Fishing Forum

I just bought my first book on fly tying...I figure the joy i get from catching a fish on the fly will only be multiplied when I catch one on the fly I tied myself and not some walmart fly.

Anyways I am looking for some advice on a good kit to get me started. I have nothing but the book as of today so I will need just about everything from materials to a good vise.

And if you have any patterns you want to share I am open to PM's or publicly displayed patterns that work well on the North/South fork of the Snake, Teton, Fall River and anything north of those.
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I would recommend staying away from kits in the first place. Usually they give you a few cheap items that are really not what you need for the flies you want anyway.


I still don't have a good vise but I have many "made in India" knock offs that work well. (I know flygoddess, I need to stick with made in American).[]

You will need good scissors, bobbin, hackle pliers, hair stacker, dubbing spinner, dubbing pocker thing, a whip finisher, and I use a scalpel all the time.

As far as other materials look at what you are going to tie and get the best that you can afford. Some say you will save money from tying flies. I am not so sure. I am always buying a few materials here and there because there is another fly that I want to tie. I do save money on the day to day flies that I use.

I would start with wooly buggers, leeches, prince nymphs, hares ear nymphs, pheasant tail nymphs, scuds, and egg patterns. Then I would go to renegades, humpies, elk hair caddis, etc...

I am still not very good at complicated dry flies.

I would take your first dry flies to somewhere the trout are not to picky. Like Birch Creek or Warm River.

It is an awesome feeling catching fish on your own flies. There are many good tiers on this forum who can help you more than I can. You are welcome to come see my bench if you want.

I would take a beginners class at Jimmy's Fly Shop in IF if you can.

Windriver
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I have a good vise, bobbing, pliers, and small Sharp scissors. I use porcupine hair for floating flies (hard to find). It makes dry flies float all day. I use peacock hurl, and some brown and white hackles. All I tie are renegade or variants of renegade (spiders). My teied flies do better than store bought.
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[quote windriver]I would recommend staying away from kits in the first place. Usually they give you a few cheap items that are really not what you need for the flies you want anyway.


I still don't have a good vise but I have many "made in India" knock offs that work well. (I know flygoddess, I need to stick with made in American).[]

You will need good scissors, bobbin, hackle pliers, hair stacker, dubbing spinner, dubbing pocker thing, a whip finisher, and I use a scalpel all the time.

As far as other materials look at what you are going to tie and get the best that you can afford. Some say you will save money from tying flies. I am not so sure. I am always buying a few materials here and there because there is another fly that I want to tie. I do save money on the day to day flies that I use.

I would start with wooly buggers, leeches, prince nymphs, hares ear nymphs, pheasant tail nymphs, scuds, and egg patterns. Then I would go to renegades, humpies, elk hair caddis, etc...

I am still not very good at complicated dry flies.

I would take your first dry flies to somewhere the trout are not to picky. Like Birch Creek or Warm River.

It is an awesome feeling catching fish on your own flies. There are many good tiers on this forum who can help you more than I can. You are welcome to come see my bench if you want.

I would take a beginners class at Jimmy's Fly Shop in IF if you can.

Windriver[/quote]

Pretty much dead on I'm a amature tier at best But i save my self tons of money and can tie what i need Just keep at it and you will have it licked and be making fly's right and left. just don't throw away and fly's that you dont think make the grade. sometimes the ugliest fly's are the ones that catch fish.
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Normally I would agree with buying all parts separate, but not all kits are created equal.
I use and catch fish on everyone of these flies:

http://www.protackleoutfitters.com/wapsi...kitw1.html

And a good price for everything. Plus potential of several other flies such as a Pheasant tail, or even a copper John.

With thread at about $2. same for wire, then feather, hair, synthetics, sometimes a kite "GOOD KIT" can take the guess work out, give you practice and get a a nice little material starter.

Or, you can go with a good vise, but I recommend a Rotary specially for dubbing loops, but not necessary, just makes it easier.
Then maybe a too kit, but Scissors and a bobbin really must be quality, so you can buy this:

http://www.basspro.com/7-Piece-Fly-Tying...9/-1336218

Or just buy a good pair of Dr. Slick scissors (remember, if you must cut wire, use right where the scissors come together to cut wire)
And a good Ceramic or Teflon coated Bobbin. Cheap bobbin's can break thread and very frustrating. You will be looking at quite a bit of money for good bobbins and I recommend at least two, but one to start.

Then a Whip finish tool or learn to knot with your fingers and a bodkin.

Later a hair stacker. You could get hackle pliers, but in all the years I have been tying, I have never used them. Wire clips work great for this.

Then get some White and Black thread to start.
Wire (fine is all around good) in Gold, and Silver. Some Pearl Mylar or wrapping ribbons work good...LOL

Then buy material as needed.

My list of all around flies are

Nymphs: Haresears, Pheasant Tails, Prince with and without beads, then as long as you got this material, add a Zug Bug. Buy Red and Copper wire and Copper Johns and even Chironomids.

