Fly tying tools for a beginner

[JPSmith29]

Hi all,

 

I am looking to get into fly tying. As of right now I only fly fish freshwater mainly for trout. I am planning on getting a 9 wt setup so I can target stripers and blues in the back bays and surf too though. I am looking for advice on what to get for tools, a vise in particular. Ideally I would be able to try tying both trout flies and some saltwater flies on this one vise but I am just graduating college and budget is a major limiting factor so I know this may not be a possibility. I mainly want something that is going to give me a good idea of if I like tying or not but that is not going to set me back a crazy amount. If I do end up liking tying I will be willing to upgrade after a few months but don't want to go all in right away and not like it. Any recommendations?

The vise that I have been looking at a little is the EZ rotary vise. It is only $69 and seems to be decent. Does anyone have any experience with this vise?

 

Thanks in advance!

[Capt.Castafly]

I assume you don't tie any fresh water flies either since your looking for tying equipment.

If money is an issue right now, and you have some doubt or trepidation if you are going to enjoy tying, you might want to consider joining a fly fishing club. Most clubs enjoy and welcome new members. They teach tying, have tools and materials. Some volunteer and teach at local shops. You would only have to put up small money to see if you enjoy it or have an interest to go further. Once you make the first thread wrap, you might be hooked for life.

[Stripsettter]

Saltwater flies are much easier to tie. I wouldn’t even attempt to tie small trout flies.
 

Get a cheap vise, some mono thread, a thread bobbin, small scissors, white, chartreuse bucktail, some matching feathers, flash, glue and some hooks and tie some deceivers. 
 

You can probably get a starter kit from online which will include everything you need and then watch some YouTube vids and practice. 

[WeeHooker]

Cabelas makes a tool kit for $40 that will give you all the vise and tools you need to get started.  I tied for salt, warm and cold water on a similar vise for years.  Don't go crazy with special , pattern specific materials either. If you stick with older, well recognized patternsm, you can make do with a small collection of natural bucktail, hair, saddle hackle,feathers etc that can grow as you go along. You should be able to get everything you need to tie a good variaty of salt and trout flies for $100 or so.   (I know this because I've set up others to get started along the lines of what you are looking to do.)

 

p.s. Find a FF club near you and go sit with the guys( /gals) that have experience when they tie. Chances are they are willing to share their knowledge (as well as materials and tools if they like you)!

Edited March 23, 2020 by WeeHooker

[CaryGreene]

All I have given you very good advice in this thread. what I would say is you will need a vice that will be able to rotate a fly 360°.

 

The Dyna King is a nice entry-level vise that would provide you the ability to tie saltwater flies as well as fresh water flies. 

 

I would hold off on buying most materials. The reason for this is that once you zero in on a pattern that you want to tie, it's like going shopping for grocery ingredients. You buy what you need for that fly. 

 

Beginners are wise to start off tying  Clouser Minnows, from there you will learn some of the other basic patterns. Once you lern the basic patter, you can varry it to match specific bait that you are tring to imitate. The Clouser is well suited to this & this is why I'd reommend starting off here.

Try to make each fly you tied look similar in size & shape to the last one. Below is a basic White Clouser, but I've added some white saddle hackle & some synthetic flash instead of Bucktail & Krystal Flash, which is what a basic Clouser recipe calls for.

In the below Clouser, we used Peackock Herl & synthetic materials similar to Bucktails, but the same, basic tying princciples applied 100%. The result? A Sand Eel.

 

The key is to be able to re-produce the fly, once you're happy with your tie. 

Eyesight and light are a big issue sometimes for some  fly tyers. they make a little pair of reading/tying glasses that have lights on the sides and those can be a very good investment you can purchase if you need them. We like to tie in the daytime, near an window, to take advantage of natural light, but for those of us who work, we inevitably have to Tie at night as well, without the presence of natural light. 

