Need Help :)

[Ruffells311 0]

Alright I haven't started tying at all yet but I'm planning to get supplies A.S.A.P.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions for starting new? :wallbash:

 

 

.I love to fly fish but i need new fly line, a new reel, and FLIES! lol They are so high to buy and you can't ever find the exact one you need so I'm gonna start tying my own

 

HELP PLEASE :bugeyes:

[DevinKaradeema 0]

1 where will you fish

2 buy line and reels according to step one

3 pick up everything that looks cool, and looks like you can tie with it, off the ground, pet, random stuff

4 study ( get a book or some videos on the fly you want to start on)

5 buy what ever materials you need for those flies that you haven't already picked up

 

 

If your light on money like most of us craft stores, hobby shops can get you started( but they will not sustain your tying)

 

Vices other equipment..... well there is much controversy on that one.

go to the top of the screen and search this site for vices, or starter kits, home made stuff

then make your own dission on what to get.

 

The sponsor J Stockard has awesome deals every month on stuff you'll need and stuff that will make you wonder

 

[Worstcaster 0]

Check your library system for fly tying books. If you can find it the Orvis fly tying guide is a good one because the fly glossary rate the tying difficulty on a 1-5 scale. Pick a few of the 1 and 2 difficulty flies you like the looks of. Buy the materials for those. I tie with a clamp on table vise made in India. It is one of the cheapest vises around. I like it and haven't up graded, but you can always get a more expensive one later if you want one. Pick your patterns before you buy your materials. You will save money if you only buy what you need to get started. After you really get into it and need to get more materials, you can go broke $3-40 dollars at a time like the rest of us.

[perchjerker 0]

I must take exception to DevinKaradeema's comment #3. Unless you know exactly what species of bird a feather may have come from, leave them on the ground! There are four different Federal Statutes that govern picking feathers up; the most restrictive of which is The Migratory Bird Treaty Act. There are only three species of birds commonly occurring in the US that are not covered by this act: the common pigeon; the house sparrow; and, the starling. The fines and penalties are not worth the risk.

 

If you know a bird hunter, have them save the skins, or feathers, for you of birds killed by legal means during a legal 'open season', as such feathers are not subject to any of the four basic Federal laws. Do the same for the hides of fur-bearing animals. There was a time when 'harvesting' roadkill was routine for fly tiers. Unfortunately, today many states have prohibited this unless you possess a valid hunting license and it is picked up during a legal hunting season, if such is allowed for the species. Otherwise, you could be charged with "illegal take". Also, be sure that you familiarize yourself with your state's hunting laws before you pick up any animal parts to determine what is legal and what is not.

 

You never know when some "tree-huger" will see you pick something up and turn you in! It has happened!!

 

Welcome to the board, and the best of luck getting the materials you seek.

 

Cheers,

perchjerker

 

PM sent

[tidewaterfly 0]

Good advise. I also agree with perchjerker, don't get yourself in trouble over feathers or fur. Keep it legal. Less chance of problems that way.

 

What do you fish for? Buying materials for trout fishing is different than tying for bass. You can tie bass flies with less expensive materials, and still produce decent flies that will catch fish. *** Don't anyone jump on me for this statement! ***

 

Let me clarify this!

 

For example, with a couple of bucktails & some flash, and a pack of barbell eyes or bead chain you can tie Clouser minnows for bass, and with a lot less money than buying genetic dry fly hackle for tying dry flies.

 

Add a couple of sheets of foam from a craft store & you can tie Gurglers for topwater fishing & still not have as much invested as a good genetic cape or saddle will cost.

 

If you buy Mustad 3366 hooks, you can use them for the above flies and not need to buy another type hook. This is bare minimum, but it will keep your costs down.

 

My point is, buy the the type of materials you need for the species of fish you are chasing the most!

 

Eventually, you can expand as your budget allows & tying experience evolves!

[Ruffells311 0]

Thanks to all of you for the advice but i fish for Bass and I was using my fly rod a week or two ago catching some bream and i caught a little half pound Bass. It was really fun catching it and I live around a lot of good Bass fishing. Heard of Lake Guntersville in Alabama? One of the best places I've ever fished and a lot of flies I've seen duplicate our lures and I fish alot so why not make your own? But DOES ANYONE have an oppioin on the WHITE RIVER FLY SHOP BASS TYING kit at Basspro.com? I think it would be a good way to get started. What about you guys?

[Ruffells311 0]

And by the way sorry if I made it look like i needed materials. I haven't gotten my tools yet lol. But I will soon. And I was just looking for some advice on how to get started. I think the Bass tying kit for Basspro would be best? But I dont think it has all the nesscary matterials. TOOLS WISE.

