Best Starter Fly Tying Kit?

[kydunkey 0]

Thanks for all the pointers here. I think you all that advise the piecemeal approach over the kit may have save me a bit of money in the long run. Since, I am going at this completely on my own--only one in my group that fishes on the fly--so this forum is proving to be so very helpful.

[gatorfly 0]

I agree with everyone that says ditch the standard kits. I replaced every single tool in my starter kit except for the bodkin in a few months time. The bobbin cut thread better than the scissors did, same for the hackle pliers. I gave the vise to a buddy who makes spoon lures and molded lead lures to hold hooks while he paints them. The thread and wire that came in the kit seemed like they were half or quarter spools. All in all, I felt pretty ripped off by the kit and wouldn't make the mistake again if I had a do over. Since its for your brother, just put together something you know he'd use rather than a kit that has him tying some really crummy flies. My kit made me so frustrated at times that I almost quit. Non kit tools increased my speed, quality and enjoyment tremendously

[Jokey 0]

IMO kits are what you buy when you want to try out tying for the first time and not sure that its something you will stick with. If you know for sure that you will be tying for a long time then buy the vise, tools and handful of best materials separately. Get a kit if you don't know if you are going to like tying enough to be in for the long haul. That way you have only laid out $50 rather than 2-3 times that.

 

J

[epzamora 0]

I was given a fly tying kit, the Umpqua Deluxe i believe. A kit comes in handy if you don't know what to get. But the cheap Pakistan vise it came with would not hold a hook. I went back to the shop and the guy swapped it out for a used Griffin 2A he used for fly tying classes. He said he would be willing to swap for an identical Pakistan vise the kit came with but it would be of the same quality. I went with the used griffin and it's great.

 

i also have to admit the kit came with a decent pair of scissors, the blue nylon handled version. and the ceramic bobbin was good too. there was some included material that got me started but not a lot, just enough to whet the appetite.

 

If i was doing it over with what i know now, i would buy a separate vise like others have said (Griffin 2A is $50-$60), piece the material for 2-3 patterns. a small tool kit would complete the package if you were giving it as a gift. I would also request and toss in a few catalogs from places that sell fly tying material. those are free.

 

and use pretty gift wrapping paper.

 

eric

fresno, ca.

[mikechell 0]

I'm with Jokey on this one. Kits have their place. Fly tying isn't for everyone who tries it. Getting a few flies done from a kit will let you know if you want to continue or not. I tied for several years with my kit, a couple of decades ago. When I got to the point where I was getting frustrated with the vice, I knew I wanted to upgrade. If I'd have felt like giving up on it, rather than upgrading, then tying wouldn't have been for me.

[Gene L 0]

I'm in the "No Kit" camp. I bought one a long time ago; it had a basic vise, which was a good one for its time. But nearly every component was useless once I got familiar with tying. I'm under the impression that the kit-packers threw in a bunch of stuff that didn't sell to experienced tiers.

 

Maybe things are different now, but I was left with a strong prejudice against kits. I still have the hair stacker and a Indian neck, which is tiny and for which I haven't found a use for.

 

To my way of thinking, starting off with cheap components doesn't work. A pro can probably make nice flies with them, but I couldn't. It money wasted on a kit for me.

[mikechell 0]

I'm in the "No Kit" camp. I bought one a long time ago; it had a basic vise, which was a good one for its time. But nearly every component was useless once I got familiar with tying.

I am not arguing or trying to change anyone's mind, but that's just the statement Jokey and I are making. You only knew they were less-than-quality tools after you learned a little about tying.

 

On one hand there's the possibility that someone might not stay with tying because they didn't like the kit tools. Unless they get familiar enough, there's no way for them to "know" anything about the quality of the tools. A kit offers a cheap way to get familiar. If a cheap kit keeps them from taking up the hobby on a permanent basis ... then good riddance.

 

On the other hand, there's the people who might be great tiers, and would love the hobby, but the higher price of quality tools puts them off. They never spend the money and never know what they're missing. Those are the people (poorer people like me) kits are made for.