|
|
Post by flyfishgb on Dec 13, 2006 8:59:27 GMT -5
Hey all!
I am gonna purchase all supplies needed to begin fly tying. But i am in a predicament if i should buy a beginners fly tying kit, or buy a Vice and then buy the Orvis book by tom rosenbaur and also the materials.
Its really hard to figure this stuff out because i really just dont have a clue. I am not the type of person that is going to buy some cheap stuff, so reccommendations of anything would help. I Like the HMH models of vices there reviews have been much bettter then all else.
Please with your help i might be able to know what i am doing by the end of the winter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks all !
Andrew
|
|
|
|
Post by ctroy36 on Dec 13, 2006 9:47:58 GMT -5
The Orvis book is a good one for a beginner.
As to vises, there are no bad ones, just more expensive ones.
I'd suggest buying a kit that includes a vise and the basic gear and start from there. You can add any amount of tools, fur, hooks and feathers as you go.
If you can find someone near you who ties, ask them to give you a few hands-on lessons.
There are also plenty of fly tying sites on the web and many have illustrated examples and even some videos on tying particular flies. I find the stuff on the web quite useful as you can get some good basic info there.
Just do it and don't worry about what your efforts produce. The fish won't care or criticize.
|
|
|
|
Post by JoeOverlock on Dec 13, 2006 14:58:01 GMT -5
Hey Andrew,
Charlie is right, a kit is the best way to start. I bought a kit a number of years ago and went from there. If you are looking for a better vice then the one that comes with the kit then I recomend the Griffin Mongoose. I use that vice all the time and love it. Check them out for yourself, everyone has different tastes. If you are interested in any Griffin products though then let me know. I get them at cost. That offer is good for anyone here, btw.
|
|
|
|
Post by flyfishgb on Dec 13, 2006 17:41:27 GMT -5
Wats funny is that i went to my local orvis shop on long island today which is run by this dude Art Flick, who when has time to talk will talk all day which is nice. But I ended up not walking out with anything because they told me not to buy a kit.
It sounds ridiculous but i went in there with the intention of purchasing everything necessary to start tying and it was like these guys didn't even wanna help me. Mr. Flick was busy so i didnt approach him, he just seems to have the answers to everything. But when i approach the guy who teaches the tying seminars he tells me not to buy anything and sign up for his freshwater/saltwater fly tying seminar. I dont have time for that i tell him. So he tells me to buy the most expensive vice in the store and walks away.
So look In the end i really just need some help here where I feel accepted. I am gonna start off with a good book the Orvis Rosenbaur Book. I'll take you up on that offer Joe. I am just gonna assemble my own kit and start like that.
My idea is that if i tie 50-100 of a certain fly i will learn that pattern eventually and thats how i'll get better.
Thanks!~
|
|
|
|
Post by Uplander on Dec 13, 2006 17:53:03 GMT -5
See, I’m of a different opinion. To me, a kit is the absolute worst way to go when it comes to getting into fly tying. With kits, for a lot of money you get a cheap vice, poor quality materials, you probably won’t use most of what they give you, and they won’t give you what you need most….
|
|
|
|
Post by ctroy36 on Dec 13, 2006 20:05:38 GMT -5
I agree that if you know enough about it to know what you want/need, then buying the pieces individually will work. However, if you aren't that sophisticated, then a kit makes more sense.
I still have the Orvis kit I bought 50 years ago. Still have the box it came in, the cheap vise, the instruction book, the tools and probably some of the feathers/fur/hooks. 50 years later, I don't use that same vise, have ton of material that I've picked up over the years and buy what I need for whatever patterns I want to tie if I don't have the correct material. I think that's a natural progression.
I don't really know how a raw beginner can go about selecting a representative assortment of gear if he knows zero about what he needs.
If the fly shop guy were a little more helpful and suggested materials for a few basic flies, that would work. However, it sounds like the shop was typical of most in not being helpful. Unless you look wealthy or are a famous fisher, you are likely to get short shrift in most fly shops -- which is why I do most of my business on line.
|
|
|
|
Post by FishinCane on Dec 13, 2006 21:15:32 GMT -5
Andrew, Just a bit of advice.... start out learning to tie four basic patterns. 1) Woolly bugger streamer 2) Elk hair caddis 3) Hares ear nymph 4) Adams dry If you can learn to tie these then you will have the skills to move onto almost any other pattern. The key is to learn to tie them with correct proportions. I would stay away from the kits because they usually come with materials you will never use. Buy a basic well made vise, no need to get the latest 360 degree rotating vise. You mentioned HMH - the HMH Silhouette looks nice. Then get some other basic tools and the materials to tie the above flys. The Rosenbauer book is also good learning tool. Some good sites to get tools and materials are: www.hookhack.com/www.jannsnetcraft.com/www.stoneriveroutfitters.com/ |
|
|
|
Post by ctroy36 on Dec 13, 2006 23:41:35 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by Mark Patenaude on Dec 14, 2006 13:56:43 GMT -5
FishinCane nailed it.
With the four patterns he listed, you can tie most other basic/standard patterns. He was also right on with his comment about proportion. You can learn the steps for tying most any fly but getting the proportion correct only comes with time.
Also, I would recommend researching the materials needed for the 4 patterns listed and purchasing them. You'll find that these materials will cross-over into other patterns. Kits have substandard materials and I would recommend not purchasing them. They are great for young kids who are just starting out.
As for the vice, take Joe up on his offer. I started out with a basic vice (Renzetti Traveller) I still have it and my son uses it when he wants to tie. You can always purchase a better model when you feel the need.
As for your experience in the Orvis store. It doesn't surprise me. Your experience strengthens my opinion about their mentality and thats why I don't own any Orvis equipment.