Everyones favorite, Woolly Buggers, but also, Bunny leeches are awesome.

San Juan worms, don't get any easier, but they work.

Dries, Renegades, and Griffiths and you already have the material from the PT and the Zug. And try Adams, parachute or Wulff style. I got some material I could put a care package together for you too.
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Couple of things here locally that can solve 2 problems you have. The first is putting a good kit together, and the 2nd is learning the basics.

2 ways around this, first is sign up for the class that is taught on campus. Coach is a great instructor, you learn the basics, and the kit he puts together for students is pretty good since he gets all the piece at a discounted price .

The 2nd approach is to buy one of the kits at sportsmans in IF that usually have a free beginners class through them attached to it. Some of the guys that come in and help teach it are local guides and rod builders. You get to meet some cool people through it.

Ive done both and for me I would suggest out of convenience do the school one.
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when you say birch creek, where about on birch creek? up by leadore or more to the south?
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That does look like a good kit.

Windriver
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I don't fly fish, but I do want to get started tying my own leadhead jigs. I can never find exactly what I want in the stores, and it's really annoying losing a jig that cost $2 to a snag. None of the jigs I've fished with look nearly as difficult to tie as most flies.

I assume a kit like that would work well for jigs also?
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I have a kit similar to the one flygoddess posted that I got at sportsmans for about $45. I haven't used any real high quality vises so I don't know the difference but I really like it. I have used my vise to tie alot of lead head jigs. They are pretty simple to tie. I just took some pictures of some different patterns and then copied them best I could.
You tube is also a great place to learn how to tie flies.
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Usually lead head jigs are really easy to tie. I have tied marabou(sp) jigs, woolly bugger type jigs, and bucktail jigs. I plan on tying a lot more bucktail jigs for smallmouth.

Windriver
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Thanks for the info. I am headed to Sportsmans tomorrow and maybe I will stop by Jimmy's fly shop as well. I mostly want to get into tying because I have a few flies I really enjoy using and I think I could make a lot of them and save in the long run.

I am planning a trip to Birch Creek this weekend so I am hoping to get some flies tied before then. Do San Juan Worms work well there? I have never been
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That looks like a good kit. I will look into that. I am hoping to do a little shopping around tomorrow in Idaho Falls.

The whole reason I decided to get into fly tying was for the San Juan Worms. I love to fish them in montana on the bighorn under my hoppers and they seem so simple to tie I figured I could save some money on a simple fly. But if this turns out to be like any other hobby of mine I will be investing way too much time and money than my wife would like!
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I bought the book and wanted the kit for the school class but it was all sold out. I am hoping to maybe get into that class next semester when I have more space in my schedule. 21 credits is kicking my butt and keeping me off the water! Not exactly sure why I decided to take up another hobby in my busiest semester!
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I have been asked to do another Fly Tying seminar at Jimmy's All Seasons Angler in I.F., not sure the date just yet, but hope you can come in so I can meet and talk face to face with you.

For now, if that is the fly of interest, all you need is Hook of choice, maybe a Nymph hook #14. Some Ultra Chenille in what ever color, like Red, Tan, Pink, Orange, Chartreuse and matching thread.
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I go to Sportmans for many things, but for fly tying Jimmys is the place. He will help you in a way that no chain store can. You might spend a dollar more when you walk out of the store, but what you gain in knowlege can not be had at Sportsmans. Just my two cents.

Windriver
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I never looked at it as a dollar more, because the QUALITY of Jimmy's material is far superior. Many I am still working on the HUGE package of top grade Peacock I got at Jims.
I have bought material that looked good in the package, but opened it to see that very little is usable for what I need. And that happened a lot from the BULK stores.
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[quote FishingRookie]Thanks for the info. I am headed to Sportsmans tomorrow and maybe I will stop by Jimmy's fly shop as well. I mostly want to get into tying because I have a few flies I really enjoy using and I think I could make a lot of them and save in the long run.

I am planning a trip to Birch Creek this weekend so I am hoping to get some flies tied before then. Do San Juan Worms work well there? I have never been[/quote]

There are a few drys that I throw out there, light homemade caddis emerger I tie, elkhair caddis occasionally in the summer, and year round I throw renegades size 16.

Usually ( 99%) I throw renegades. They are the go to fly regardless of what is going on out there. I have taken 5 or 6 people that have never thrown flys and tied on renegades, given them a good game and turned them loose and they catch fish out there with it.

I may be headed up that way this weekend from rexburg with the rest of our water being blown out, If I do Ill pm you and let you know.
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I agree with Renegade, plus easy tie and many variations....look at a Mity Mouse, Kind of a Renegade/Griffith Gnat .
My go to is a Haresear, but Renegade is right there with a Red Copper John.

Nice thing too about tying your own, I take my gear on all trips. If the fish like ONE particular fly and that is all I have is one...nice to know I can make more and I do this all the time.
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