I started tied my first fly when I was 4 years old. The fly was not a pretty, nor would it catch any fish as the point of the hook had been cut off, but it got me started tying flies.
Over the years I was able to make use vises, tools and materials than were handed down to me.
This got me thinking about how someone today would get into the hobby of fly tying. I started to do research to see what was available to beginners wanting to get started tying flies.
I quickly began to see a several kits available for people who want to get started tying flies. I wondered whether kits were a good way for people to get into the art of fly tying.
In this article I will explore whether you should buy a fly tying kit or whether you should partially put together your own fly tying kit to get started.
I will outline ways to get started in fly tying that will not only save you time but also money and frustration.
Are Fly Tying Kits Bad?
Fly tying kits are not the best way to get started in fly tying. There are other ways that are better.
However, if you have bought a kit or if you have been given a kit you should not feel bad about the product.
They are a good way to get started in the hobby. Afterall, starting somewhere is better than not starting at all. If it takes an inexpensive beginner’s fly tying kit to get you started, it is a good thing.
What I am saying is that there are better ways to get started.
As you progress, you will likely buy better tools and materials that you could have started out with. Leaving you with the kit materials to get rid of as you will probably never use them again if you have a higher quality version.
Should I buy a fly Tying Kit?
If you want to get a fly tying kit I recommend getting a tool kit that either does or does not contain a vise. If you get a kit with a vise you will likely upgrade it later.
I recommend buying a decent vise if you can afford one. I do not recommend a kit of fly tying materials. You can buy tools in a set or buy them individually depending on your budget.
How Much Does a Fly Tying Kit Cost?
Fly Tying Tool Kit
There are a few basic tools needed to tie flies. You will need: a bobbin holder, whip finisher tool, scissors, and a bodkin also known as a dubbing needle.
As you progress, you will likely add a hair stacker and hackle pliers to your fly tiers toolbelt. I have an article on what fly tying tools do to help familiarize yourself with the tool and its purpose in fly tying.
Best Vise Tool Kit
If you want to buy a fly tying kit that has both a vise as well as the necessary tools to get started tying flies, I recommend the Griffin Odyssey Fly Tying Vise Travel Kit. The Griffin Odyssey vise is one of my top recommended vises for fly tiers. In this kit you will get not only the vise and tools but also a nice padded pouch making it a breeze to tie flies on the move.
Best Tool Kit Without a Vise
If you only want to buy a fly tying kit with the tools needed to get start fly tying, I recommend the Dr Slick Fly Tying Kit. The tools in the kit are of the highest quality. In terms, of tools that make up a kit, you will be hard pushed to find better quality tools.
The Dr Slick Fly Tying Kit contains a whip finisher, a bodkin, bobbin holder, bobbin threader, hair stacker, scissors, hackle pliers. The tool kit case can also be used as a fly box.
You may want to buy a vise separately as the vises in kits are typically of poor quality. Here are the top 10 fly tying vises I recommend for beginners.
One of the best vises available to fly tiers is the Dyna-King vice. If you get this vise you will probably never have to buy a vise again. With the proper care, this vise should last a lifetime.
Do Fly Tying Kits Have Bad Quality Materials?
The materials found in fly tying kits are low quality.
Materials in kits are of poor quality and not specific for the species of fish you are targeting. The flies you tie with the materials in kits will in most cases be of little use to you. Buy materials separately so you can tie the flies you want for the species of fish you are targeting.
Kits are Too Broad
The people that put together fly tying kits with materials to tie flies do not know what kinds of fish the end user is targeting nor the conditions that they fish in. One fly tier might be targeting trout while another might want to fish for bass, pike, salmon, or a saltwater species of fish.
While there might be some crossover in materials used for pike flies and saltwater flies, the materials used when tying these flies will be of little use to trout fly tiers.
The manufacturers of fly tying material kits add lots of different kinds of materials to their kits trying to cover every type of fish. In the end, this mish mash of put together materials becomes useless for everyone.
The kits will come with instructions for tying flies but most of these flies you will never use.
Putting Together Your Own Materials
Rather than being limited by the materials contained in a fly tying kit, you should do research into easy flies for beginners to tie for the species of fish or type of fly fishing you will be doing.
This way, you will be able to tie flies that you will use and will catch fish on.
Make a list of flies you want to tie taking note of the materials used for each part of the fly. Compare the materials used. Purchase the materials that are used in the tying several of the flies.
This will enable you to maximize the number of flies you can make with the fewest materials.
A fly will require materials for the:
- Body
- Tail
- Wing
Summary
The question of whether or not you should buy a fly tying tool kit can be answered with what kind o kit you are interested in buying.
Although, I do not recommend buying a complete fly tying kit that contains a vise, tools and materials. There is no problem in doing so. You should be aware that if you do take this route you will likely upgrade many off the items in the kit.
Instead, if you do want to buy a kit to save some money, I would recommend buy a kit of tools. You should buy a decent fly tying vise and put buy the necessary materials for the flies you want to tie.
