Starting up fly tying

[courty]

For those out there who have been at it for a while, if you were to start again, how would you do it?

My situation is limited finances, a belief that I don't need a huge variety of flies for my fishing, being small still water stocked trout and some small river trout and grayling fishing with a preference for natural imitations and an instinct for the dry fly. I'm willing to find materials where I can, roadkill, feathers found on walks, brushing pets etc.

I'd tie for my own use and to swap with other tyers.

I started out fishing, then fly fishing, by buying cheap job lots, getting started and slowly upgrading to better equipment that suited what I needed when I knew what I wanted.

I plan to do something similar with fly tying, so I've been watching ebay for second hand lots that include basic tools and all the bits that get accumulated. My reasoning is that the bits add up if bought seperately, and it would be a good economy to buy a job lot, practise the basics, make some basic flies with what I get and then buy the extra bits I then need. Or upgrade if I like it.

Buying a basic vice and tools is around £32 at the cheap end, so I've looked to spend about £50 for a job lot. They seem to be going for £10-£30 more than that so I've been outbid so far.

Some wisdom on this forum is to buy vice and tools, materials for 5 basic flies and go from there. Would that cost equate to buying a job lot with lots more, making sure that the basic threads, wires, tools etc are there, or would you stick with starting up your own set up from scratch?

I would really appreciate some experienced advice on this one.

Many thanks,

Courty

[g1zmo]

Have a look around for alternative tying materials, pound shops, craft shops etc are all worth a look I would have a look at this company for wires WIRES.CO.UK SAMPLE PACKS. As for vices there are some good second hand buys out there but I use this cheapy from ebay 290581426650, I've had it 18 months and it does everything I've wanted so far.

[shpeil]

The problem with job lots on materials is that it won't necessarily give you what you need to tie the patterns you want to tie. Fair enough for tools though. If I were starting again, I'd choose some easy patterns and buy the materials to tie those.

If you're dead set on natural imitations, I'd suggest:

black buzzers - hooks, black thread, silver wire and crisp packets for cheeks

hare's ears - hooks, hare's mask, small gold tinsel or small gold oval tinsel, cock pheasant tail - you'll get away with the black thread

PTN - hooks, small gold or copper wire, cock pheasant tail, and black thread will do

Keep your very first fly for posterity, but don't be afraid to take a knife to the others and re-use the hooks if they don't turn out the way you want. And they won't to begin with!

Good luck.

Neil

[guest21]

Whatever you do ... don't buy a 'Fly Tying Kit'.

Don't buy the cheapest of cheap vices ... it'll end in tears.

Work out what flies you 'NEED' to tie and buy those materials / hooks.

After you've done that, you'll find that you'll only need to buy small amounts of material to expand the broad range of flies you can tie.

Tools wise, a decent vice (needn't cost an arm and a leg for a basic lever / cam model) a good pair of needle point scissors, a dubbing needle ( a needle!) a ceramic bobbin holder (worth the extra expense), a bobbin threader, a pair of hackle pliers (search for the Holy Grail!) and perhaps a whip finish tool - I don't use one and I tie flies from size 28 to 6/0.

Don't become obsessed with replicating 'fly recipes' and chasing the material. I can assure you that there are no trout who have read the latest fly fishing magazine or tell the difference between goose or turkey biots.

[denzil3009]

Check out funky fly tying.

They do some great double sided tinsel: eBay - The UK's Online Marketplace

Cheap hooks are great to start with, i used the cheapest hooks i could find. they were terrible and had lots bent eyes and upturned hook points. But they were cheap and great to test out tying patterns.
Then when they look good enough shell out for some decent hooks. Saves worrying about stripping hooks and wasting time.


ALWAYS shop around, some places just seem to go mad for there profits and the prices are cranked up.

[arkle]

Before you buy or do anything, contact the secretary of your local branch of Home & News There is a branch in Sheffield. For a very small invesment in cash terms, it will repay itself many dozens of times over obth in the amount of time you'll save & getting exactly what you need.

[courty]

Many thanks for the advice, there are some good ideas there.

I'm going to start off modestly and work my way up to the huge collections I've seen other tyers have.

A friend of mine has offered to let me have a go on his kit so I can get a feel on what's what.

I did manage to drop in on a Fly Tyers Guild meeting near me, they were very helpful. Bewildering amount of materials though.....!!!!

[shpeil]

When I was younger I could (and did) store all my materials in a shoebox. It's just built up over the years. Not only is it less bewildering to accumulate gradually but it spreads the cost and maintains your interest too - get a new bit of feather and figure out what to do with it, or spot an interesting looking fly and buy a piece of fur to tie it. Starting small is a good idea!