A good pair of scissors that holds up and is very sharp is worth the investment. You can buy a basic tool set but you're probably going to end up replacing many of the tools as you go along. My philosophy is spend the money on things you know you will use quite a bit & stay away from poorly made tools that don't last. I like Dr. Slick Scissors & at $24 a pair, you can't go wrong.

 

Another tool you're absolutely going to need is a tool that holds the fly tying thread. This is called a Bobbin. Not all bobbins are created equal either! Get a very nice one that has a ceramic insert (prevents the thread from snapping under pressure). This is where you can observe the fly tyers at the club & see which Bobbins they like. A basic Dr. Slick Ceramic Bobbin is an excellent choice to get started:

Lastly you'll need a little bit of tying thread. I use fine diameter monofilament and that's pretty much all I use unless I'm telling certain flies that require very bulky  or flat waxed thread. Most beginners however start off with flat waxed white fly tying thread. You have two choices you might use Danville's  or Uni. What you want is a little bit heavier thread then your standard thread you would tie freshwater flies with. Freshwater flies are typically tied on size 6/0 or even 8/0. What you want is more of a size A or 3/0, or as I mentioned you might want ti use fine diameter Mono. 

If you wind up going with thread, opposed to Mono, all you need to start with is a couple spools of White Thread. Again, why buy a million colors when you don't even know which specific patterns you're really going to favor tying? The nice thing about Mono is that the colors of your materials bleed through to the nose of the fly & IMO, the resutls are superior looking but that's not why I use it. I use it because I find it's less bulky & easier to work with. Fine diameter threads aren't suitable for saltwater flies, so you need to go with heavier threads. Mono covers many of your needs with just one thread type. When you need a heavier thread for a specific applicaiton, they you buy it at that time. 

You can actually make many of the tools you're going to need which is why joining a local fishing club could be helpful.

 

I've always been a proponent of adding the right, nicely made tools in piece-mail fashion. You're also going to need a heavy, long needle which is called a Bodkin. 

 

 

It's safe to say you're definitely going to need some bucktails, but buying them before you know what you're looking for might be a little bit of a mistake. 

 

Stick with white, chartreuse and olive. You'll also need a little bit of flash, so you could safely buy a couple packages of Krystal Flash, that matches your bucktail colors.

 

You'll probably need some weighted eyes and some stick on eyes. Look for Amber or Natural looking colors that sometimes I have goofy names like Ice, Earth..etc.

 

That's a good starting point for you. You'll have an affordable cam operate advice that you can grow into, and some basic tools that you know you won't be replacing.

 

You will also have a small stash of materials that will start you off on basically the first type of saltwater fly pattern that you will want to play around with, which should probably be the Clouser Minnow. 

 

Each time you try to tie a fly, You should have a prototype. The goal is to make your fly look like the one you're trying to duplicate. This can be a big help. Walk into a fly shop and ask for a 1/0 Clouser. 

 

Oh and I almost forgot. You'll need some hooks. Start off with basic Mostad 34007's, in size 1/0. (They are cheap and they work for tying Clousers.)

 

Once you master the Clouser, I would move on to the next fly pattern you are interested in which is typically a Deceiver.

 

You can use all the basic same materials except now you'll add a little bit of rooster feathers (called saddle patches or, You might just want to get an all white full Saltwater Select Cape. You can use all the same materials and this is where the stick on eyes come in. 

 

Other materials you'll definitely need is some sort of sealant for the nose of the fly. 5 minute epoxy can be very good but it will yellow over time. Hard as Hull or just a little bit of Sally Hansen's clear nail polish can also work just fine. There are plenty of other goops and clear sealants available, they even make UV insta-cure sealants that a lot of guys like. 

 

Finishing the nose of a saltwater fly requires you to rotate your vise if you're making them one at a time. Some guys like to add a drying wheel to their tying bench, this allows you to work on multiple flies at once and the drying wheel spins them for you so you don't have to sit there and rotate your vice a few hundred times for each fly.