Mark
|
|
|
|
Post by yashuone on Dec 14, 2006 19:23:00 GMT -5
i would agree 100% with fishincane and mark p., that was how it was suggested that i start (yes i did follow that advice). i purchased just the materials i needed for my first few patterns, that way i didn't have a box full of tiny bags of materials that i would never touch. another downside to the kit is that they really don't provide you with enough materials but to make a few of any one fly and if you mess up once or twice (which is bound to happen) you may not even have a chance to tie the one pattern that you really wanted to learn. as mentioned before you are better of investing in a vise with a bit more quality than those that are generally included in a beginners kit as well.
|
|
|
|
Post by AgMD on Dec 14, 2006 21:00:20 GMT -5
I also agree that a kit is not always the best choice. Get a good vise, a good thread bobbin, and an excellent pair of scissors. You will find many excuses for more stuff later. Concentrate on 3 or 4 patterns. If you spend most of your time fishing dries you might concentrate on three or four dry patterns and save the nymph and wet stuff for next week.
AgMD
|
|
|
|
Post by dragonma15 on Dec 15, 2006 10:36:41 GMT -5
I started with a kit and would recommend against it. I quickly learned that the materials were very poor, the vice was junk but the tools were ok. It was a cheap kit though. Get a good vice. Nothing expensive or fancy, an A1 will work fine. A decent set of tools is nice. You have an orvis near by. You can pick up a set of tools there for about $35.00. The materials are where you want to spend the money. Good quality materials will produce much better flies and you will get much more mileage out of your money. The suggested flies are a great place to start. You should also check out the tying series by the late Mr. Cambell at www.flyanglersonline.com. Alot of knowledge there, and great step by step instructions for a lot of different patterns. Its in the flytying section. Oh and another good thing to do..... Keep your first fly. Fish your second. Keep that first fly at your desk. Just so you can see improvement in your tying. And you can never tie another " first fly"  -Gregg |
|
|
|
Post by ctroy36 on Dec 16, 2006 10:45:32 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by JoeOverlock on Dec 16, 2006 14:15:59 GMT -5
Check out the Berkshire Angler also! Mark does some great step by step tying instructions!
|
|
|
|
Post by flyfishgb on Jan 3, 2007 22:18:23 GMT -5
Here's an Update on things. I got myself a vice with some help by Joe. ( THANKS!) Got a Couple of Books. Got some materials. Started off with a familier pattern the black wooly bugger. 1.) Black Wooly Bugger - Check! 2.) Elk Hair Caddis 3.) Hares Ear Nymph 4.) Adams Dry Now i feel like the bugger is a little bit trivial. However I do not have a whip finisher or head cement yet. I have tied about 20 Black wooly buggers which all look fishable.  That was a picture of my First fly which I lost! TYPICAL ! I guess that kind of describes why I am learning to tie my own anyway. I have lots of questions now that it seems easier. I am using the Orvis Book, which has great pictures, And the Dave Hughes book which has great instruction. The creativity factor is unreal. I catch myself daydreaming of all the variations i can learn and what i can come up with myself. It seems alot easier then its made out to be, just a tad tedious. The problem i encounter now is Materials. I have 50 size 6 4x streamer hooks, Half of a black saddle hackle, black chenille, and black marabou. What else can i tie with these materials ? More black wooly buggers  But In the time spent tying flies so far it has made me realize how much this sport is an Art itself. It is like Spart to me. In every aspect. This has definitly given me the confidence to keep going. |
|
|
|
Post by JoeOverlock on Jan 4, 2007 9:27:16 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by Mark Patenaude on Jan 5, 2007 8:50:04 GMT -5
You can tie up some marabou leeches...
Mark
|
|
|
|
Post by yashuone on Jan 5, 2007 15:20:57 GMT -5
that dog will hunt gb!!! if you have people around that tie as well, see if anyone would be into trading some materials. we do a fair amount of that up here when we have our tying get togethers. i'm lucky in that i have a good-sized friendly tying community in my neck of the woods.
|
|
|
|
Post by flyfishgb on Jan 6, 2007 11:16:26 GMT -5
The only fly shop in my area is Art Flick's Orvis. I went there to get enough materials to tie black wooly buggers. If i had somewhere better to go I would. The store is pricey, they dont really help you out much, and I really just cant afford Orvis. They are helpful, but i am gonna have to buy all my materials on eBay. Unless you guys know a good fly shop in the Berkshires to go to ?!?!?! I would much rather support a local flyshop, then a corporate flyshop. Can one buy these materials at an Art's and Crafts store because there is like one on every corner down here. Thanks!
|
|
|
|
Post by JoeOverlock on Jan 6, 2007 14:24:21 GMT -5
Some stuff you can get in a crafts shop, it's usually lower quality stuff. I get sheet foam from ours for tying my flying ant patterns. I only know of one other fly shop down there and it's the Urban Angler www.urbanangler.com/. As far as fly shops in the Berkshire, all of ours closed. But I hear rumors of a new one opening. |
|
|
|
Post by yashuone on Jan 6, 2007 20:14:12 GMT -5
bummer, not a big fan of orvis at all. a friend of mine orders most of his materials online at this one place i can't seem to recall right now, i'll get the link and post it for you. he told me that everything he ordered has been accurately described, well packed and priced fair. i have this thing about touching my materials before i purchase them, but after seeing the materials my friend got, i would be tempted to use that website if i didn't have shops close to me.
|
|
|
|
Post by yashuone on Jan 6, 2007 20:22:50 GMT -5
ok, got it. j. stockard fly fishing is the place and it will be much better than rolling the dice with ebay. www.jsflyfishing.com/hope this helps you out a bit. |
|
|
|
Post by flyfishgb on Jan 13, 2007 10:25:35 GMT -5
You invent that vice, Ctroy? |
|
