How Much?

[Big Biscuit]

Here's the $1,000,000 question, hopefully more like $100. How much is it going to cost me for a fly tying kit. I've searched the net and so far the prices have ranged from $189 to around $500.
Would I be better off buying a kit or putting one together.Iprimarily want to tie flies for salt water if that makes any difference.

[jaybp30]

My advice would be to buy a decent vise and the basic tools and choose which fly you want to start with and buy the materials for that. If you want to tie for the slat, buy the materials needed for a clouser and start with that. The good thing with that is it is mostly just bucktail and you can use that for tons of flies. I just started tying a few months ago so maybe advice from someone more experienced would be better but that is how I would do it if I were to do it again. Any decent fly shop will be able to guide you on what you need for that fly.

[The Fisherman]

Put one together! You can tie a ton of SW flies for not a lot of money; i.e. the materials for you to tie Ray's Fly will cost you $30 or so and you can tie 100 flies with that (you could probably tie more, but you'd run out of your 100 count hook bag). ;-)

[Eric L]

Put one together! You can tie a ton of SW flies for not a lot of money; i.e. the materials for you to tie Ray's Fly will cost you $30 or so and you can tie 100 flies with that (you could probably tie more, but you'd run out of your 100 count hook bag). ;-)

What he said!

With Kits you will be purchasing materials that you will not use. Why waste your money that way?

1) Get a decent vice, bobbin, scissors and hair stacker and some sort of head cement (I use clear Hard As Nails for most flies). You don't really need to get anything too high end. I still use a Thompson Model A vice and a couple of S&M bobbins I purchased 30 years ago -- after I tossed out the cr@ppy vice that came with my beginner's tying kit.....

2) Pick 2 or 3 patterns that you use alot and get just the materials you need to tie them. I would go with Ray's Fly and Clouser, personally. Buy hooks in lots of 100 --you save money that way. I would start with 2 or 3 sizes, because learning to scale your flies to the size hook you are using is one of the skills you will need/want to acquire.

When learning to tie, sit down for a tying session and make the same fly, same size over and over. Use a "good" fly of the same pattern and size made by a friend or purchased in a shop as your model. When you finish a fly compare it to the model and note what is good about it and bad about it relative to your model. Make adjustments on your next fly to correct deficiencies and maintain what you did well until you can crank out exact copies with ease.

Save your "learning curve" flies for an appropriate situation when you need something to sacrifice to the Yellow Eyed Deamons.

Eric

[hookandhackle]

I have found the start up kits sold by Orvis and the Flyshop to be very lacking. My wife bought me the top start up kit by Orvis for my b.day last year and to be honest it was quite lackluster. It was a great gesture on her part, but the kit didn't fit with what I wanted to accomplish. I also recieved a kit from the Flyshop and although I kept it, I have yet to use it. I ended up purchasing an Anvil offset rotary vise and picked up my own materials specifically for what I wanted to tie.

The problem with a kit is that you're limited by what materials you're given. You're limited by the type of fly you can tie and number. When you're first starting out, numbers count. I've never tied a fly correctly the very first time, or the 2nd, or 3rd. By the 5th or 6th try, I'll start to see something usable. Like Fisherman said, $30 will tie you a lot of Ray's flies. All you need are vice grips for a vice, Eagle claw 254SS hooks, and good bucktails.

Your biggest expense is going to be the vice. Invest in a good vice and build up on your tying materials. When I first started tying one of the forum members here gave me some sound advice. Focus on one or two flies, get them down and then move onto others. There are some excellent tyers on this site who can offer great advice.

[Z Fisher]

The only reason I'd buy a kit is if you weren't sure you were going to really be into fly tying. The worst thing about a kit is the vice and tools. They're bush league. So, it let's you try it out and determine if this whole game is for you.

If, however, you've already tied a few on a buddy's vice or done it at a show and really want to dive in, then the advice provided above is right on target. Get some good tools and the few materials you really need to tie the flies you're interested in tying.

Then the sickness begins....

[alan18lpl]

I bought a vise from a forum member, he also gave me some goodies like scissors, hair stacker and bobbin holder, hackle pliers, enough to get me started.

It was well worth what I paid, but caution from a beginner. Do NOT spend a fortune just starting out, and I didnt because I was not sure about this. Fly tying is fun, but since I have two left hands when it comes to art, I find it very frustrating, and at times, not worth the effort, because basically, MY FLIES Suck compared to store bought.

