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[yamadirt 426]

Hey
I want to buy some fly tying materials for my hubby for xmas...what are the basic essentials?

[yamadirt 426]

Oops...I thought I was lgged in as my name...

Im MelissaFish...and this is obviously my first post! haha

[ffonly]

All around materials you can't go wrong with threads , tinsels and different kinds of ribbing/wires as well as dubbing.

For salmon/steelhead you could get some rabbit strips , marabou , schlappen , saddle hackle , chenille , crystal chenille and flashabou.

For trout you could go with various dry fly hackles and can't think of anything else since I don't tie many trout flies yet.

What I would do is go into a store like Reaction Fly & Tackle or M&Y who have a good knowledgeable staff and tell them the type of fishing he does and then get them to suggest a variety of tying materials that could be useful to him.

[Rp3Flyfisher]

PM Sent

Rick

[newsman]

Basic essentials; sounds like you are looking for a kit. I recommend two: The "Angler" brand sold in Walmart stores, or the "Dragonfly" brand. All the others I had seen don't cut it no matter what the cost. The problem is that most tying kits are made with the one size fits all idea, which does not work because food sources and preferences vary from one end of the country to the other. The two I recommended are made in BC for BC applications.

[speycaster]

Forget the kits, go to your local fly shop. Talk to them about where you fish, they will set you up with the materials that you need to start the season. This way you will start to amass the materials that you need. If he wants to there are tieing nights around the lower mainland. Check some of the other bc sites as to where they are, i think that if you PM Rodney he will tell you where they are.

[bbronswyk2000]

Forget the kits, go to your local fly shop. Talk to them about where you fish, they will set you up with the materials that you need to start the season. This way you will start to amass the materials that you need. If he wants to there are tieing nights around the lower mainland. Check some of the other bc sites as to where they are, i think that if you PM Rodney he will tell you where they are.

I agree. The kits come with such a crappy vice that immediately after you start tying you will be in your local fly shop wanting to upgrade.

[newsman]

Melissa by now you can see that when it comes to fly gear everyone has a different preference. So let me clarify where I come from, I believe it will help. As a fly fishing instructor (introduced 1000 to the sport so far) I am constantly on the look out for: ways to save my students (past and present) money, time (the learning curve), and the frustration of packing around and storing unneeded or used stuff. At one time I believed as Mr B and the Speycaster that the kits were all crap and until eight years ago they were. Then the two I recommended came out on the market. Since that time I have given away ten as gifts which met the needs of the recipients for 1 to 2 years. Yes they all upgrade the vice and bought more materials, but that works well for future gifts; like when we guys buy our wives china, Cristal, and stainless steel cookware. As long as the kit has a AA Vice, Bobin, and enough materials to tie Wooly Buggers and Spratleys you are good to go.

[SeaRun]

Hi!   If your hubby is just getting started fly tying... how about a fly tying course?   I have been tying flies for about 40 years including a short period of time commercially.... learned the hard way...self-taught.   

[newsman]

I agree with Searun, fly tying classes are definitely in order; save hours of frustration.

[lucky]

Forget the kits, go to your local fly shop. Talk to them about where you fish, they will set you up with the materials that you need to start the season. This way you will start to amass the materials that you need. If he wants to there are tieing nights around the lower mainland. Check some of the other bc sites as to where they are, i think that if you PM Rodney he will tell you where they are.

I agree. The kits come with such a crappy vice that immediately after you start tying you will be in your local fly shop wanting to upgrade.

I dont know what kits you have used Bobo, but the crappy vise that came with my very cheap kit is still being used after five years and a few hundred flys.

Like others have said the best route would be to hit the tackle shops and pry some advice from them, the guys at Reaction have been very helpful to me in the past when I was searching for the proper tying materials.

Also keep your eyes open on the forums as some of the tackle stores put on a "ladies" night when it gets close to xmas.

[HOOK]

ya my garbage vise that came with my "kit" is still kicking LOL i have upgraded to a better vise however but the old one still holds my trailer hook when im tying intruders or stinger or what have you LOL

I still agree with everyone else on prying the people at your local fly shop. I can say the guys and gal and Micheal & Young are very helpful (im in there once a week LOL)

also helps if you know what type of fish you will be targetting with said flies.....Salmon/Steelhead, Trout, SeaRuns, etc.

You dont have to get him tying classes however they do help the learning curve. I will say though im self taught and can tie some somewhat complicated flies 

[Rodney]

Sea-Run Fly and Tackle is hosting some flytying classes for beginners coming up in case there is an interest.

http://www.fishingwithrod.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=19156.0

I think other stores will also start their classes soon in the winter months. RP3 and newsman also do flytying classes.

A class before a kit maybe a good idea, because then the participant can decide how much he or she wants to get into it. I personally still use the crappy vise that came with the entry-level kit, but I don't tie very much at all and find it does the job whenever I feel like tying something, or trying to tie something.

[SeaRun]

As Rod mentioned...."a class before a kit is a good idea."   I taught a fly tying & aquatic entomology course through the Vancouver School Board & discussed the types of vice, tools, materials, etc... on the first night to provide the students with an idea of the costs & availability of the various items.  It was then up to the students to decide what they wanted to purchase depending on their interest & budget.   I also provided them with useful fly tying materials  that can be found around the house.    It was interesting to see the students bring materials they found around their home & sharing with the other students.   

I also have an old vice that I first used which I now carry in my fly tying kit that I take on fishing trips.   Actually, when I first started tying flies I didn't use a vice but held the hook in my fingers.     

[HOOK]

jeesh Searun you must be getting up there LOL i remember talking to an old timer fly fishing guy that told me about tying flies by holding the hook in his fingers  I couldnt even imagine trying to do that.

you know what sucks about Melissa using her hubbies account? He can see this topic pretty easily LOL oh well i guess he might know what he is getting for xmas.

i think another way you could go about it is to buy a tying book and some materials for a couple of the proven patterns. My girl did this last xmas or bday  i cant remember which. I actually got me into tying more as i just tied from memory before that LOL and now im tying more flies and styles then i figured i would. Im now looking at tying some very complicated flies and even some of those fancy show flies 

I warn you though Melissa, fishing is an obsession and just because tying "may" sound cheaper its really not until you have lots of what you need. I still drop at least $100 in tying material monthly  but normally its more LOL (that is uncluding high quality hooks though and i dont buy cheap materials either)