 

there are a number of vises that would be considered upgrades from the Dan-Vise. Renzetti is one I always liked. Some of these vices come with pedestal mounts that allow you to place the vice anywhere on a flat surface you like. It would be good to think this through before you go out and buy the vise. This is where a fishing club could come in handy because you could get the recommendation of a few fly tyers and see which vises they like. I've used pretty much all of them in my lifetime. I kept buying & unloading fancy vices until I finally found one that I really loved. 

 

The reason I mentioned the Dan-Vise is it's at or under $100 and it does the trick. The main thing you're looking for is true 360° rotation & an easy to use cam operated jaw that can be set to a certain size hook and then all you do is open it and close it repeatedly each time you insert a new hook - which makes tying flies much less frustrating if you don't have that capability. 

 

In general the better your equipment, materials & tools are, the more enjoyable and easy it is to tie the fly. You'll probably notice your flies look better as well as you grow into and tweak your equipment. 

 

Captain Ray is spot on above, definitely get involved in a club and get into a few beginner fly tying classes before you make these major decisions. 

 

If I was teaching the class I would probably start you off on a Dan-Vise or a Renzetti Cam vise & You would have no complaints. 

 

Hope this helps & happy tying!

Edited March 23, 2020 by CaryGreene
Goofed up the name of the Tying Vises I always recommend

[JPSmith29]

10 hours ago, Capt.Castafly said:

I assume you don't tie any fresh water flies either since your looking for tying equipment.

If money is an issue right now, and you have some doubt or trepidation if you are going to enjoy tying, you might want to consider joining a fly fishing club. Most clubs enjoy and welcome new members. They teach tying, have tools and materials. Some volunteer and teach at local shops. You would only have to put up small money to see if you enjoy it or have an interest to go further. Once you make the first thread wrap, you might be hooked for life.

You would be right in assuming that. I don’t really have any fly shops near me so I figured it would be a good way to stay stocked up until I can make the trip to a shop. 
I like your idea of joining a fishing club. This is something that I had not thought of as a way to try tying without really buying any of the tools or materials. I will definitely look into this! Thanks for the advice!

[JPSmith29]

3 hours ago, Stripsettter said:

Saltwater flies are much easier to tie. I wouldn’t even attempt to tie small trout flies.
 

Get a cheap vise, some mono thread, a thread bobbin, small scissors, white, chartreuse bucktail, some matching feathers, flash, glue and some hooks and tie some deceivers. 
 

You can probably get a starter kit from online which will include everything you need and then watch some YouTube vids and practice. 

I have heard that saltwater flies are way easier to tie due to their size and simplicity. The only reason I don’t want to start off with saltwater flies is that I do not have a saltwater setup yet and am not 100% certain yet if I actually will get one. My plan was to start with some wooly buggers size 8-10 and some squirmy wormys. These seem to me like they would not be too small to learn on. I will definitely keep your list in mind though if I do end up getting a saltwater setup

[JPSmith29]

1 hour ago, WeeHooker said:

Cabelas makes a tool kit for $40 that will give you all the vise and tools you need to get started.  I tied for salt, warm and cold water on a similar vise for years.  Don't go crazy with special , pattern specific materials either. If you stick with older, well recognized patternsm, you can make do with a small collection of natural bucktail, hair, saddle hackle,feathers etc that can grow as you go along. You should be able to get everything you need to tie a good variaty of salt and trout flies for $100 or so.   (I know this because I've set up others to get started along the lines of what you are looking to do.)

 

p.s. Find a FF club near you and go sit with the guys( /gals) that have experience when they tie. Chances are they are willing to share their knowledge (as well as materials and tools if they like you)!

