New and looking for some advice

Hi all, I am new to the site, well I have been reading for a while, but finally joined. This might be a repeat question, but I am looking for some help.
My dad and I started fly fishing a few years ago. Currently we buy our flies from shops and sporting good stores, but after reading this site, I see way more patterns on here then i do in the local shops. I will be honest I don't have an elaborate outfit. My dad and I just got a basic outfit from a Dicks Sporting goods store. We figured that since we are new no sense in spending a ton of cash on something we may or may not like. Right now we like :) So now that we are getting into the fly scene, we want to start tying our own flies... Is there a basic setup that isn't to expensive that can get us started.. don't want anything fancy, just basic to get us started. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Get a cheap Thompson vise as well as a bobbin, good scissors (Dr. Slick ECO line is pretty good), and a whip finish tool.

Pick up hooks & materials to make one pattern, I'd suggest marabou blood quills, small chenille, and strung saddle hackle for buggers, and get started with just that one pattern. By the time you run out of anything (hooks most likely), you'll have a much better idea if this is for you, as well as what else you may want to buy.

Doug and Dad - Congrats on wanting to make the jump to the madness of tying!! I gotta warn ya though it can get addicting. There are so many resources out there today - especially on YouTube or Vimeo that you can watch and learn. Lot's of good advice above here that will lead you in the right direction on what to get. Watch the tying kits though. The vices that come with them can cause alot of frustration that can lead to one losing interest. The problem is they will not hold the hook well enough. I found this out giving classes when the attendees brought their own tools. Like Cold states, a Thompson vice is a great choice - in fact I bought one some 40 years ago and tied with it up until about 5 years ago. Now I got this fancy rotary thing. The scissors - yeah pretty important. Big thing is - if you have someone who you can sit down with in person - it will shorten the learning curve.

There's some extremely talented tiers on this site who are willing to help you out in any way. Don't be afraid to ask and more importantly post the pictures of your flies - no matter how bad they look. That way we can steer you in the right direction. Post or PM a question to the group and it will be answered. No question is a dumb question - we all started out at some point just like you.

Finally - Welcome to the club my friend.

Just don't get psyched out.

Start by finding a few patterns you can handle. (Not that you think you can handle, but that you will actually be able to tie correctly, without issues, on a regular basis. I started off trying glo-bugs and I found out they were more difficult than I thought. A few seasons later, I learned to tie them better, but not until I'd gotten a better feel for thread tension.

Woolly buggers, hares ears, clousers, and an EHC would be my idea of a good beginning assortment, as they're all pretty simple patterns, but they cover a wide variety of skills you'll need later on (dubbing, palmering, hair stacking, wing cases, tapering) and they all offer opportunities for you to fill out a fly box with a wide variety of flies based on the same pattern (beadheads, flash backs, and hot spots on teh hares ears...flash and synthetics on the buggers & clousers...herl bodies & trailing shucks on the EHC). Also, they're all very effective flies that will allow you to use nearly any approach to catch trout, panfish, bass, pike, steelhead, and carp...anything in PA, really, when tied in the right sizes.

Big thing is - if you have someone who you can sit down with in person - it will shorten the learning curve.

There's some extremely talented tiers on this site who are willing to help you out in any way. Don't be afraid to ask and more importantly post the pictures of your flies - no matter how bad they look. That way we can steer you in the right direction. Post or PM a question to the group and it will be answered. No question is a dumb question - we all started out at some point just like you.

This is some excellent advice. Even just one or two evenings with an experienced tyer will teach you more than you might learn in months on your own...especially early on. If you post what area you're generally from, it's possible (if not likely) that someone here might offer to do just that.

Definitely post pictures. Not only will it help the rest of us diagnose issues and offer suggestions, but I find I'm far more critical of my work when seeing it as a picture rather than looking directly at the fly. As rough & tumble as this site can get, the fly tying section seems to be the one single part that is mostly good-natured, supportive, helpful, and really really backs it up with results.

I do all my tying with a 3x magnifying glass with the light....The one on the swing arm.

Flyfishers seem to care more about (exactly) how flies look than the fish do. Believe me - After I got my cataracts fixed, I realized how bad a lot of my flies looked. I had a imported el cheapo vice for nearly 20 years. It worked fine up until the end of last season. The new peak is much nicer, but the old cheapie worked well for years.

For a quick start, the Bean store in Pittsburgh sells kits by Crystal River. They give you all the pieces you need and some real basic instructions. The end cost is about fifty cents a fly. It's a good way to start, and one of those kits often makes it's way into my Christms stocking.

If all else fails, you're simply going to have to tie twice as many flies for you AND your Dad.

Enjoy the experience.

Thanks fishingman, and to everyone else who has offered some great advice. Its been a rough last couple weeks around here and I still cant find my cable for my camera, and I was supposed to meet up with Harald again, but things just haven't worked out. Still eager to make a few more attmepts, but I think dad has given up on the tying idea, and you are right, if I start tying, I will be tying for two

So true!!