's a great to tie. Don't forget comparaduns too, great patterns and not too tough once you figure out tying in the hair.

Thanks for the link and PS this is me feeling dumb. I scrolled by that thread and thought hey come back to this one. Then I see this one and start typing 30 seconds later....As I always say at work "I have a severe case of craneous rectus" Latin for head in the rear.

 

[Liphookedau]

As Larry has said check out You-Tube as there's heaps of info how to Tie Many Flies,also I think Davie McPhail's tutorials are as good as they come.
Check out Ebay where you can pick up Tools & Vices Quite reasonably.
Brian.

 

[bigjim5589]

I agree with what has been posted about materials, vises & YouTube. Start slowly with your material purchases, pick a few patterns you'll use a lot & buy only what you need until you're proficient at tying. Otherwise you'll end up like most of us with more stuff than you'll ever use, which you'll likely end up anyway. It can become an addiction!

There is quite a few patterns on this site, so search the flies forum, and the best site for patterns & other tying information is likely the Fly Tying Forum. You'll find more patterns there than any other place I know of, and numerous variations of many types of patterns. You can literally spend weeks searching through the patterns listed there because there are so many. However, don't get too wrapped up in patterns, that will come in time, my advise is pick a few of the easier patterns to get you started, then proceed from there. I've been tying for over 45 years & have found that the simple patterns are most often the most productive. But, then there's that addiction problem again!

Since you have a shop near you, that would be a good place to start. I buy from many sources, and agree with the suggestion of J Stockard, which is one of the better ones I've used as far as selection & good prices.

 

[williamhj]

well its kinda weird you said casters fly shop i live only about 20 minutes from the store haha. so i guess i will go there in person i also might take a fly tying lesson with dave.

If Caster's is your local shop, that's great! I've never been to their store, just on their site and they have a great selection. Taking a lesson would be a great idea.

As others have mentioned, it's easy to collect tons of materials you don't use much but that's just part of tying. It can be fun to have them on hand though as you alter standard patterns in various ways. I agree with starting simply and with patterns you will use often. Tying pheasant tail and hare's ear nymphs require very few materials but are very productive. They also teach you a lot about correct proportions and different tying techniques. Caddis are great for learning to flare hair and wrap hackle.

Enjoy!

 

[stimmy7]

Advice? DON'T DO IT!! DON'T DO IT!!!

You'll end up spending all of your time cruising craft stores and second hand stores looking for stuff, and then the rest of your time at the vise creating things!

You'll spend all of your non-existent 'extra' money on materials and containers to store them in!

You'll look at pets "differently" and slow down when you see roadkill, wondering if it's still fresh enough to bother with...

You'll spend HOURS trying to CONVINCE YOURSELF you're SAVING MONEY by not buying flies...

But you'll and end up instead CONVINCING YOURSELF that you are able to tie things you CAN'T BUY and that you'll tie things BETTER THAN most of what you can buy (and you'll be right there!)

Get ready to immerse yourself in an art that you'll never walk away from, and if you do, and you've properly prepared and stored your materials and tools, you can return to at any point in time, and take it up again... I started when I was 9 years old and 48 years later, I'm still putting thread to steel.

As for books and you tube, books are great for lists of materials and examples of flies, you tube and SBS videos help too, but there's nothing that substitutes for the tactile experience of putting your hands on the materials and visualizing what you can do with them...

And if you REALLY WANT TO LEARN HOW TO TIE A FLY, and I know this is gonna sound weird, but it's the truth... stand BEHIND A FLY TYER AND WATCH OVER THEIR SHOULDER. If you watch from in front of the vise, you never learn how to seat a hook in a vise, which hand to hold what in, how to apply materials and keep them from spinning away from you, how to "size" materials to a hook...

I didn't know how important this was until I wanted to learn how to tie a Sawyer's Pheasant Tail Nymph. I had watched one be tied by a master many times and couldn't get it quite right. Finally he said... "Come stand behind me and watch" and it was amazing how clear it became!! Many thanks, Andre Puyans... my 13 year old self will never forget that lesson (and many others after)

 

[Liphookedau]

Even though Tying Flies is The Cheap Part of FlyTying & can become very time consuming,buying materials is the expensive part..
I forgot to mention only buy the materials you need to tie the Flies you use then if you progress to other Flies for other Fish you can then get The Materials needed.
The end result for me & millions of others who after spending Hundreds,possibly thousands of Dollars later after catching Fish on Flies we have Tied has made it worthwhile even if it would have been cheaper to buy our Flies.
Brian.
.

 

[comeonavs]

Even though Tying Flies is The Cheap Part of FlyTying & can become very time consuming,buying materials is the expensive part..
I forgot to mention only buy the materials you need to tie the Flies you use then if you progress to other Flies for other Fish you can then get The Materials needed.
The end result for me & millions of others who after spending Hundreds,possibly thousands of Dollars later after catching Fish on Flies we have Tied has made it worthwhile even if it would have been cheaper to buy our Flies.
Brian.
.

This is what I am planning, I want to buy the materials to tie many dozen zebra midges for practice.Different beads, body color, ribbing, peacock herl, no herl in 18 to start with. Then after I feel good with that try some 22's. From there graduate in to ranbow warriors, RS2.


Anyone have experience with the Peak Rotary vise ?

 

[williamhj]

Anyone have experience with the Peak Rotary vise ?

I've never used it before so I can't help with that, but you might get more replies if you start your own thread on the subject.