Starters Package

[mybadhabit 0]

I'm trying to start up an all veteran tying group from my local Project Healing Waters group and would like to know what you all would put in a starters tying kit. I know the basic tools, but I need help so I don't forget the obvious stuff. We will be tying for panfish, bass, white bass, and trout. I think I will have a bunch of newer tyers so I'm starting with the basics and some of "Fishy" Fullum's easier ties. If you folks have Ideas for some basic or easier ties for guys that may be tying their first flies I'd love to hear them, please accompany them with a materials list.

 

I have down:

 

Chenielle: Olive, black and white

Thread: 3/0 and 6/0

Pheasant tail

Turkey tail

Black and Olive saddle hackle or Bugger Hackle

Black and Olive Marabou

Wire: Copper, silver and gold

Hooks Size: 8-14

Streamer hooks size: 8-12

Beads

Hare's Mask

Dubbing

Peacock Tail feathers

Rubber Legs

 

 

After that I'm drawing a blank, can you help me out?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Blane

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you to all of you in advance.

 

Blane

[vicente 0]

Bigger streamer hooks like 4 or 6 mauve some size 6 stingers, big wooly buggers ate great for bad and pan fish and will be easier for them to learn how to tie on.

[utyer 0]

Strung peacock herl,

Partridge hackle.

Floss, olive, yellow, orange

Bucktial: Natural, Chartreuse,

Deer body hair for Comparaduns.

Synthetic dubbing assortment

Skip the hair mask and just get assorted hair blend dubbing.

Yarn

 

Our PHW group ties mostly salt water patterns. so we don't use the same assortment of hooks or materials.

[Kentuckysteve 0]

Lead wire for weighted flies

Elk hair

Biots ?

[Dave G. 0]

I agree, skip the mask and get a dubbing assortment, you could do a small compartment assortment of rabbit and synthetic. Or if you know that you will be tying just a couple of colors of flies get just those colors in the little plastic bags (probably cheaper).

 

I also agree with strung peacock herl and would add a patch of some sort of soft hackles. Be that natural hen or partridge, grouse etc. There isn't a trout alive that isn't a sucker for a peacock and soft hackle fly and it's a simple tie.

 

I'd start them off with a size 8 Woollie Bugger, then about a size 10 Hares Ear nymph. Those two flies are the underpinnings to many many patterns with just a switch of materials and an add on here and there. And they both catch fish everywhere.

 

Just simple fixed position vises are fine for starters.

 

Nice effort you have going on, congrats and I wish you luck with it !

[Poopdeck 0]

thats awesome. What vises are you gonna include? I would gladly donate an entry level vise to a legit program offered by a legit veterans group. Perhaps you could provide more info on this initiative.

 

I agree with the strung peacock herl and dropping the hares mask. I also don't see a need for 3/0 uni for any flies for the stated fish species. What's the plan with the turkey tails? I think you should pick a pattern or two and just provide the materials for that. Your list is almost a mishmash. Buggers fish for every species you listed so get materials for buggers. Hares ear and PT nymphs are good choices. I think All the rubber legs, turkey tails, 3 colors of wire, and the hook size range can be eliminated or reduced.

[flytire 0]

fly tying lessons

 

This list of beginner tying materials is simply a list based on my 30+ years experience in fly tying. The list provided below is for a new tyer who wants to tie trout flies but can spill over to different genres of fly tying. It is a BASIC list. Could other items have appeared on the list? Of course they could but that's somebody elses list. Other tyers will add or subtract materials to their liking. So be it. Remember its a BASIC list of materials. It contains materials the can tie hundreds or even thousands of fly patterns.

 

This list is in no order of preference. This list is provided for your convenience and in no way requires you to buy all tying materials all at once or any materials for that matter. It is also a generic list of materials as I really don't have any preferences as to what brand of materials you buy.

 

Eventually you will need materials if you want to continue tying flies. The list may give you a head start as to what you might want to buy

 

Again, you do not have to buy the entire list all at once!

 

Buy what you want when you need it!

