where to begin

[Reel Addiction]

i am ready for my next challange, and that is fly tying. i was hoping someone would be willing to point me in the right direction as to where to start. i dont even think i have even looked at a tying vice, so i am starting from total scratch. i live in r. hills area, and dont mind driving if there are classes being offerd. i am a memeber of tu, but dont know if they offer classes (cvtu). books, kits, videos etc...

Thanks in advance.

[drgulian]

JMHO, Do not get a kit. They often have poor quality materials and/or stuff you will never use.

Figure out what species you want to target, and ask questions about what patterns seem to work. If you already have a few patterns in mind, then figure out the recipe and I'm sure you'll be able to find instructions.

Mastery come with practice.

Search this forum, I'm certain you'll find this question has been asked before and there will be plenty of responces and advice.

Oh, yeah, if it's in your budget I recommend a Nor-vise or a Renzetti Traveler... The Nor-vise has worked for me for ten years, but many tyers don't like them or don't know how to use them, or, whatever, --- bad topic.

Enjoy yourself.

[Dave]

First off welcome to fly tying. it is a fantastic hobby. You will not save any money but your flies will be tied right. Tying comes with practice, I have been tying flies for over 40 years and I still have to tie one or two before I get them right.
For sure you will want a rotary vise, you can turn the shank any you want so you can see the section of the fly you are tying. I like Renzetti. Griffin, Peak are other great rotary vises on the market.
Hopefully you have a fly shop near you, most likely they will offer tying classes. We have ours starting in February. The salesman at the shop will assist you when buying materials. If you go to Dicks, Gander Mountain it's a good bet they don't know what they are doing.
There is a lot of stuff on the web about flyfishing and tying, just do a search. There is also a bunch of chat rooms on the net, for instance http://www.flytyingforum.com/
This site also as all the patterns you need. It is one of the best sites on the net. Again, good luck and welcome to fly tying.:grouphug::Welcome:

[Shoeman]

There's a few of us that get together during the winter months. Feel free to sit in (East side)

Mostly basic trout patterns to replenish our supply and some bigger bugs/streamers for warm water

[BeanOFish]

Welcome to the addiction. The guys in Bass Pro over in Lake Orion are pretty good guys and they know what they are talking about. You could also try Hank's in Lake Orion, but stay away from Ginger she has no idea what she is talking about and she will just try and sell you the most expensive thing they have. I recommend starting out with a few basic patterns such as: hare's ear, pheasant tails, wooly buggers, and caddis nymphs. All are pretty simple and will catch just about anything. This site has a good library for patterns also check out http://www.flyanglersonline.com/ It is a great tying site. As for vise's if you don't have a budget in mind I would go with the Renzetti Traveler.

[Brown duck]

For sure, the vise is the most important tool to buy, but you might want to start with a less expensive vise to get your feet wet. Cheap vises will get the job done, at least for a little while (I think I broke two before getting a better one). You can pick them up pretty cheaply. You can also get by with budget-type scissors and bobbins. If you really get into it, you can upgrade.

As was mentioned before, decide what you want to target and pick a few flies to start with. I would not recommend starting with dry flies (I did and was discouraged to start). If going for trout, start with simple nymphs to get proportions right. You can then move on to more advanced flies.

As far as learning, find a fly shop in your area and they can point you in the right direction.

[Reel Addiction]

Great,

Thanks everyone. i would be interested to hear about any groups getting together. the internet is a great spot to learn. i guess if i learned how to fly cast from You tube, mind as well try tying right? sometimes there is too much information that you might be overlooking the obvious


Thanks again everyone.