I am one year into this and I do see improvement, but I could think of a bunch of times the vise almost got put away...

Go to the chapter meetings, guys tie and its a good way to learn faster. Rich Strolis also has his online tutorials, which really improved my tying...even though mine still don't come out remotely to what he would expect!

In retrospect, as bad as my ties were, I caught a LOT of trout on them, so that does add to the pleasure....but as a friend of mine said, I caught only the dumb trout....he he he

[The Fisherman]

Having started out tying SW flies on sz 1 and 1/0 hooks, and now about a year later tying sz 18 wets (my smallest flies yet, which aren't even THAT small) I can say it is waaaaay easier to start with the larger SW streamers, bucktails, etc.

[dudley]

Easily the best value vice on the market today is the EZ-Vice from Hook&Hackle.
If I were starting out today, that's what I would get along with some quality scissors from a fabric store and a cheap bobbin.
Everything else you can make or 'collect' a little at a time.

[Andrew]

Lots of good advice already. Here are my own thoughts...

If you know saltwater is what you'll tie, buy a vice with pretty good jaws. A junker will frustrate you because it will slip. I have a Dyna King Kingfisher that will hold anything, but I don't think it cost me more than $100 when I got it. I have a Thompson A, but I personally can not get it to hold my saltwater hooks tight enough for my tastes. The Kingfisher has grooves in the jaw that seem to really help.

Good fly tying scissors don't have to be expensive, but they will cut better than a lot of small scissors designed for other purposes. I think my Dr. Slick scissors, which I've used for something like 10 years, were about 12 bucks.

I have, but almost never use, a hair stacker. I don't consider that essential for most saltwater flies.


Buy a single white bucktail ($4-6, approximately) since that's a color you'll use a lot. Then, instead of buying several other full sized bucktails, see if you can find a "grab back" of other colors, or some smaller packages of partial tails. I have gotten smaller portions for less than $2.00 each. Say you decide to tie white & chartreuse and white & olive clousers to start, then your entire bucktail expenditure can come in under 10 dollars, and you'll get tons of flies out of that.

[grayghost]

Tying can be very challenging as well as frustrating to learn. There are many online sources, recipes, videos & articles. I attended some free tying clinics this year at local fly shops that really helped my skills and gave me a opportunity to network with other tiers.

[Big Biscuit]

So the people have spoken and I shall do as they say. Seeing that I am a man of the people :rolleyes:.I will piece together my own personal fly-tying arsenal. Thanks for the infomation and advice.

[hookandhackle]

Like the avatar Biscuit.

[Big Biscuit]

Kind of fitting.

[Big Biscuit]

Well I just picked up some scissors, thread, bucktails, eyes and head cement. All I need now is a one hundred pack of 2/0 and 1/0 hooks and the know how. :confused: I'm heading to the H.F.F.A. expo the 28th, Paul D. said he'd help me tie my first saltwater fly. I was given an old vise by a coworker, it was his grandfathers. He said since he always saw me reading something about fly fishing he thought I could use it. I hope after I clean it up I can put it to good use.

[The Fisherman]

1/0 and 2/0 are so close in size. Why not space them out a bit, say 1/0 and 3/0 or 1/0 and 2?

And while you're at it, come to UpCountry this Saturday and we'll get you started off on the right foot. ;-)

[Big Biscuit]

Saturday it is. What do I bring?:confused:

[The Fisherman]

Your vise, your tools (scissors/bobbin), some black and white threads and a big pile of eagerness. ;-)

If you have bucktail, bring it. What colors do you have?

[Big Biscuit]

Your vise, your tools (scissors/bobbin), some black and white threads and a big pile of eagerness. ;-)

If you have bucktail, bring it. What colors do you have?

I have olive and natural/white. I don't know if the vise I have is going to workout. I'm going to clean it up and see if it's worth using. If not , oh well.

[Big Biscuit]

Oh , and if someone has an extra vise laying around or is going to upgrade and doesn't know what to do with their old vise they can always give me a shout.:rolleyes: Hint , hint! Wink , wink!

[The Fisherman]

Bring the vise and your bucktails.

Wait, that sounds weird.....

;-)

[Big Biscuit]

Guess who was picked to head a special project Saturday :mad:. Sorry Steve I won't be able to make it to Up Country. I hope every thing goes well.