I initially thought of getting a kit but in researching everything I’ve seen many say that more often then not you will be replacing the vise and tools very very soon as they will wear out. I don’t want to break the bank but also want something that will last at least a while if I do like tying. I will take another look around at some kits though. 
I was also thinking as you said to get some materials that will tie a variety of flies rather than buying specific for each pattern. I was thinking wooly buggers, Squirmy wormy, Clouser, deceiver, and evening buck tail hooks for the backs of plugs when using spinning gear. It seems that a lot of the materials would be able to work for majority of these.
Appreciate the advice

[heyblue34]

@JPSmith29 I got into tying because I use teasers. I did some research on vises and was able to find a basic vise online for under a $100. Check the buy sell thread and the big online auction site. If you have a local fly shop pay them a visit or call due to the current state of life  

 

There are plenty of step by step videos available for specific patterns. Getting the supplies can be done online but when it comes to bucktails and feathers I prefer to see it in person. Take a look at your specific patterns and order the supplies. Trust me you will get better with each fly.

[JPSmith29]

44 mins ago, CaryGreene said:

All I have given you very good advice in this thread. what I would say is you will need advice that will be able to rotate a fly 360°.

 

The Dyna King is a nice entry-level vice that would provide you the ability to tie saltwater flies as well as fresh water flies. 

 

I would hold off on buying most materials. The reason for this is that once you zero in on a pattern that you want to tie, it's like going shopping for grocery ingredients. You buy what you need for that fly. 

 

Beginners are wise to start off tying  Clouser Minnows, from there you will learn some of the other basic patterns. 

Eyesight and light are a big issue sometimes for some  fly tyers. they make a little pair of reading/tying glasses that have lights on the sides and those can be very good if you need them. 

 

A good pair of scissors that holds up and is very sharp is worth the investment. You can buy a basic tool set but you're probably going to end up replacing many of the tools as you go along.

 

Another tool you're absolutely going to need is a tool that holds the fly tying thread. This is called a Bobbin. Not all bobbins are created equal either! Get a very nice one that has a ceramic insert (prevents the thread from snapping under pressure). This is where you can observe the fly tyers at the club & see which Bobbins they like. 

 

Lastly you'll need a little bit of tying thread. I use fine diameter monofilament and that's pretty much all I use unless I'm telling certain flies that require very bulky  or flat waxed thread. Most beginners however start off with flat waxed white fly tying thread. You have two choices you might use Danville's  or Uni. What you want is a little bit heavier thread then your standard thread you would tie freshwater flies with. Freshwater flies are typically tied on size 6/0 or even 8/0. What you want is more of a size A or 3/0, or as I mentioned you might want ti use fine diameter Mono. 

 

You can actually make many of the tools you're going to need which is why joining a local fishing club could be helpful. But one thing is certain, you will definitely need scissors. 

 

I've always been a proponent of adding the right, nicely made tools in peace-mail fashion. You're also going to need a heavy, long needle which is called a Bodkin. 

 

It's safe to say you're definitely going to need some bucktails, but buying them before you know what you're looking for might be a little bit of a mistake. 

 

Stick with white, chartreuse and olive. You'll also need a little bit of flash, so you could safely buy a couple packages of Krystal Flash, that matches your bucktail colors.

 

You'll probably need some weighted eyes and some stick on eyes. Look for Amber or Natural looking colors that sometimes I have goofy names like Ice, Earth..etc.

 

That's a good starting point for you. You'll have an affordable cam operate advice that you can grow into, and some basic tools that you know you won't be replacing.

 

You will also have a small stash of materials that will start you off on basically the first type of saltwater fly pattern that you will want to play around with, which should probably be the Clouser Minnow. 

 

Lastly each time you try to tie a fly, You should have a prototype. The goal is to make your fly look like the one you're trying to duplicate. This can be a big help. Walk into a fly shop and ask for a 1/0 Clouser. 

 

Oh and I almost forgot. You'll need some hooks. Start off with basic Mostad 34007's, in size 1/0. (They are cheap and they work for tying Clousers.)

 

Once you master the Clouser, I would move on to the next fly pattern you are interested in which is typically a Deceiver.

