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mgneel

Hello from south AL

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Hey guys new to fly tying but not to fly fishing. Been looking around the site for a while figured I would join. Looking forward to learning about fly tying. I was wondering how I could find out if there was a local tying or fly fishing club in my area of Mobile.

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Thanks for the input thought I search for it but apparently not. I haven't bought any equipment yet but looking a getting a basic kit and working up any input on basic kits?

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Welcome to the forums Mgneel, glad to have you here. You'll find a lot of helpful people here with a wealth of collective knowledge.

 

As far as a basic kit, are you talking about for fly fishing, fly tying, or both? If you give us an idea of your budget and what flies you'll be tying and/or what you'll be fishing for and where, we can provide suggestions for both.

 

If you can find a local tying club, that will be an invaluable resource for you in terms of learning what you need for the kind of tying you want to do.

 

Welcome aboard, and don't be afraid to ask questions. :)

 

Cheers,

Bryon

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Hello. Feel free to ask questions and if they have been asked before you will probably be shown a link to the previous entries. Also sometimes if you google a phrase; say 'pheasant nymph' followed by FTF, you receive multiple hits to the forum that the forum search function may not find. Good for looking up fly patterns.

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Thanks for the input thought I search for it but apparently not. I haven't bought any equipment yet but looking a getting a basic kit and working up any input on basic kits?

 

mgneel,

 

It all depends on what you want to do.

 

I am from a philosophy of "Buy once, Cry once".....LOL

 

I took a very different approach to fly fishing. I have YET to make a cast for a trout here in Colorado. I started with a veteran's organization called Project Healing Waters and started this endeavor by building my first fly rod last month. WOW...what an experience! I hadn't even tied a fly at that point.

 

My mentor told asked me what I wanted to do with fly fishing and I expressed my passion for fishing.....he advised me to get a set of tools that were/are quality and they would last me for years.

 

So I put the cart before the horse and ordered a mid-priced vise, some Dr. Slick tools, and a few spools of thread to start. I took some of my bass hooks from years ago and started practicing starting thread, learning the half-hitch (by hand and tool), moving on to the whip finish (tool and hand).

 

I then started a fly tying class with Healing Waters and we were loaned a "crown vise"......FOR ME...the crown was hard to use as I have some issues with my hands. The Peak Rotary Vise was/is SO much better for me. Why? I can rotate the hook/fly easily, it has a smaller form factor, and I can move the base around my table. It works for me...it might not work for you.

 

You can purchase some good kits from Bass Pro Shops or Cabelas that have a beginner vise to see if you want to continue with the hobby/passion/addiction......They are GOOD kits (one of my friends has one that he loves) but for ME it restricts my tying because of my dexterity.

 

Just a thought.

 

Do you need TONS of supplies and the top of the line equipment....NO in my opinion. We saw a video two weeks ago of a guy that ties with a pair of pliers and his hands.....REALLY? Yes....folks did that in the past and it worked great for them!!!

 

Just some rambling from a new person like yourself.

 

I echo Bryon's statements....if you can find a "mentor" or local club they will be an OUTSTANDING resource for you. I can only watch SOOOOO many videos but having someone stand over you and give tips is invaluable!!!!

 

Keep up the enthusiasm!!! If you have questions, as Piker stated, ask away! I have learned a TON from this community here at FTF and am proud to be here!

 

Cheers,

Mike :)

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Thanks for all the replies. I found a fly shop here locally that I am gong to visit and just look around to see if they offer any class's or events that I could attend. I was looking to start out spending around a hundred to hundred fifty dollars for the basic tools just to see if I like it.

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Welcome to the forum! You've picked a great place to learn about all things fly tying...and even fly fishing.

 

As far as getting a kit, if you want to tie, I recommend getting a decent rotary vice to start with. You may spend a bit extra, but it'll be worth it in the long run. I bit the bullet and got a Renzetti Travel vice right off the bat, I'm still using it 14 years later!

 

Enjoy!

 

 

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