Want to Start Tying Flies Here"s the tools need!
So your thinking of tying your own flies well you are just steps away from what I feel is one of the most rewarding hobbies around today. Tying your own flies is not only relaxing and rewarding, it can be a very productive way of putting more fish on the end of your fly line.
To get started you will need some basic tools and like most hobbies as your interest grows so will the supplies and tools you use. For now we will just talk about the basic tools you will need to get started. The following is a list of the basic items you will need to get started.
Fly Tying Vise
Hackle Pliers
Hair Stacker
Fly Tying Scissors
Thread Bobbin
Bodkin and
Whip Finisher
The Vise
One of the most important parts of your tool kit will be the fly vise when choosing your vise it is imperative that you have a vise that is easy to use and even more importantly that it holds your fly hook securely. Purchasing your fly vise is no where to try and save on your budget I recommend buying a vise of high quality remember you get what you pay for.
Hackle Pliers
Good hackle pliers will hold the feather firmly without breaking off the tips of the hackle. English hackle pliers are quite reasonably priced They are a good choice for starting to collect your tying tools. Some of they more expensive hackle pliers have revolving handles, a lot like those found on whip-finishers. Pliers with a revolving handle helps prevent the hackle from becoming twisted while wrapping the hackle around the hook.
Hair Stacker
Tying the bucktail streamers you will find a hair stacker is essential. A good hair stacker will have some weight to it selecting a brass hair stacker makes good since for this reason, as it will allow you to use less energy when straitening the hair. This is just my personal preference however.
Scissors
Make sure you purchase scissors that are made for fly tying and watch out for cheap scissors nothing can be more frustrating then trying to trim up your fly while having to fight a pair of scissors that will not cut the delicate materials that you will be using. You can usually purchase a good quality pair of scissors for around $10 to $12 dollars.
Thread Bobbin
The thread bobbin is a great tool for holding your thread and makes the wind of the thread around the hook a lot simpler then fighting the thread strait off the bobbin itself. Make sure when purchasing your thread bobbin that the barrel which the thread goes through does not have any sharp edges as this is not a good thing when winding your thread around the hook.
The bodkin
The bodkin is basically a large needle mounted on to a handle this tool become very useful for separating fine strands of material that you will want to add to your fly, cleaning, arranging and adding drops of cement. You will soon appreciate having this tool once you start fly tying.
Whip Finisher
This tool helps tie half hitch knots and for wrapping and finishing your fly once you get use to using this tool you will wonder how you ever did without it. If you are just starting out or if you have tied flies before flies you will appreciate this tool.
One of the best ways of getting started is to buy a kit just make sure that it has at least the above mentioned items
To get started you will need some basic tools and like most hobbies as your interest grows so will the supplies and tools you use. For now we will just talk about the basic tools you will need to get started. The following is a list of the basic items you will need to get started.
Fly Tying Vise
Hackle Pliers
Hair Stacker
Fly Tying Scissors
Thread Bobbin
Bodkin and
Whip Finisher
The Vise
One of the most important parts of your tool kit will be the fly vise when choosing your vise it is imperative that you have a vise that is easy to use and even more importantly that it holds your fly hook securely. Purchasing your fly vise is no where to try and save on your budget I recommend buying a vise of high quality remember you get what you pay for.
Hackle Pliers
Good hackle pliers will hold the feather firmly without breaking off the tips of the hackle. English hackle pliers are quite reasonably priced They are a good choice for starting to collect your tying tools. Some of they more expensive hackle pliers have revolving handles, a lot like those found on whip-finishers. Pliers with a revolving handle helps prevent the hackle from becoming twisted while wrapping the hackle around the hook.
Hair Stacker
Tying the bucktail streamers you will find a hair stacker is essential. A good hair stacker will have some weight to it selecting a brass hair stacker makes good since for this reason, as it will allow you to use less energy when straitening the hair. This is just my personal preference however.
Scissors
Make sure you purchase scissors that are made for fly tying and watch out for cheap scissors nothing can be more frustrating then trying to trim up your fly while having to fight a pair of scissors that will not cut the delicate materials that you will be using. You can usually purchase a good quality pair of scissors for around $10 to $12 dollars.
Thread Bobbin
The thread bobbin is a great tool for holding your thread and makes the wind of the thread around the hook a lot simpler then fighting the thread strait off the bobbin itself. Make sure when purchasing your thread bobbin that the barrel which the thread goes through does not have any sharp edges as this is not a good thing when winding your thread around the hook.
The bodkin
The bodkin is basically a large needle mounted on to a handle this tool become very useful for separating fine strands of material that you will want to add to your fly, cleaning, arranging and adding drops of cement. You will soon appreciate having this tool once you start fly tying.
Whip Finisher
This tool helps tie half hitch knots and for wrapping and finishing your fly once you get use to using this tool you will wonder how you ever did without it. If you are just starting out or if you have tied flies before flies you will appreciate this tool.
One of the best ways of getting started is to buy a kit just make sure that it has at least the above mentioned items