[flytire 0]

it would be a no from me regarding the bass pro shop kit or any other kit

 

read this

 

http://killroys.com/articles/advice-new-fly-tyers/

 

or this

 

http://www.washingtonflyfishing.com/board/...Fly-Tying-Tools

 

pick out 5-10 flies that you want to learn how to tie and buy those materials

 

we are getting close to the fall tying season so i would check out your local fly shop to see if they have tying lessons. most shops will have someone teaching fly tying.

 

 

[utyer 0]

I am familiar with your area. My mother lived in Decatur for a while. I have fished the river down there a few times.

 

Hopefully you have followed both links flytire posted and read both. The the second article from Washington flyfishing has excellent advice on tools and vises. I would recommend the Griffin vises. There are several models under 60.00 that are good quality lifetime vises. Check their website for the web exclusive vise: http://www.griffinenterprisesinc.com/web-exclusive.html.

 

All the other tools you will need are here as well. You will need a heavy duty scissors and a fine point set. Get a couple of ceramic bobbins, and a whip finish tool at least. Their dubbing brush is simply a gun cleaning brush, make you own. Other items you can make are bodkins (needle in a handle,) dubbing teasers from hack saw blades, and bobbin threaders from fine wire or floss pullers.

 

As for materials, you will want buck tails to tie clouser minows, and lead dumbell eyes and bead chain (get the bead chain form a hardware store, and cut your self into eyes.) Heavy thread (280 denier,) and a Mustad 3366 hook are all you need to make clousers. Start with a natural color, a black, chartruese, yellow, olive, and red. For starters, you can purchase a bag of assorted buck tail pieces.

 

Wooly buggers you will need marabou, chenille, and saddle hackle. Get inexpensive saddle hackle for these, even strung saddle hackle will do. Wool or acrylic yarn can be used for the bodies the fish won't care. You will need black, brown, olive, white, chartruese, and yellow marabou, and matching colors in the chenille or yarn. Find yarn in yard sales if you have no knitters in the family. For hooks you would want a 3 or 4 extra long hook, like a Mustad 79580. The same thread will work

 

With clousers and wooly buggers, you can catch plenty of bass, and other fish in your area.

 

 

 

 

[bad fish rising 0]

the reel only holds the line in most cases so unless you plan on catching huge hard running fish spend your money on the best vise money can buy

then concentrate on picking up materials as you go along

you will be amazed how much stuff you can collect

[rockworm 0]

Ruffels

 

Welcome aboard! You have received lots of good advice about tools and materials. But you also mention the high cost of buying flies as one of your reasons for wanting to tye. Be aware! Although it is, in theory, possible to save money tying your own- I don't know anyone who has managed it. I am too embarrassed to tell you how many thousands of dollars I have invested in material. You start off with a bucktail and a bag of marabou and you end up with closets full of plastic boxes bursting with fur and feathers; shelves sagging under the weight of hooks and thread, tinsel and wire. Not to mention books. You are at the thresh-hold of a great addition which will dominate your time and drain your wallet. BEWARE!

 

(Don't forget to post pictures of your first flies.)

 

 

 

 

 

[DevinKaradeema 0]

Ruffels

 

Welcome aboard! You have received lots of good advice about tools and materials. But you also mention the high cost of buying flies as one of your reasons for wanting to tye. Be aware! Although it is, in theory, possible to save money tying your own- I don't know anyone who has managed it. I am too embarrassed to tell you how many thousands of dollars I have invested in material. You start off with a bucktail and a bag of marabou and you end up with closets full of plastic boxes bursting with fur and feathers; shelves sagging under the weight of hooks and thread, tinsel and wire. Not to mention books. You are at the thresh-hold of a great addition which will dominate your time and drain your wallet. BEWARE!

 

(Don't forget to post pictures of your first flies.)

 

 

:drunk: aye ye speaketh the truth! :cheers:

 

 

[Colt1911 0]

Welcome,

I cant give you any advice whatsoever on the tying aspect other than what you've already discovered - there is an absolute wealth of good information and great people on here. I have fly fished for most of my life but only very recently have I cast towards tying my own.

In response to the OTHER part of your post, when it comes to rods and reels on a budget I have had outstanding luck with Okuma, particularly their cascade line. WHile not a top notch name they cover all the basics quite well and are very affordable at the moment IF you have an acadamy sporting goods in your neck of the woods as that they are closing out the entire line. While prices may vary from store to store, I just bought my son a cascade combo 9ft, 5-6wt alloy reel, pre-spooled with dacron/ WF fly line/ tapered tippet - $17.89 for the whole thing.

You can spend more and get more, just like anything else you usually get what you pay for and as always YMMV.