Fly tying starter - help/advice needed

[treecatcher]

I've been fly fishing for about 3 years now and have decided to have a go at tying. I've read through a lot of this and last years threads on the subject and decided to start with a Regent vice and I think I have worked out which tools I need.

So it's really hooks and materials I need some help with, what to buy, how much and who from?

I started off fishing nymphs and lures on reservoirs and stillwaters but have since moved to fishing dries, wets & nymphs and resorting to lures, boobies and blobs if I have to.

So if anyone on here can remember what it's like to be a tying starter and put together a list of materials and hooks I should start with that would be a great help.

The only kit I have seen anyone recommend is the Veniard Premium kit, so that's another possibility.

Any help/advice would be much appreciated.

[FunkyFlyTying]

I assume you will be fishing my local ressies like Clatworthy and Wimbleball as well as some of the smaller waters like Exe valley and Burton Springs.
How much do you want to spend on the basics and do you need things like scissors etc.
Do you want to buy quality tools or cheaper tools.
I would be happy to put a kit together for you of suitable materials and hooks that would be suitable for the local fisheries.

WCB

[treecatcher]

Hi WCB

I fish mainly Clatworthy and then Bratton Water & Blakewell in the winter with the occasional trip to Wimbleball and Exe Valley and last year put together some gear to fish the Exmoor streams/rivers but never actually got to do it.

Excluding the vice I was hoping to spend £50 or less on materials/hooks etc.

With regards to tools I have scissors suitable for fly tying, fine points, straight and curved and sprung and I have mounted needles and forceps. So I would need Hackle pliers, bobbin holder (ceramic I'm told), whip finish tool, hair stacker and possibly a dubbing twister.

Does this help?

[splashtestdummy]

Rod Dibble put me onto the starter kit that comes with joining the Fly Dressers Guild:

The Fly Dressers Guild

I've only been at it a few months so no expert (don't mention that word) - my experiences so far with the kit:

The vice is not great but when you start it hardly matters and to be honest, it wouldn’t make a great difference to my output still if I went back to using it - it is nice to use a full rotary vice though, as makes life easier.

The old one sits on the end of my desk and I put my most pleasing attempts in it, leave them on display for the kids to have a look at when they come in my computer room for a while before they go into the box.

The tools are OK - you'll probably want to replace the whip finisher and scissors pretty quickly though as I did, although the old scissors can be used for cutting things that you don't want to blunt pricier ones on.

Other than that, a good place to start, as various bits of tying materials are included, there is a good starter book included that is really clear to read and follow, which helps in adding to your skills.

You also get the newsletter and membership of the guild of course.

Won't mention how much I have now spent on tying kit now I've got going though

Good source of Hooks and other bits and bobs is from Phil Holding (Fly Tying Boutique) - there are many other good suppliers of course!

[treecatcher]

Thanks for that Splash. I had looked at that kit but hadn't seen a recommendation for it. You can buy the individual components from Sportfish. I think the materials kit is the Veniards begginers kit they do for £13.95.

So I guess my question is do you think it would be worth buying the materials pack on its own?

[splashtestdummy]

To be totally honest - if I was starting someone off now, I'd take them along to the fellow who teaches me tying and we'd talk through all the kit he has and what I have, allowing whoever to judge the differences in quality etc.

As for the materials - probably wouldn't buy a kit again, we (well mainly the guy teaching us actually) have devised a list of flies we're going to tackle throughout next year, based on raising our skill levels and also usable classic flies etc that suit the seasons / month we're in and that suit the local river (I am very lucky to be able to call on someone experienced and helpful). We know what to buy in a planned way, as he has given us a recipe list for each fly - only need to buy stuff as and when necessary.

If there's no rush your end (don't think you can rush into fly tying?) - I'd aim to find the above if possible. Other members will be able to tell you of a nearby club your way. Having someone to show you first hand is great for mastering the tricky stuff ... I had a mental block going on with my whip finishing at the start (could do it ok first few attempts then for some reason got off form with it) - he helped me sort it out by slowing it all down and getting back to basics.

[FatOldGit]

I would start by listing the flies you want to tie,then finding out which hooks and materials you need to tie them.If you by a so called tying kit,you will probably get loads of materials that you don't need.
If you need help deciding on what you'll need have a look at the step by step's on here Step by Step's

or here Flyfishing, Rackelhanen Fly Fishing Magazine

or here UKFlyDressing - Home

[splashtestdummy]

Not been on UKFlyDressing site before - thanks FOG.

Looks like you can avoid buying a book with the help on there and the absolute beginner step by steps would take the place of having someone there with you talking you through the first attempt.

Youtube is good for actually seeing someone in action as well - pictures paint a thousand words etc.

[splashtestdummy]

...oh, just an after thought, so you can avoid one of my mistakes (there have been lots and likely to still be many to come) if I was to rewind and do just one thing differently from the start this is it:

Practice whip finishing on a bare hook lots and lots of times, rather than ducking the issue ostrich style, getting ahead of myself and catching myself out by bloogering it up at the end of an otherwise enjoyable and successfully tied fly.

[treecatcher]

Thanks FOG, the Fly Dressing website was very useful and perhaps the way you suggest is the way to go about it.

Unless anyone comes up with a general list that will cover a range of flies then I will try and come up with a list of the flies I want to tie and then consult the Step by Steps and the Peter Gathercole's books for the hooks and materials.

But here's the dilemma, looking at Gathercole's Griffiths gnat, a fly I use quite a bit. He recommends size 12 - 22 fine wire hooks, black thread, fine peacock herl and short fibred grizzle cock hackle.

This sounds fine but my first questions as a complete novice would be what make and how many hooks to buy, what size thread and how much and how much herl and hackle and where from.

I'm playing Devil's Advocate to some extent because I could make some educated guesses but you see the nature of the problem. Add say another 20 or so flies and which materials can I use for more than one fly etc. then for the starter this becomes bewildering.

Any more help, suggestions or a rough list of materials and hooks for a starter would be much appreciated.