 

1. Hooks (in different styles and sizes)

2. Thread (6/0 to start in black & white)

3. Pheasant Tail (center feathers when possible for the longest fibers)

4. Peacock Herl (eye feathers and strung herl)

5. Marabou (blood quills are better)

6. Deer hair

7. Elk hair

8. Buck tail (in different colors like red, yellow, or white)

9. Lead or non-lead wire (in different sizes)

10. Ribbing wire (silver, copper & gold)

11. Rooster Hackle (grizzly, brown, white & dun) A good option is an introduction pack

12. Hen neck or saddle (grizzly, brown, dun etc) (great for soft hackle & wings)

13. Hungarian Partridge Skin (great for soft hackles)

14. Dubbing dispenser of hares ear (various colors) & superfine dubbing for dry flies

15. Gray duck or goose wing feathers (used for wing cases)

16. Head cement

17. Tinsel and other flash materials (in assorted colors)

18. Calf tail (start with white, add colors when necessary)

19. Yarns & chenille (used for making bodies, both in assorted colors)

20. Floss (1 strand or 4 strand in assorted colors)

21. Strung hackle (practice wrapping hackle with this. cheap alternative to the pricey hackles)

22. Beads (not necessary to begin tying flies but if you really need them get them)

 

 

Poor quality materials are destined to discourage beginner tiers and cause greater expense when the time comes to replace them. Buy the best you can.

 

Another recommendation seen on most forums is to pick out 5-10 that you want to learn how to tie. buy the materials provided in the recipes of those flies. these materials are now the building blocks for tying different fly patterns in the future.

 

"The vice, bobbin, scissors and materials are fundamental."

 

for an absolute beginner, what more is really needed? those 4 items will tie hundreds of flies if not more

[mybadhabit 0]

The great thing about this is that the local leader of PHW has some of the stuff, I have some of it, and PHW program is going to purchase the rest or we are going to try and get it from FFF as a donation towards fly fishing education. A fellow club member and I talked about doing this several years ago and I just happened to be directed towards the tying program leader at Texas' Fly Fishing Expo a few weeks ago. We started chatting and I found out that there was a group that was doing this on the other side of town, twice a month. I am starting this group on the east side of Dallas and hope it takes off here too.

 

Blane

[mybadhabit 0]

I am planning on starting them off with basic thread control first then on to some really easy flies, and work into PT's and Hare's Ears.

[rstaight 0]

When I was president of our fly fishing club we had a Sportsman's Warehouse in town. I spoke to the manager of the fishing department about providing space for a tying night once a month. They jumped at the chance because we both seen the benefits.

 

They didn't give us a back room out of the way, they set us up right in the middle of the main isle. We always had 3 or 4 tables full. The club had some vises and members would bring a few extra. Customers would stop and start watching what everyone was tying. After awhile we would have most of them behind a vise and one of the members was teaching them how to tie a wooly bugger. A number of times they would not only be back the next month but they would join the club.

 

I guess my point is, if you can get setup where the public can see what you are doing, especially for PHW, you can't help but be a success.

 

It's fantastic that you are pursuing this endeavor we can never give enough thanks to the folks that protect and defend. Thanks to you all and thanks to you sir for stepping up to the front. Best wishes.

[Bruce Norikane 0]

Kudos to you! That's a very generous and worthy project.

 

I have one suggestion for building a good base of materials for your class while saving money. Share materials from a common pool.

 

Instead of buying a whole package for each tyer, split up the packages. For example, dubbing in all the colors and types recommended for a beginning assortment of nymphs and dries. I have most of the dubbing packs that I bought 20 years ago and will never use most of them. Same thing with hackle colors and synthetics.

 

This way everyone can try the classic material and learn the basics without buying stuff they'll never use.

 

and my standard suggestion for a great free beginning fly tying tutorial - Fly Anglers Online's Beginning Fly Tying Course

It's a great reference by the late Al Cambell. Starts with basic tools. Then teaches builds skills through a series of fly patterns that start simple then adds new techniques or materials with each lesson. If you complete the series, you'll have a very good foundation to tie most patterns. Your class can follow this on their own either between classes or later.

[fishingbobnelson 0]

When I teach beginners I teach one pattern at a time. I provide the materials for just that fly. I usually start with the wooly bugger. It's a fly that works for many species.

[caloosa bug 0]

Another material not mentioned yet is craft foam. I know it can be frowned upon by traditional tyers, but it is what I started with. Simple spiders and poppers are easy to tie and effective for many species.

[Bimini15 0]

I like the idea of going one pattern at a time.

There was another thread, some time ago, where people listed their choices for essential starting patterns.

In my list I think I had foam bugs, wooly buggers, deceivers and clousers.

If you add a dry fly and a soft hackle, I think you have trout, bass and panfish covered, and a lot of teaching material to go through.

[mybadhabit 0]

The starting package is for the group, I will teach one or two different flies each time we meet and wanted to kind of figure out what items would be best and most used to tie mainly beginners flies. I have more foam than I will ever be able to tie up, so not worried about that so much. Depending on who starts to show up, I may end up getting an Evergreen hand from the FFF to help the amputee tyer(if needed).

 

Blane