Pond Boss Forums FISH & FISHING Fly Fishing & Other Fish Species Pond Fishing Flies

George, their prices are pretty good compared to the local shops!

Warning!
Fly tying can become addictive – don’t say that I didn’t warn you!
I told you to purchase flies – don’t even think about tyin!

I’m a dummy and didn’t listen – got hooked with first fly I learned to tie!
Charlie Cypert’s Mylar Minnow!
All I needed was an inexpensive Cabelas tyin’ vise and couple of tools, some mylar braid from JoAnn’s fabric store and some Mrs. G’s yarn and I was hooked!
Don’t say I didn’t warn you!
George

http://texasriverbum.com/tying-the-super-cypret-minnow

http://texasfishingforum.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/2610787/Re_Jig_Hook_Mylar_Minnow

George

Cabelas and other outlets offer many fly tying "kits" and the choices are pretty confusing to newbies. It might be helpful to provide a list of bare essentials to get started and an approximate price your experience dictates one should expect to spend. It's so easy to go overboard and pay for stuff a beginner doesn't need.

Can you provide some links to examples of:

Vice - do you prefer clamp on or stand up model?
Light
Is magnifier important?
Hook brand recommendation
Good ideas for basic starting materials [thread, hackle, etc.]
Other tools necessary [bobbin, thread [size/color?], scissors, etc.]

If there is a solid kit of good quality you could recommend, that would be helpful. Thanks in advance, George!

The latest sale flyer this week from BassPro actually has an either/or clamp and some other tools or a materials type kits on sale for 25.00 each. I think I'll try to cast before I get into it too far.

TJ, that’s really a good question - there’s a bunch of PB folks interested in that question.

I believe that you are hiding your “light under a bushel” and can contribute to this subject as well as me - I know that Al, Dusty and others can contribute as well.
I am an old fashioned “use it up, make it do, wear it out guy ..

For starters, I don’t like “kits” - I started tying bucktail jigs many years before flies with a clamp on Cabelas Master vise, a spool of nylon thread, bobbin and inexpensive scissors.
Served me well and still use som of the same stuff, but upgraded as time went on.
George

Cabelas and other outlets offer many fly tying "kits" and the choices are pretty confusing to newbies. It might be helpful to provide a list of bare essentials to get started and an approximate price your experience dictates one should expect to spend. It's so easy to go overboard and pay for stuff a beginner doesn't need.

Can you provide some links to examples of:
Vice - do you prefer clamp on or stand up model?
Clamp-on if desk or table handy – otherwise stand up if heavy pricy base.

Light –
Desk light..

Is magnifier important?
Large flies no – small flies yes..

Hook brand recommendation
“It All Depends” on size and style of fly

Good ideas for basic starting materials [thread, hackle, etc.]I like Danville’s Flat Waxed Nylon for large flies and Danville’s Flymaster thread
(the larger the number, the smaller the thred)
Feathers (hackle) fur, synthetics – too numerous to list – I use “roadkill/hunterkill when can find it.

Other tools necessary [bobbin, thread [size/color?], scissors, etc.]
If there s a solid kit of good quality you could recommend, that would be helpful.
I normally don’t like kits but other may.
Here’s a list of stuff from Cabelas – Bass Pro likely similar.

Cabela's Master Vise - $29.99
Cabela's Bobbin - $3.99
Bobbin Threader -$2.19
Small Fiskers scissors –~$12.00
About $50.00 bucks for a start but $50,00 bucks will buy a lot of flies

Don’t buy a bunch of stuff to start with – lots of stuff from Craft and Fabric Stores – Hobby lobby has lot of foam and feathers
Some of this stuff most folks have around the house – keep it simple.

Learn Lefty Kreh’s hand whip finish method.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqT33lzdirY

OK, Al, Dusty and others – HELP…….

I started with one of those $39 all-in-one Cabelas kits. It came with most everything to get started but a hair stacker, but that's not a necessity for sure.

I quickly figured out the non-rotating vice wasn't the easiest way to tie flies, so I got a Peak for around $150, and I've been very happy with it. I just can't see ever spending the money for a Dyna-King or a Renzetti. They're very, very nice, but we are talking about pond fish here.

What I did spend a little extra on was a Griffin ceramic bobbin. It's around $13 and it helps keep me from fraying thread.

Fly tying thread? Uni or Danville are both good and about the same cost. I usually only keep red, black, and white. A magic marker can do wonders if you're inclined to change colors.

As far as tools, I've tried them all including Dr. Slick, and I use stainless steel surgery tools I get at the gun shows. Very sharp, and very cheap. $2 for the scissors and stats I use.

You'll need glue, and super glue works as well as any.

Where you can really save or spend money is on materials. I usually go with George's suggestions, but places like Hobby Lobby really do help cut costs. For example, if your wanting to tie a floating foam bug of some type, you can spend $3 on a pair of precut bodies, or 98 cents on a whole sheet of sticky back foam at Hobby Lobby. One sheet could last forever.

TJ-
All great advice so far.
If you're interested, there's a great book I used to learn to tie flies when I was a kid-"Western Trout Fly Tying Manual", by Jack Dennis. Talk about making a guy feel old-I got my first edition copy as a teenager in the mid 70's, I remember the foward was written by Curt Gowdy about what a fine "young man" Jack Dennis was. I looked on Amazon to see if it was still available, and I see that Mr. Dennis is now retired!

Anyway, it's a great book to introduce fly tying. Don't let the "Western Trout" part of the title put you off, the pictures and instructions are excellent, and there's very good information about materials, tools, basic techniques. My first creations looked like mutated hummingbirds on #8 hooks, but I could tie credible #18s after a couple months of dedicated effort-when I could afford the #18 hackles, that is.

Yolk, I'm glad you brought up a book. I'm looking for "The Complete Fly Tier" by Reuben Cross. It's an out of print book by who was supposedly the most the technically perfect fly tier of all time. I really don't care about the specific flies he tied either, but like your recommendation, it's the instruction I'm after.

He had fat fingers too, so it's right in my wheelhouse.

e-Bay #1 - "The Complete Fly Tier", Reuben Cross

e-Bay #2 - "The Complete Fly Tier", Reuben Cross

Courtesy of Texas Fishing Forum:

Just discovered Ernest Hemingway fished with live grasshoppers.
Ken, betcha would you would use a live grasshopper and know Brian (highflyer) fishes with them with great expertise.
George

Not only is fishing with live hoppers fun, it is also a great way to get smaller kids interested in any kind of fishing. My daughter and I have a great time catching the hoppers, threading them on a hook and tossing them out there for the fish to smash. Sometimes we don't even put them on a hook, we just feed the fish. We have a lot of fun and we get to discuss how the grass, hoppers, and fish fit into the pasture/pond ecosystem.

Should you decide to venture down this path, do yourself a huge favor and invest in a butterfly net. The net will greatly improve your catch rate on the hoppers and reduce the amount of time you spend teaching the children new vocabulary because the hoppers continue to escape your grasp.

If the small person(s) that you're fishing with is a bit small to be trusted with fly-pole, you can always use a good sized bobber to cast the hoppers out on conventional gear.

This will be my first year attempting to fly fish a pond. I'll be going after common rainbow trout and golden rainbows. I've fly fished for years in lakes and streams, for trout only, and can't wait to be able to enhance my skills right in my own backyard.

I have a feeling that a pellet fly is going to be the top dog but I hope I'll be able to catch them on some other offerings.