Bass pro shop Trout (or bass) tieing kits

[SxMartin 0]

does anyone have an opinion on them for a beginner? are they worth the $60. I already know the vise is not that good but I already have one it would be more like a spare or maybe one that I could travel with to my fly club.

[ohfisherman 0]

I have the trout kit and a couple weeks later bought the bass video. I too have a vice already so I can not rate the one in the kit. The reason I chose the kit is the price, mainly because I didn't want to lay out a lot of cash to see if I liked to tie. The video is very good IMO. Takes you from knowing nothing to teaching you the basics and some popular patterns. I have tied the woolly bugger so far. Looks close to the picture...lol. To me, it is a good starter kit. It could have better quality tools, but that would raise the price. One thing I think should be included in the tools is a bobbin threader, but that is easily resolved at a fabric/sewing store.

[Vilageidiot 0]

I was given the Cabela's Tying Kit and found that you would almost be better off buying the necessary materials for whatever flies you wish to tie as the kits generally don't have awhole lot of useful materials but it will be more expensive as a result but that is just my 2 cents worth.

[rich5665 0]

If you already have materials, you probably could find a decent second hand vice for less than the kit.

 

The problem with kits is they come with materials you may never use. You are better off deciding on a few patterns that you want to tie, purchase the materials specific to those patterns and put your money toward a better vice in the future.

 

Why get stuck with a vice and materials that you may regret purchasing later on. Just some food for thoughts.

 

 

[jared sartini 0]

i agree with rich. but if you do end up getting a kit anyways, buy it from cabelas. the bass pro kit that i started off with came with a very, very cheap vice and the vice that the cheapest cabelas kit comes with is much better.

[SxMartin 0]

thanks. like I said I already have a vice so maybe I should just get supplies. what should I pick up for starting with regards to tools other then the Vice?

 

then any suggestions on beginner flies would be good. I am targeting trout mostly ponds in Mass I will be doing some smallie fishing in July.

[boynabubble 0]

You'll want a pair of scissors, a bobbin, whip finisher, dubbing needle, and maybe a hair stacker, depending on what you wish to tie. Dr. Slick makes some really nice tools, as does Wapsi. If I was going to put money into any of my tools, it would be the bobbin, scissors and whip finisher.

 

In fact, you may want to buy two sets of scissors, one fine pair for trimming, and cutting thread, and a cheap pair just for cutting wire and lead. That way you won't dull your good scissors.

 

-Cody

[jared sartini 0]

for flies, i would reccomend simple stuff like woolly buggers, elk hair caddis, adams (i prefer parachute), san juan worms, maybe a zebra midge, bloodworm, or some type of scud pattern if the pond you're fishing has scuds. Mass = Massachusets?

[agn54 0]

I got the saltwater kit from Bass Pro and it was pretty good. Came with basic essentials for saltwater tying like bucktail, saddle hackles, krystal flash, and craft fur. All of the materials were very useful and it came with a video of Lefty Kreh demonstrating about 5 basic flies. All very helpful for a beginner.

[peregrines 0]

I think you’d be better off buying a few tools and adding materials for a couple patterns at a time.

Tools:

 

Bobbin- a Griffin metal tube bobbin for about 7 bucks should be good enough to start. As you tie you’ll want to add more bobbins for different thread colors etc. Better bobbins with ceramic tubes cost more (13-20) but you can add those down the road for smaller diameter threads when you start tying really small stuff.

 

Scissors- a 4” pair of needlepoint or embroidery scissors from a craft store or a fly shop for about 4-5 bucks would be fine to start. Just make sure the tips line up. Eventually you’ll want to add a pair of Dr Slick scissors for about 14 bucks. You can use the less expensive ones to cut bucktail and other rough stuff to keep a good edge on the Dr Slicks.

 

Bodkin- just a needle on a stick. Any import is fine for 2 bucks or stick a needle in a cork.

 

Whip Finisher- get a Matarelli 17 bucks (it will last a lifetime) a second choice would be a “Matarelli style” import for about 6. (There are 2 types of whip finishers. The Matarelli style is shaped sorta like a “n”, the Thompson style is shaped sorta like a “t”. The Matarelli style is mauch easier to use.)

 

Hackle pliers- an “English style” (looks like a key ring with an elongated “nose”) or push button plastic EZ clip style for 2 for wrapping hackle. Either one will run about 2 bucks.

 

Waste catcher- You can buy them for a bunch of bucks, but an easier and cheaper solution is to take a plastic bag from a grocery store and slip a one handle over the vise to catch snippings, fluff etc.

 

Then take a look at the materials list for a couple easy patterns and buy the hooks and materials for one or two patterns at a time, and tie up 12 or so of one pattern before you move on to the next one- It’ll really help to gt the pattern down and you’ll notice an improvement in the ones you tie as you knock them off. Pay attention to proportions, leave enough room for neat heads, not using too much dubbing etc. For NE trout some patterns like

 

Black or Olive Woolly Bugger size 8, Weighted with lead wraps or non toxic, or bead heads.

 

Pheasant Tail Nymph 16 Add bead heads to some

 

Gold Ribbed Hares Ear size 14 and 16 add bead heads to some

 

X Caddis and/or Sparkle Dun (dry flies tied without expensive dry fly hackle). These are very effective imitations for both caddis and mayflies, easy to tie and very inexpensive. Vary sizes and colors to match local hatches. You can get “hatch charts” for the waters you fish to imitate specific critters.

 

And add some soft hackled wet flies using partridge hen or starling as a good all purpose searching fly when nothing is going on at the surface like a Partridge and Orange/Green or Hare’s Ear Flymph.

 

This way you can cover yourself for a lot of different fishing situations relatively easily and inexpensively.

 

From there you can branch out to hackled dries (Elk Hair Caddis, Adams, Parachutes etc.) using good quality genetic dry fly hackle.

 

Good luck!

 

mark

 

 

 

[rich5665 0]

If I remember correctly the site sponsor has a Dr. Slick Fly Tying Tool Kit. It runs about $50.00 but has everything you'll need to get started and it has a box to keep every thing in to.

 

Matereli Style Whip Finisher

Bodkin

Ceramic Bobbin

4" Scissors

Bobbin Threader

Hackle Pliers

 

http://www.jsflyfishing.com/cgi-bin/catego...=OF-904520-BRAS

[SxMartin 0]

If I remember correctly the site sponsor has a Dr. Slick Fly Tying Tool Kit. It runs about $50.00 but has everything you'll need to get started and it has a box to keep every thing in to.

 

Matereli Style Whip Finisher

Bodkin

Ceramic Bobbin

4" Scissors

Bobbin Threader

Hackle Pliers

 

http://www.jsflyfishing.com/cgi-bin/catego...=OF-904520-BRAS

 

 

Thanks that is what I was looking for.

[Vilageidiot 0]

I was at cabela's in fort worth the other day and saw that they had tool kits in the bargain cave for $52 including a vise, just thought i would throw that out there

[jared sartini 0]

I've heard good things about that Dr. slick tool kit. I'm just too cheap to buy it