 

You can use all the basic same materials except now you'll add a little bit of rooster feathers (called saddle patches or, You might just want to get an all white full Saltwater Select Cape. You can use all the same materials and this is where the stick on eyes come in. 

 

Other materials you'll definitely need is some sort of sealant for the nose of the fly. 5 minute epoxy can be very good but it will yellow over time. Hard as Hull or just a little bit of Sally Hansen's clear nail polish can also work just fine. There are plenty of other goops and clear sealants available. 

 

Finishing the nose of a saltwater fly requires you to rotate your vise if you're making them one at a time. Some guys like to add a drying wheel to their tying bench, this allows you to work on multiple flies at once and the drying wheel spins them for you so you don't have to sit there and rotate your vice a few hundred times for each fly.

 

there are a number of vices that would be considered upgrades from the Dyna King. Renzetti is one I always liked. Some of these vices come with pedestal mounts that allow you to place the vice anywhere on a flat surface you like. It would be good to think this through before you go out and buy the vise. This is where a fishing club could come in handy because you could get the recommendation of a few fly tyers and see which vices they like. I've used pretty much all of them in my lifetime. I kept buying & unloading fancy vices until I finally found one that I really loved. 

 

The reason I mentioned the Dyna King is it's under $100 and it does the trick. The main thing you're looking for is true 360° rotation & an easy to use cam operated jaw that can be set to a certain size hook and then all you do is open it and close it repeatedly each time you insert a new hook - which makes tying flies much less frustrating if you don't have that capability. 

 

In general the better your equipment, materials & tools are, the more enjoyable and easy it is to tie the fly. You'll probably notice your flies look better as well as you grow into and tweak your equipment. 

 

Captain Ray is spot on above, definitely get involved in a club and get into a few beginner fly tying classes before you make these major decisions. 

 

If I was teaching the class I would probably start you off on a Dyna King Barracuda Cam vice or a Renzetti Cam vise & You would have no complaints. I think the Dyna King would give you the best bang for the buck quite honestly.

 

Hope this helps & happy tying!

Seems as though there is a trend haha guess I should try to join a fishing club ASAP. I like your idea of starting with a Clouser then moving to a deceiver but as I said I don’t have a saltwater fly rod yet, only a 5wt that I use for trout. For this reason I don’t want to start with saltwater flies because if I don’t end up getting a saltwater setup then I will have wasted my time tying flies that I won’t be able to use. I will for sure keep this information in mind if I do get a 9wt setup. 
With regards to the tools you have kind of reinforced my thinking that I’d rather get some tools that aren’t as cheap so they last and perform a little better. I will definitely take your list of tools into consideration as I look. Onto the vise, you recommend the dyna king barracuda because it’s under $100. I can’t seem to find the one that you are talking about. The cheapest I see is around $150-175 which is definitely out of the price range. Any chance you could point me in the direction of where to find this vise?

[JPSmith29]

2 mins ago, heyblue34 said:

@JPSmith29 I got into tying because I use teasers. I did some research on vises and was able to find a basic vise online for under a $100. Check the buy sell thread and the big online auction site. If you have a local fly shop pay them a visit or call due to the current state of life  

 

There are plenty of step by step videos available for specific patterns. Getting the supplies can be done online but when it comes to bucktails and feathers I prefer to see it in person. Take a look at your specific patterns and order the supplies. Trust me you will get better with each fly.

Teasers was also another reason I want to get into tying! There’s a few places that I fish for stripers right now where they feed on spearing almost all the time and it’s hard to get bites with normal soft plastics and plugs. now that you bring this up and I am thinking about it more maybe starting off with some saltwater teasers as I’ll be able to use them regardless of if I get a 9wt or not

The current situation really does suck. I’d really love to go into a shop but that’s not really an option right now. I planned on calling Bears Den tomorrow as they are the closest fly shop to me that I know of. Definitely wanted to get some info and advice before talking to them so I have an idea of what I’m talking about. 
 

