Right first post in what I hope might become something for me to do over the winter other than fly tying and homework
.
I thought as I started tying exactly 1 year ago tomorrow I might try and put together a useful collection of info suitable of the beginner fly tier.
In this post I'll start off quite simply with a list of tools I have and what I use them for. Some of the more weird inclusions I have to thank the person who taught me to tie flies for.
Here's the list of tools in my rough opinion of their order of importance.
Scissors, Most important because with a good pair you're stuffed, you wouldn't be able to clip off anything close into the hook leading to flies with small bits wing sticking through at their head. Best to have 2 pairs; one pair with good sharp points kept for fine work and another pair with slightly longer blades for trimming deer hair, ribs e.t.c.
Fly tying vice, Holds your hook to make tying easier, although look at some of the classic salmon flies tied years ago without a vice and you relise you don't absolutely need one. Can range from 10 to 500 pound. Find a vice that you like and suits you.
Bobbin holders, buy the best you can afford, ones with ceramic tubes will save a lot of frustration and time wasted caused by snapped threads. The one in the middle I have adapted for smaller bobbins.
Finishing tools, the one with the red dot beside it is a Thompson whip finisher, I find t better on small. The other with the pink dot is a Matarelli whip finisher, I find its better for big flies, needing tighter heads on them. The Thompson is less likely to break the thread if you put on a few extra wraps.
The various tubes in the top right are half hitch tools, I will put up a step by step on this later. An empty pen case does fine.
Bodkins/Dubbing needles, used for applying head cement to flies and picking out dubbing on flies. Any coarse needle will do, glue onto a piece of dowel. Shop bought ones often have a half hitch tool on them as well.
Hackle pliers, The ones with the black and green dots are cheap ones which are OK to start with but after time start to loosen but at the start can be very hard to open.
The pair with the red dot are a Streamtech? version, these are good hackles near the eye of the hook but with their large clamps are useless for palmered, full hook length hackling.
The yellow dot ones is a pair of rotary hackle pliers, dream to work with haven't used others since I got it.
A Good Light, I use an old angle poise with an energy saving bulb equivalent to 100w inside. Good energy saving bulbs are best as they remain relatively cool while being used.
Every thing above is what I always use every time I tie flies so a got starting point.
Dubbing roughing up tool?, nice cheap a bit of Velcro stuck onto a lolly pop stick. Used for roughing up seals fur bodied flies, thoraxes of nymphs etc.
Bobbin Threader, used to pull thread up the tube of your bobbin. Can be made put of a piece of copper wire, Although some bobbins need special threaders for them eg. C and F.
Dubbing spinner, used to create nice shaggy bodies on flies.
Wax, I consider this a tool as it helps you tie your flies easier. A block rubbed on the shank of the hook before starting your thread helps to form a nice even underbody for your fly.
Pliers, useful for de-barbing hooks, makes the hooks easier to remove from your arm, I speak from personal experience.
Magnet, useful for retrieving flies/hooks off the floor, also good for keeping a set number of hooks on when tying, stops loose hooks flying all over the table.
Sharpening stone, useful of sharpening old fly hooks and removing varnish off dubbing needles.
A latch gate tool/ Coarse angling boilie threader. Useful for making hopper legs. I'll cover this later on.
Oasis Foam, got this tip from a magazine, got for storing tools in no more searching under mountains of materials. Just take your tool and push into the block.
Basics: Introduction and Tools
Linear Mode
