Budget Fly Tying

[Weiry]

Good one Tom
_________________
cheers Weiry ><)))o>

[WazFish]

AHhh!MyMouth!Ouch! I got myself hooked on fly tying today! (not literally... of course)

As for that cat down the road.....

P.S. Great tips guys. Thanks!

[indulgence]

Pro Angler do a gret beginners kit for $150 then you can buy hackles in small lots that are graded for hook sizes. Don't cut costs on your hook selection as that is the part that holds the fish and has to be strong. If you use good ingredients and tie properly, you will have a good fly that will last many fish. That is a cheap fly. If you use inferior materials and do a half arsed job, the fly will fall apart very fast and will have to be replaced. That is an expensive fly

Sometimes being cheap costs more money
_________________

[p8s7y]

[quote="WazFish"]Any suggestions/tips for making flies (for both fresh & salt) without using any 'proper' equipment?[/quote]you can use vice .polyester will work .you can use feathers craft stores . christmas is the best time to find licicles or tinsel , chenille or pipe cleaner. go to fle's markets and yard sales you find a lot good things there.

[fin101]

This thread reminds me of the time I was coming home from work and saw a possum "buy it" outside centennial park, never one to pass up a bit of free fly tying material I got out of my car and armed with a pair of tin snips proceeded to relieve the possum of it's tail, much to the horror of some old lady walking her dog, damn tough tails those those possums I can tell you, or my snips were dull.

[danangles]

Keep an eye on the auction sites some good starter kits and materials are available at good prices.
Cheers Dan.

[Flyology]

indulgence has hit the nail on the head, with some times cheap can really be expensive. Be very careful when buying materials that "seem" the same as proper fly tying materials, as they are not allways the same. Bulk cheap feathers from craft shops sometimes have the tips cut off, fade quickly, or are all over the shop in sizes. SOME (not all) cheap starter kits can give you all the seconds, and bits that no one else wants to buy, so can end up being a dissapointment.

On the other hand you can get some good materials from non fly tying stuff, I just bought some silver holographic flash used to decorate xmas trees that is fantastic for lateral lines in saltwater flies.

I would recomend going to a fly tying club, finding out what other people use, talk to a reputable tackle store that has a staff member who "ties his/her own" and also work out what fish you want to target, so you can get advice on what flies work, then organise what materials you need.

I would seriously recommend a quality vise though, as a cheap one can make an easy task difficult and have you end up chucking it in.
_________________
MB

martinbristow@flyology.com
http://www.flyology.com

[Flyology]

indulgence has hit the nail on the head, with some times cheap can really be expensive. Be very careful when buying materials that "seem" the same as proper fly tying materials, as they are not allways the same. Bulk cheap feathers from craft shops sometimes have the tips cut off, fade quickly, or are all over the shop in sizes. SOME (not all) cheap starter kits can give you all the seconds, and bits that no one else wants to buy, so can end up being a dissapointment.

On the other hand you can get some good materials from non fly tying stuff, I just bought some silver holographic flash used to decorate xmas trees that is fantastic for lateral lines in saltwater flies.

I would recomend going to a fly tying club, finding out what other people use, talk to a reputable tackle store that has a staff member who "ties his/her own" and also work out what fish you want to target, so you can get advice on what flies work, then organise what materials you need.

I would seriously recommend a quality vise though, as a cheap one can make an easy task difficult and have you end up chucking it in.
_________________
MB

martinbristow@flyology.com
http://www.flyology.com

[Weiry]

Good point Martin its the same with tools, all tools in fact not just flytying. Cheap is not always the best way to go. I am a chippy and hate using cheap tools there is nothing as satisfying as quality tools that are made for the job. Look at some of the fly rods and saltwater fly reels for example, expensive? ...yes a huge range in price but satisfying?... yes, works of art and innovation ?...yes, a pleasure to use and own?...yes. In my opinion there is no substitute for quality.
_________________
cheers Weiry ><)))o>

[indulgence]

This is the Pro Angler kit.
http://www.proangler.com.au/fly.php3?sID=125

Have a look
_________________