[WeeHooker]

7 mins ago, JPSmith29 said:

I initially thought of getting a kit but in researching everything I’ve seen many say that more often then not you will be replacing the vise and tools very very soon as they will wear out. I don’t want to break the bank but also want something that will last at least a while if I do like tying. I will take another look around at some kits though. 
I was also thinking as you said to get some materials that will tie a variety of flies rather than buying specific for each pattern. I was thinking wooly buggers, Squirmy wormy, Clouser, deceiver, and evening buck tail hooks for the backs of plugs when using spinning gear. It seems that a lot of the materials would be able to work for majority of these.
Appreciate the advice

While I can't speak for that exact vise sold today, I can tell you that I (and friends) have tied thousands of flies on cheap vises from Cabelas, bass pro, sunrise and other chinese builds.  I have yet to see one "wear out" in years of "normal" use for tying in the #10-2/0 range.  I still have 3-4 in the basement that I loan out regularly for teaching and all will work well enough with adjustment.  I did go through an asortment  ( 10-15 maybe) of other "better" brand vises over the past 30 years.    Lets face it. A vise is a simple tool. It just needs to hold a hook. It's not a space shuttle.   Buy what you like but don't be convinced spending $25-50 more gets you a significantly better built tool. Spending $100-$150 might.( FWIW,  I tie on a pair of Renzetti travelers these days myself.)

  As for materials and paterns, there is nothing written in stone when it comes to fly tying. Once you learn what properties certain materials offer, you can substitute in / make up your own patterns at will. It's what makes it all fun and interesting!  Enjoy!

[Capt.Castafly]

57 mins ago, JPSmith29 said:

You would be right in assuming that. I don’t really have any fly shops near me so I figured it would be a good way to stay stocked up until I can make the trip to a shop. 
I like your idea of joining a fishing club. This is something that I had not thought of as a way to try tying without really buying any of the tools or materials. I will definitely look into this! Thanks for the advice!

Club members will give you really good advice in a number of areas that will benefit you greatly. If they take a shine, they will give you tools, materials, tying techniques. An added bonus is local knowledge. They will put you on their most successful patterns for your area, take you along fishing, finding good favorite spots, help with casting techniques, problem solving. What ever they feel you must learn. This will accelerate your learning curve greatly. On line videos can help, but clubs members are often better at targeting your casting flaws so you're zeroing in on the right information.     

[Capt.Castafly]

An added point... Just reading your responses, I see you live somewhere near the Bear's Den?

Look up Cross Roads Anglers in Foxboro. Like all clubs, this saltwater fly fishing clubs meet once a month, the 4th Tuesday of every month except summers. They are on the water than.  

[CaryGreene]

43 mins ago, JPSmith29 said:

Seems as though there is a trend haha guess I should try to join a fishing club ASAP. I like your idea of starting with a Clouser then moving to a deceiver but as I said I don’t have a saltwater fly rod yet, only a 5wt that I use for trout. For this reason I don’t want to start with saltwater flies because if I don’t end up getting a saltwater setup then I will have wasted my time tying flies that I won’t be able to use. I will for sure keep this information in mind if I do get a 9wt setup. 
With regards to the tools you have kind of reinforced my thinking that I’d rather get some tools that aren’t as cheap so they last and perform a little better. I will definitely take your list of tools into consideration as I look. Onto the vise, you recommend the dyna king barracuda because it’s under $100. I can’t seem to find the one that you are talking about. The cheapest I see is around $150-175 which is definitely out of the price range. Any chance you could point me in the direction of where to find this vise?

Oops! I meant the Dan-Vise! Perfect for beginner tyers & many advanced tyers still love it. T

The Dyna-King would be a huge step up, but it's excellent. ($500+).

The Renzetti is a nice comprimise also between these two at about $175 You may never buy another vise if you go with the Zetti