noob at fly tying

If you can see if a local shop by you is having any lessons during the winter months. Normally your pay a small fee and have the tools inc to use at no cost . The fee is to cover the materials cost.

If thats not happening and you are doing this alone, then pick up a few books for beginning tying and search the internet for video's doing the same. After you've done some research your get a better idea as to the tools to tie your need.

For the flies your looking to tie ask yourself what kind of flyfishing your looking to do. Tie these associated to those species. Start simple for instance, sunfish and perch: wooly buggers and wooly worms. Both easy to start tying and use the same materials between each of them. Buy the materials needed for the flies your looking to tie. Don't buy one of these massive kits that have more parts that at the start of this hobby your never use. Check your local craft stores for some of your needs, cost less and most of the times the same product.

Remember the kiss method, don't make it difficult for yourself.

the most useless tool of all time... a dubbing loop twister!

Buy a dvd with the patterns you are looking to tie, that way you can jump right to the pattern, watch the whole thing and try it, if you forget something go back and watch a part of the same fly.

I love how everyone says dont run out and buy a bunch of materials. Thats nearly impossible considering most flies all have different materials, some can be substituted, some cant. If you got into tying to save money, thats not going to happen for quite some time.

I have been tying just a little over 5 years currently my inventory looks something like this:

40-50 spools of different thread,floss,flash and larvae lace
8 large flat bass boxes filled with fur,feathers,hair,rubber,flash,yarn...
One large box of necks/saddles(dun,grizzly,furnace,brown,cream,cree...)
Small three drawer box with cdc,biots,odd hooks
Epoxy, superglue, softex...
Expensive bobins, waterproof permanent markers,hackle pliers, stackers... renzetti vice

Theres prob a thousand or more colors and blends of dubbing for different uses.

My guess is im pushing close to the $5,000 mark in materials. Currently though I cant find anything I NEED. Just hooks occasionally, this is when it starts to get cheap.