Beging Fly Tying

[Flyflinger]

Flyflinger....tell you what I will do. I have one of those old clone type A vises around here. If you would like to have it, send me your address to my message box here. I will gladly ship it to you for nothing.

Dano

Awesome Dano! I will PM you with my address. I will even ship you back some flies once I tie up a few.. Thanks!

[Flyflinger]

It seems that that general opinion is it will not save money. Thats ok. I think that the joy of catching fish off of somthing I created will be payment enough...besides if I am not on the water..I'm wishing I was..so what better way to pass away those too cold/hot days. Heck i might even make a fly that works so good they'll name it after me.

[flytyer57]

I want to start tying my own flies. I am however hesitant because of 1 main reason.

1. The cost of vises..as I understand it you don't want to scrimp on this...but it seems you can't get a nice one under $100. I would not balk at the price if it ended up paying for itself. Yet...you can buy alot of flies for $100. This isn't even taking in the initial cost of all the other stuff you need.

So what would be a good figure I would exspect to spend to get a start in the craft and would it pay off in the end?

Thanks

My first vise only cost me about $30. I've since upgraded twice since. My latest vise is a Renzetti Cam Traveler that sells for about $165. I'd like to get a Renzetti Master vise but being unemployed, that just ain't gonna happen.

If you're not too sure of wanting to get into fly ting, buy a kit. They come with all the stuff you need to get started, and if you find you don't like it, you're not out a whole lot of money.

Be forewarned though. If you do enjoy it, you'll need to put an addition on the house just to keep all your materials.

Just kidding.

No I'm not.

Well, maybe...

[jdmidwest]

Same here. I finally had to get bifocals a couple years back. But, when I tie or read I'm sporting a sweet $9 pair of 1.5x reading glasses I picked up at the grocery store.

Or if you wear glasses, a nice pair of clip on magnifiers work great. I am getting ready to mount them and tye a few tonight.

[Flyflinger]

My first vise only cost me about $30. I've since upgraded twice since. My latest vise is a Renzetti Cam Traveler that sells for about $165. I'd like to get a Renzetti Master vise but being unemployed, that just ain't gonna happen.

If you're not too sure of wanting to get into fly ting, buy a kit. They come with all the stuff you need to get started, and if you find you don't like it, you're not out a whole lot of money.

Be forewarned though. If you do enjoy it, you'll need to put an addition on the house just to keep all your materials.

Just kidding.

No I'm not.

Well, maybe...

I've been watching alot of fly tying on Youtube, I think I am going to have a blast with it. Since there are no flyshops near my area, it will save me gas money and time.

[jdmidwest]

I want to start tying my own flies. I am however hesitant because of 1 main reason.

1. The cost of vises..as I understand it you don't want to scrimp on this...but it seems you can't get a nice one under $100. I would not balk at the price if it ended up paying for itself. Yet...you can buy alot of flies for $100. This isn't even taking in the initial cost of all the other stuff you need.

So what would be a good figure I would exspect to spend to get a start in the craft and would it pay off in the end?

Thanks

It is like any other sport hobby, you get out more than what you put in to it by the personal satisfaction of making something yourself and catching a fish with it. You could compare it to reloading, making your own boat, building a kit gun to hunt with, etc. Or you could look at it another way, will you ever catch enough fish to pay for the fly rod and reel you bought? It is just another expense of fishing.

The only way it will pay for itself is if you buy only the materials needed to tye the flies you actually use all of the time and use 100 percent of the materials you buy. In the long run, that would pay off. If you decide you have to have the premium tools and vices, then the payoff would be alot longer down the road. If you buy a hackle cape and only tye size 12 flies, then you will waste all of the feathers in the other sizes.

In the long run, the cost is minimal if you enjoy the time you spend doing it.

[Njardar]

Same here. I finally had to get bifocals a couple years back. But, when I tie or read I'm sporting a sweet $9 pair of 1.5x reading glasses I picked up at the grocery store.

My personal preference is the Sam's Club four pack of "cheaters" that way I have them stashed where I need them... usually on top of my head.

[Rolan Duffield]

Daniarks original mesage has a lot of very good info. I enjoy this part of Trout fishing and yet it need not be an expensive hobby, though it can be if your addicted. I've been using my Thompson Model A vise for about 50 years. You don't need all of those bells and wistles of the expensive vises to tie flies.

Fly tying is about learning to use different materials. Once you understand the principles you should be able to tie at least 90 percent of the flies you see. I would recommend anyone to take lessons. The Missouri Trout Fishermens Association is one group that sponsors fly tying classes and the fall is generally when classes start.

Buy only the materials and hooks you need for the flies you want to tie. You will add materials as your expertise and enjoyment progresses. This will help keep you from buying unwanted items. I'm sure anyone who has tied for years has accumulated a lot of materials and hooks. I'll never use all of my materials or all of the flies in my poession.

Learn to properly fish the flies you tie. Catching fish with the flies you tie is an extra special enjoyment of this hobby.

If I can help any of you starting out, just email me.

Rolan

[flytyer57]

I'm sure anyone who has tied for years has accumulated a lot of materials and hooks. I'll never use all of my materials or all of the flies in my poession.

Rolan

I've been tying for about 15 years now and I've accumulated a lot of tying materials.

A lot of my materials are now almost useless as I have a lot of chartreuse items that I used for smallmouth up in Wisconsin's tannin stained waters. Now that I'm here in the Ozarks, the water is too clear for them most of the time. I have a lot of flies tied with chartreuse that I can't really use down here. When I got here I had to buy a lot of olive and brown materials to fish the clear waters.

Anyway, here's a pic of my bedroom showing my tying desk and as you'll see, I have 6 of those upright drawer things to hold all of my materials.

[jdmidwest]

I've been tying for about 15 years now and I've accumulated a lot of tying materials.

A lot of my materials are now almost useless as I have a lot of chartreuse items that I used for smallmouth up in Wisconsin's tannin stained waters. Now that I'm here in the Ozarks, the water is too clear for them most of the time. I have a lot of flies tied with chartreuse that I can't really use down here. When I got here I had to buy a lot of olive and brown materials to fish the clear waters.

Anyway, here's a pic of my bedroom showing my tying desk and as you'll see, I have 6 of those upright drawer things to hold all of my materials.

Thats funny, my favorite poppers are a chartreuse Round Dinny and a Chartreuse Slider. I also use chartreuse in my blue gill flies, foam bugs, and trout eggs. I use white, gold, purple, yellow too with much success. I also toss a White/Chartreuse Rapala this time of year that works great too.

You might want to dig it out and try some different colors locally, you might be surprised.