Top Tools For A New Fly Tier
If you are new to fly tying, and have spent any time watching videos on the internet, one thing you may have noticed is that all these amazing fly tiers have their desks adorned with all kinds of tools. Ten pairs of scissors, a half dozen bobbins, you name it, they have it. They are set up and are prepared for any fly pattern that may come their way.
Contrary to what you’ve seen, the overwhelming majority of the tools they have on their desk are not at all necessary. They may very well make your tying experience more pleasant, but necessary? No.
Today we are going to talk about the main tools a new tier needs in their arsenal so that they can confidently dive into the world of fly tying. So let's get to it.
1. Vice
The fly tying vice is a given.
However, the amount of money you should spend is not. Vices range in price from fifty dollars all the way up to a thousand. Now, while the expensive vices may seem beautiful and well crafted, there is no shame in starting off with a cheap vice.
Lots of the higher end vices do offer additional features, such as rotary function, or tool holders, but for the new tier you are not likely to take full advantage of these. I suggest you find a good solid vice, on the cheaper side, and work your way up to a more expensive one as your hobby advances.
A great tier can tie flies on any vice, whereas a poor tier can’t tie a nice fly even if he is using a thousand dollar vice with all the bells and whistles. I strongly suggest you save some money on the vice and put it towards more tying materials or tools, you are unlikely to be disappointed, and you have all the time in the world to decide if an upgrade is for you.
1. Vice
The fly tying vice is a given.
However, the amount of money you should spend is not. Vices range in price from fifty dollars all the way up to a thousand. Now, while the expensive vices may seem beautiful and well crafted, there is no shame in starting off with a cheap vice.
Lots of the higher end vices do offer additional features, such as rotary function, or tool holders, but for the new tier you are not likely to take full advantage of these. I suggest you find a good solid vice, on the cheaper side, and work your way up to a more expensive one as your hobby advances.
A great tier can tie flies on any vice, whereas a poor tier can’t tie a nice fly even if he is using a thousand dollar vice with all the bells and whistles. I strongly suggest you save some money on the vice and put it towards more tying materials or tools, you are unlikely to be disappointed, and you have all the time in the world to decide if an upgrade is for you.
2. Scissors
When it comes to scissors, a lot of it comes down to preference.
Some people have larger hands, some people like to hold the scissors as they tie, but one thing any tier will appreciate is a sharp, fine tip. When tying flies we are dealing with some pretty small hooks, and with those small hooks, comes very small amounts of materials.
The fine tip allows you to get the tips where they need to be, and allows you to selectively remove material without the risk of accidentally removing material you wanted to keep.
Scissors come in a variety of styles, whether it be straight blades, curved blades, or serrated. All of these have their place, but for a new tier a quality pair of straight bladed, fine tipped scissors will be a great all around pair.
If you will be cutting wire, I would suggest a second cheaper pair of scissors so you can keep your tying scissors sharp. If you plan to use lots of deer hair in your flies, a second pair of serrated blades may be for you. Scissors are fairly cheap, so it doesn’t hurt to have a couple pairs, but I can say with confidence that ninety five percent of my tying is done with a standard straight bladed pair of scissors.
3. Bobbin
A bobbin is the tool that holds your spool of thread when tying.
It also allows you to be much more accurate with thread placement and tension when tying a fly. For the most part, all bobbins do the same thing. While some do come with other options, such as a tensioner, they are hardly necessary. Picking up a few cheap bobbins will do you just fine.
After sometime passes, you may find yourself wanting to pick up a bobbin that is a little more ergonomic. If you tie many hours a day you will find some joy in having a more comfortable bobbin in your hand, but if your tying is limited to an hour here, or an hour there, then a cheap bobbin will do just fine.
It is also a good idea to inspect any new bobbin for chips on either end of the thread tube. Sometimes there can be small chips or burrs that will cut your thread, which is no fun, and makes your bobbin essentially useless. Not only that, but It can also ruin your fly when the thread breaks, so it is better to check this before you are halfway into a fly so that you don't need to start over.
3. Bobbin
A bobbin is the tool that holds your spool of thread when tying.
It also allows you to be much more accurate with thread placement and tension when tying a fly. For the most part, all bobbins do the same thing. While some do come with other options, such as a tensioner, they are hardly necessary. Picking up a few cheap bobbins will do you just fine.
After sometime passes, you may find yourself wanting to pick up a bobbin that is a little more ergonomic. If you tie many hours a day you will find some joy in having a more comfortable bobbin in your hand, but if your tying is limited to an hour here, or an hour there, then a cheap bobbin will do just fine.
It is also a good idea to inspect any new bobbin for chips on either end of the thread tube. Sometimes there can be small chips or burrs that will cut your thread, which is no fun, and makes your bobbin essentially useless. Not only that, but It can also ruin your fly when the thread breaks, so it is better to check this before you are halfway into a fly so that you don't need to start over.
4. Hackle Pliers
Palmering hackles onto a fly can end up pretty messy if done incorrectly.
Sure, you could hold the hackle as you palmer it but that often causes the hackle to twist and lay down awkwardly on the fly. One way to get around this is with the use of hackle pliers.
Hackle pliers do just what the name suggests, they clamp onto the end of a piece of hackle so you can palmer it without it twisting or applying too much tension to the feather. They are cheap, and incredibly easy to use, so it doesn’t hurt to pick up a pair of these.
5. Hair Stacker
One thing I find myself using a fair bit is a hair stacker.
A hair stacker is a tool that allows you to line up the ends of uneven tying materials. It works great when wanting a uniform wing or tail, and shines especially well with natural materials like deer and squirrel. Without a hair stacker it is nearly impossible to line up the tips of a material, so if you are looking to get amore uniform look in your fly, this may be the tool for you.
Hair stackers come in all kinds of sizes, but I find myself using one somewhere in the middle of the pack. As long as the stacker can receive the amount of material you are tying with, it will work fine. If you pack too much material into a hair stacker it wont line the tips up as well, and this is an indication you may need to move up a size.
5. Hair Stacker
One thing I find myself using a fair bit is a hair stacker.
A hair stacker is a tool that allows you to line up the ends of uneven tying materials. It works great when wanting a uniform wing or tail, and shines especially well with natural materials like deer and squirrel. Without a hair stacker it is nearly impossible to line up the tips of a material, so if you are looking to get amore uniform look in your fly, this may be the tool for you.
Hair stackers come in all kinds of sizes, but I find myself using one somewhere in the middle of the pack. As long as the stacker can receive the amount of material you are tying with, it will work fine. If you pack too much material into a hair stacker it wont line the tips up as well, and this is an indication you may need to move up a size.
By no means is this an exhaustive list of the tools you could find a use for, but it is enough to get you started. With these tools, you can confidently dive head first into fly tying. You will likely add more tools to your tying desk as time goes on, and that’s perfectly fine.
The goal here is to remove the stigma associated with fly tying. That it needs to be expensive, and that you need everything all at once. We tie flies to relax, well, most of us anyway, so don’t fret over not having the “right” scissors.
Use what you have, and have fun!
Check Out Our Most Popular Content