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Emmo

Materials List for a Beginner

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I’m new to the Fly Tying Forum and I’m very new to fly tying and fly fishing for that matter. I started tying flies just a few weeks ago. Right now I have a very basic set of tools, but enough to get started. I have a few materials that I picked up at craft stores along with some thread and hooks I got at the fly shop in a Bass Pro store. The flies I’m tying will be for smallmouth bass (and largemouth), fishing mostly small lakes and creeks in southern Indiana and central Kentucky. I’m planning to tie mostly wooly boogers, zonkers and bait fish streamers, perhaps some crawdad patterns. I would like to place an order (perhaps J Stockard) for enough materials to begin working on these patterns. The list I’m thinking of ordering is:

 

Krystal flash

Select Craft Fur - white, olive and a dark

Hare strips 1/8- black or natural

Buck Tail

Chenille, medium - white and olive

Lead dumbell eyes- medium

Living eyes - 4mm

Cones -medium

Uni thread - black and white 3/0

Lead wire .035

Rubber legs

 

I already have several colors of acrylic yarn to use for dubbing. Is this a good starter list? Anything I’ve left off that would be a must? I know I need some Hackle, I just don’t know enough to know what too order, so I would appreciate any input you might have. Thanks for your any advice or input you can offer.

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I can't really add to your list, since I use things like flipflops to make foam poppers.

 

But I can say, Welcome to the Site!

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Mikechell, if I had an old pair of flipflops, I would have added them to my material box already. It's pretty sparse right now and why I need to place an order. I have crafted all of my tools myself using ideas off the internet so I do understand using what you got. My vice would just make you shake your head, but it works so far. Thanks for the welcome.

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The advice that has been given many times before is to figure out what patterns you want to start with and buy only whatever materials you need for those.

Over time you will likely build quite a collection.

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Not to be a smart alec, but it's Wooly Bugger, just so things don't get confused.

 

I would suggest that the 3/0 thread is too heavy and will create too many thread buildup problems for a new tier. You would do better with 6/0 Danville or Ultra Thread 140.

 

Thread Danville 6/0 pre-waxed or Ultra Thread 140 in olive and black.

 

As far as materials go, do as Bimini15 says, buy only the materials listed in the patterns for the flies you intend to tie for now. It won't be long before yu run out of storage space for all the materials you will eventually buy.

 

Two items I do see missing if you are going to tie Wooly Buggers are:

 

Wooly Bugger marabou for the tail.

Strung saddle hackle to palmer the chenille body.

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You stated that you have an assortment of yarn. This can be shredded, and used as dubbing. Shred the yarn into 1/2 to 3/4 inch lengths, and place those lengths into a dubbing loop, twist the loop. Wrap this loop forward, and then brush out with a small brass brush. NO NEED for hackle the dubbing will brush out enough to become the hackle. A few combed out fibers can make a tail. No need for marabou as a tail. The whole wooly bugger can be made from just blended yarn. brushed out and twisted in a loop. The acrylic yarn can also be brushed out into fiber which can be used much like craft yarn to make streamers.

 

Sulky

Hollowshimmer (Joann Fabrics) makes a fine flashabou substitute.

 

I would suggest smaller lead wire, 020 unless your streams are extremely fast and deep.

 

Call your vendor, and tell them what you want to use hackle for, they will give you suggestions for the right hackle.

 

Thread should come from Gutterman as well. I made this cost comparison chart comparing the cost of just 2 popular thread brands with Gutterman threads that are equivalent. These threads are available from the US distributor Oshman Brothers The 3 that would be most useful are the Skala 200, 240, and 360. The cost for these threads is about 78% less than Danville, and 92% less than UNI. These 3 and the Wooly Nylon are all I use, and I only buy white. Any color I need, I can apply with a marker when I am done. Most of the time, the thread should not show except at the head, so that is an easy job. Of course you would need to pick up some empty spools and re-spool. I re-spool all my thread anyway, so that has never been an issue. I doubt that I will use up a 10,000 yard spool in my lifetime. These threads do come in colors so if you want to you could buy other colors.

 

 

Thread brand Ought Sz Denier Sz Tex Size Material Cost (100 yards) Cost Length Equivalent to

UNI 17/0 17 40 4.44 Polyester 2.25 Skala 360

UNI 8/0 8 72 8.00 Polyester 2.25 Skala 240

UNI 6/0 6 135 15.00 Polyester 2.25 Skala 200

UNI 3/0 3 180 20.00 Polyester 1.75

UNI Big Fly 440 48.89 Polyester 2.25 Mara 70

 

Danville Spider 18 30 3.33 Mono-filament 1.35

Danville Flymaster 6 70 7.78 Nylon 1.45 Skala 360

Danville Flymaster 3 150 16.67 Nylon 1.35 Skala 200

Danville Flymaster Plus 210 23.33 Nylon 1.35

Danville Flat Waxed Nylon 210 23.33 Nylon 1.35

 

Gutterman Sk 200 6 135 15.00 Polyester 0.15 $15.98 10940 M ​UNI 6/0 Flymaster 3/0 Gutterman Sk 240 7 108 12.00 Polyester 0.16 $17.40 10940 M

Skala 360 8 72 8.00 Polyester 0.09 $19.50 21880 M UNI 8/0 Flymaster 6/0

 

Costs for the Gutterman threads above, are from Oshman Brothers (the US distributor.) Lengths are in meters. There is a $25.00 minimum order, but some of these threads can be found on line. Wooly Nylon is sourced through Joann Fabrics, and the cost can be considerably lower if you use a coupon. My cost is usually closer to 40 cents a spool. I have used about 10 spools of Wooly nylon since I started using it. So far I have not run out of any of the larger spools. I use the Wooly Nylon on a lot of salt water patterns, when I am not using 2# mono.

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Thanks everyone for the great input, just what I needed. Utyer, I'll check out the hollowshimmer this weekend. Thanks all.

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Not to be a smart alec, but it's Wooly Bugger, just so things don't get confused.

 

You Were not a smarty alec, but I was a dumb a$$ for not reading carefully... :(

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Krystal flash

Select Craft Fur - white, olive and a dark

Hare strips 1/8- black or natural

Buck Tail

Chenille, medium - white and olive

Lead dumbell eyes- medium

Living eyes - 4mm

Cones -medium

Uni thread - black and white 3/0

Lead wire .035

Rubber legs

Emmo,

What size flies are you looking to tie?

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Utyer, I believe it is Sulky Holoshimmer Vs Gutterman's Hollowshimmer.

Oh and thanks for the Skala thread tip.

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Bugsy, the hooks I have started with are Mustad size 2 streamer. I also have some size 4 streamer but have tied everything using the size 2 so far.

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Emmo check out fly tyers dungeon for dubbing for buggers and your flash and eyes. For the same 20$ you'll be able to get 5 times as much stuff. I reccomend the super kracken dubbing the others are good as well though.

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