Fly Tying Equipment - Essential Tools and Materials

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Fly Tying Equipment - Essential Tools and Materials

Fly tying equipment

When it comes to choosing fly tying equipment, you should know there are many tools involved in the process. There are also many tools that salespeople say you need but you don�t. It is hard to know which is which when you have so many tools and they are all supposed to be the best in fly tying. It can be really confusing for first time buyers as well.

In this article I will discuss the essential tools and materials that you will need for fly tying.

MODERN FLY TYING MATERIALS

The tool that you will use every time you tie a fly is a bobbin.

On the bobbin is a small tube that the thread runs through and some can be larger than others can. Bobbins can come and many shapes and sizes but they will all do the same things. It is not wise to buy a cheap bobbin because they will almost always cut the thread while a good bobbin will never cut the thread.

You will need to have a set of good scissors for fly tying.

The reason I say set of scissors instead of a pair is because you will need at least three different kinds of scissors. The first kind has straight or curved fine points and is used for cutting threads and other fine materials. The second type is hair scissors for cutting hair and fur. You will also want a pair of scissors for cutting wire, you can also use wire cutters, which ever suits you best.

You will need a good pair of hackle pliers.

These come in many shapes and sizes but all perform the same duty. They are small pliers that have constant tension designed for wrapping hackle feathers around the hook. Hackle guards are not a necessity but are really handy. They are made to hold the feather back from the hook as you make the finishing tie.

A bodkin is also a great tool to have.

It has so many uses that you may not ever know them all. All a bodkin is, is a needle in a handle that can be used for small tasks like folding small synthetic nymph wings and picking hair out of fuzzy flies. Hair stackers are quite useful as well, they take the hair you are using to make wings, heads or tails and stack them evenly. It is best to have a good selection of these but having just one medium will suffice.

There are many other tools used in the art of fly tying. These are just a few of the basic fly tying equipment that you will need in order to be a successful fly tier.

BASIC FLY TYING: ALL THE SKILLS & TOOLS YOU NEED TO GET STARTED

There are other things that you will need like furs, foam bodies, feathers and dubbing.

These things can be found in and around your house and at a craft store. You could also order these materials and more fly tying equipment online at any craft or fishing website.

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