Getting started

1.  If he/she hasn't fished many different types of flies, under various conditions, do it.  Knowing what to expect from a certain pattern is huge. 

2.  Don't expect to make store-quality flies immediately.  Tie, tie, and tie some more.  Re-tie on the hooks from the first few dozen attempts. (save a few to laugh at in the future)

3.  If you haven't purchased a vise yet, just get one.  The worst thing I did was wait to buy a good one.  Just get the child tying.  Good equipment will come when needed. (heck, maybe a Grandparent will buy them a top-dollar one for Christmas)

4.  For me, steelheading is the main reason for tying, so I concentrated on steel patterns before branching out.  I tied approx. 100 sucker spawns before I moved to buggers.  Those are simple ones, as well, and the knowledge gained transfered well to other patterns.  Now, those first two patterns are locked in, and I am confident that I could tie any variation of them well, along with creating my own. 

5.  Don't kill your budget buy buying tons of material that won't be needed right away.  Cheap yarn works instead of angora for a newbie.  I've seen "grab-bag" variety packs of feathers recently that would have saved me some $$$ when I first started.  Certain craft feathers work well early on.

6.  You can NEVER have too many quality bobbins! (spool holders)

7.  Did I mention quality bobbins?  You will cut thread constantly on plain steel-edged ones. 



I know I missed a bunch, but this is my initial list.  Good luck.

The title of this thread is perfect to have this as our "get a newbie started" thread.  It would be nice to see everybody add some good advice for beginners. 

Skip?  Bug?  S/K?  Jeremy?  Dano?  ...and so on???

Have patience and when all else fails superglue it.

My thinking is just the opposite.  Bigger hook, bigger material, easier than tying #20 BWO.  Then again, I've never tied either.

Buy A Video.... seing what someone is actually doing with their hands makes it a million times easier for looking at illustrations.

Stay away from winged and or hackle flies for awhile, they still even frustrate me sometimes. Not only that cheap hackle is that... CHEAP. My next necks will actually be masters grade saddles.... i recommend a neck for beginners because saddles often only offer two sizes of hackle(they are great if you know your gonna tie say... 1000 size 18's) but they come with a heafty price tag for a good one.

Ceramic bobins are worth the weight in gold. Not only do you not get spurs but if your applying pressure right you shouldnt ever break the thread(unless you scrape the hook)

I tied on a cheap vise for years, now that I have a Renzetti I dont think I could ever go back but the one i had worked and is good for a kid. I bought an entire kit on ebay for about $15, now eventually I replaced all the tools but they worked for awhile.

Get a reference book of all the hatches in pa. I like 'Hatch guide to New England Streams' It shows a picture and description of every major hatching fly in this area of the country.

Just cause a hook looks like it can tie a cool fly doesnt meen it will. Ive bought some hooks and wondered why I ever bothered. Get somthing good, a fly tying hook...tiemco,dai-riki... you cant tie on baitfishing hooks, nymph hooks are different then dry fly hooks also, nymph hooks are heavy.

Dont get so carried away with tying a bunch of flies that you forget the staple foods. I fish spring creek(bellefonte) a lot and i know it holds tons of scuds,sowbugs and midges. Theres days I pound fish while guys around me "match the hatch" and catch nothing. They spent hours tying a box of sulphurs cause they see the fish physically eat them when in reality they are keyed onto those staple foods.

The following caps are not intended to be rude!
THERE ARE ALWAYS MORE FISH FEEDING SUBSURFACE(NYMPHS) THEN ON TOP...also the big fish are feeding sub surface as well. It has been shown that a trout can eat half its body length in one meal. Yes, a 20" rainbow can eat a 10" rainbow. A guy spent somthing like 800 hours in scuba gear with trout and he found that trout over 18" typically do not feed on nymphs.... lesson.... streamers work in certain situations!

I guess this is enough for now, sorry I havent been around to chime in guys... new job, lots of yard work and other house work just has me so slammed I dont have time to tie or fish.

I would look for a fly shop in your area most have some type of classes.the one I took was about 8 weeks 1 1/2 hors each week . every week a new fly simple but comon tying skills. plus you can get quality materials and tools.as stated by others your flys will not be as pretty as store bought at first but stick with it if fishing for stocked trout you will catch fish .then youll be hooked nothing like your first fish on your own fly .good luck

Thank you boy's... the class is a givein as i have never tyed myself... But can do blood dot's and the glow dot's.. i was asking for eqitment....

Get a bobbin threader/cleaner set. Worth every penny.

The Ceramic bobbin is a God send. Dubbing wax on the ends once in a while keeps the spools spinning nice.

Zap a gap (super glue) works well. I find myself useing that stuff more and more to finish instead of a knot. The only time I don't anymore is on small sizes. Never need to worry about the things unravelling. I always keep 2 spare tubes of the stuff. LOL.

The first flies I tied were a simple bead head, ribbed hares ear nymph. I didn't even put the caseing on the top. It taught how to put dubbing on and the importance of winding tight. The best thing was those first flies, as ugly as they were still caught fish. Hard to beat that one.

I too have a Renzetti now and I could never go back. I had to special order mine on account of being left handed.

The overlooked thing to keep it going is encouragement. Show intrest and complement the beginner often.
The key to fly tying for me was getting over the self doubt.
In my area there are places that put on free tying clinics once in a while. Fly shops often have tyers and they are always willing to share some little tricks.
If you look around online there are tutorials both pic and vid. form.

I started tying to save money. Cheaper to tie vs. buying them. Well that looks good on paper. LOL. The greatest thing to me is no longer do I need to make a trip and hope the flies I need are in stock, and of coarse catching a fish with something I created.

I've been tying for 6 or 7 years. I often don't tie untill the night before I need them sacrificing precious sleep, but I would never go back- no matter how aweful my flies look when compared to the store boughts.

Good luck to all who are gonna start up. It's a good thing.

a nice starter vice from basspro will cost ya bout 35.00 is a clamp on vice with a squeeze type clamp head.also a quality light is very important don't burn out the lil guys eyes early.Hooks buying good ones is the way to go.and from there just keep the patterns simple to start with san jaun worm sucker spawn crystal meth. green winne and some nymph patterns will get him started and fishing for steelies. tight lines and screeming drags to ya.