Tool help for a newbie

[robbiejam]

Hi all, while looking to enter the world of fly tying I have been reading the common threads on here about fly tying kits. A lot of people said don't buy them but in the end I think it was right for me to get one, it was only a £25 Lureflash one and came with vice, tools, some materials and a DVD all contained in a little case.

I tried to tie my first fly last night - a simple buzzer. I did it quickly and without watching the DVD or following any instructions, the result was that it resembled a buzzer but was a bit rough to say the least! Ah well practice makes perfect and all that

The tools I got were a pair of scissors, hackle piers and a bobbin holder. My question is - can anyone recommend a decent whip finishing tool as it didn't come with one and a better bobbin holder? The bobbin holder is the only thing in the set that I'm unhappy with - I had 4 thread snaps whilst trying to tie the buzzer last night (this may be down to my technique of course but I have read that cheapo bobbin holders like to snap your thread and annoy the hell out of you).

Any advice or product links would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers, Rob.

[sweenytodd]

The best whip finishing tool is your hands

[robbiejam]

I have clumsy fingers Sweeny, can't see me ever being able to do it by hand!

[sweenytodd]

Originally Posted by robbiejam

I have clumsy fingers Sweeny, can't see me ever being able to do it by hand!

Trust me , so do I !! You just need someone to show you a few times and then just practice , fair enough hands are not for everyone but if you are learning from new then it would be just as easy to learn using your hands as it would to use a tool .
To practice it ( once you know how to do it ) just run a few wraps of thread onto a bare hook and then just do a whip finish over and over again .
As for the thread snapping , it could be sharp edge on bobbin holder but is most likely to much tension from you , this is something you will get used to as you practice and you should get less and less problem as you progress .
When I started nearly a year ago I sat with someone for an hour who knows what they are at and he showed me the basics like the whip finish , hackling etc.. We then tied a simple hopper . I came home and practiced .
I also downloaded and saved a load of Davie Mcphail vids from utube and this means you can watch the clip and pause it at points as you copy and tie the fly and if needs rewind and watch a section again .

[robbiejam]

I think you may have convinced me - I'll try and learn how to do it by hand and I'll put off buying another bobbin holder for now.

Thanks for the help mate

[Wee Jimmy]

Originally Posted by robbiejam

I have clumsy fingers Sweeny, can't see me ever being able to do it by hand!

I bet everyone on here thought the same thing when starting to tie their own flies Robbie.....It took me a couple of seasons to even attempt tying my own flies and probably another couple before having enough confidence to fish with them for more than ten minutes,always believing the flies in the shops were better....and that was at a time when most shop bought flies were utter pish....

Like everything,the whip finish will come with a wee bit practice,no need for a tool.

[sweenytodd]

Try and find someone who can spare an hour to show you whats what . Or get yourself down to your local flytying group ( have a google )

As for the bobbin holder , if you think you are going to stick with the fly tying you would be as well to get yourself a Ceramic Bobbin Holder because it doesn't take long to get a sharp edge on the metal ones .
I don't know the best ones to get though as I am still using metal as I just haven't found the money to go ceramic yet as keep finding more essential things to buy

[christy27]

If the bobbin holder has wire legs so to speak, bend them out a bit. More you bend them out the less the tension becomes. If later you change to another thread and all is to sloppy bend the beggars back. It's normal practice and you will soon get used to it.

[bujo]

Hi,

There are few half decent whip finishers around. I use Dr. Slick and like it very much. As for bobbin holder I'd invest in Tiemco standard ( with white tube), have few of those and they are top quality. Had bad experience with C&F, little drop and tubes on two broke.

Bujo

[paulsalmon]

I agree with Bujo, the Tiemco bobbin holders are great, and just keep on going. As for the whip finisher, I use the Matarelli versions, and are absolutely superb. They are silky smooth, and you can lay precise wraps to finish off with a neat head.