Beginner Fly Tying Equipment Suggestions

[BlunderFly]

Howdy TKFers,

I have been saltwater fly fishing four about a year now and have decided i want to tie my own flies. Could any of you veterans give me advice on what kind of equipment i need to start out. For instance do i need a vise that rotates? I will be mostly tying saltwater flies like spoonflys, clousers, decievers etc. Needless to say as im starting out in this i don't want to break the bank.

Thank You for your help,

Rick

[jimithing]

Well the vise is not something you want to skimp out on. Materials is fine, but not the vise.Everybody whos had the "dont want to break the bank" mentallity on a vise and bought a cheap one, regrets it. Everybody. Even though you might think its good enough to hold a hook, it wont for long if its cheap. Id say save up some cash and get nice one, you will not regret it. I have a medium range i started out with, and i still use it because its just good enough, but i have a couple friends who bought cheaper vises and i can tell you both have regreted it big time. Even though my vise is still pretty good, i wish i would have shelled out the extra dough for a better one when i had the chance. Its really hard to learn to tie on a cruddy vise as they dont hold hooks well or theyre hard to get in the right position to make your ties.

[Doug Poudre]

Check out the DanVise. It's not fancy but it works and it's relatively inexpensive and light weight.

[gregorock]

I personally would start off with a "cheaper" vise. Spend your money on hooks, materials, etc. for the specific fly patters you want to tie. Learn to tie these patterns and figure out if tying is you thing. Most likely you'll be hooked but if not you won't have a $100+ paper weight. You'll also have a better idea of what you should be looking for when you decide to upgrade to a rotary vise.

[s1rGr1nG0]

I second the recommendation for the Danvise. That is the vise that I use. You can pick them up on eBay for about $70. I also bought the extension arm for it which makes it much easier to tie those big saltwater flies. There is a heavy pedestal base for it that I want to get but haven't gotten it yet.
I've tied hundreds, if not thousands, of flies on it. Like you, I do a lot of saltwater fishing so I've done Clousers, Deceivers, expoxy spoons, etc... and it works flawless.

[BlunderFly]

Thanks for all the input, i will check out that danvise.

[BlunderFly]

Are there any other suggestions on tools that are neccesary? Should i start out with using epoxy or is the CCG easy enough for a beginner to use etc. any advise will be greatly appreciated.

[Etxflybass]

You dont need an expensive vise.
I've tied on a $13 cabelas vise and a $200 renzetti. They both hold hooks.

Get a cheap vise to see if you really like tying.
Fly tying is not for everyone.

If you really like it after a while, upgrade to a nice rotary vise.
Save the cheap one as back up or a travel vise.

Start with good scissors, a whip finisher, a bobbin threader, a ceramic bobbin, and a bottle of head cement.

That is all you need to get started.
You'll eventually want hackle pliers, bodkin, stackers, etc.

Google / YouTube how to tie a bugger and clouser and then go buy the materials at your local fly shop.

I'd learn to tie a few basic flies before you start playing with epoxy.
Have fun.

[JPChavez]

You dont need an expensive vise.
I've tied on a $13 cabelas vise and a $200 renzetti. They both hold hooks.

Get a cheap vise to see if you really like tying.
Fly tying is not for everyone.

If you really like it after a while, upgrade to a nice rotary vise.
Save the cheap one as back up or a travel vise.

Start with good scissors, a whip finisher, a bobbin threader, a ceramic bobbin, and a bottle of head cement.

That is all you need to get started.
You'll eventually want hackle pliers, bodkin, stackers, etc.

Google / YouTube how to tie a bugger and clouser and then go buy the materials at your local fly shop.

I'd learn to tie a few basic flies before you start playing with epoxy.
Have fun.

X2. Really good advice. I was about to post something similar. CCG is a lot easier to work with than epoxy but I would start out tying a few simple patterns first until you get the hang of things.