Perhaps one of the most rewarding aspects of fly fishing is the ability to catch a fish on a lure you made your self. For someone just getting into fly-tying, the endless amount of tools and materials can seem daunting. This list should serve to help the beginner in deciding which types of tools to purchase. I feel that these seven tools are the bare minimum for tying and anything else is just for convince.
1. Books
I personally love the "Benchside Introduction to Fly Tying" by Leeson Schollmeyer. The book is incredibly user friendly and breaks down things to the simplest level, something I feel other books neglect to do. It simplifies everything from materials and their use to advanced techniques.
2. Vice
This one should be obvious. Traditional trout flies all but absolutely require a vice. It is important to understand the different styles of vices and choose one which best meets your preferences. When just starting out, you should start out with an inexpensive vice until you really get into tying.
3. Scissors
I recommend buying at 3 pairs but you can get away with 2 to start out. I recommend buy the least expensive pair you can get your hands on for cutting heavy materials such as wire and heavy feathers. For your other two pairs, I’m going to save you the trouble and recommend Dr. Slicks. I have a standard 4-inch pair for everyday use a micro tip pair for finishing my flies. When you’re just starting out you’ll make a lot of mistakes and the micro tip scissors make cleaning them up so much easier.
4. Hair Stackers
This one is pretty straight forward.You don’t need an expensive brass hair stacker or a variety of sizes either. The flies you’ll be tying in the beginning won’t call for those types of stackers anyway.
5. Bobbins
I made the mistake of spending the extra money and buying a Rite Bobbin and now I won’t use anything else. Buying extra bobbins had become quite expensive. While a little pricy, they are hands down the easiest to use bobbins. When you get started, buy a couple to load up with the basic colors to save time.
6. Finishing tools
You can skimp out on this one. All whip finishers do the same job. The only difference between a five dollar one is 30 dollars one is the quality. Other than that, they do job exactly the same.
7. Hackle Pliers
Buy a couple different styles to determine which ones are best for you. You’ll soon figure out that they’re an invaluable tool.
