Fly fishing is ever-growing in popularity and is America’s number one choice of fishing. The connection with nature is at its most with fly fishing. Some people like to buy flies before hitting the lake. Others love the challenge of tying their own. The satisfaction of catching a trout with a fly you have made is brilliant. Getting the best fly tying kit is vital in making the whole process much easier.
Wetfly Wooden Fly Tying Station with Tools
Whether you are a do-it-yourself angler looking for a handy workstation to do some quality tying yourself or if you are looking for a gift for your husband, father or brother this is a great set for either occasion. With the Wetfly Wooden Fly Tying Station, you get a handy work station, hook vice, and eleven other tools in which to do your craft.
The station itself comes with everything you need to tie your own flies. It comes with ample storage and specific places for the vice and other tools so nothing is ever out of place. For the price, you get everything you need to participate in this art form.
- Tons of storage, including a drawer, included
- Eleven tools, including the vice, all included as well
- Lightweight and portable, take it with you on the road
Colorado Anglers Z797 Wooden Fly Tying Standard Tool Kit
Great for old pros and beginners alike, the Colorado Anglers Z797 Wooden Fly Tying Standard Tool Kit comes with everything you need to get started on this awesome hobby or continue your age old craft.
This kit is a great starter kit or travel kit which makes it a great potential gift for the angler in your life. It includes the vise with base, bobbin, threader, bodkin, dubbing twister, hackle pliers, scissors, whip finisher, and a quality wooden case that can be taken with you on the road or used as a base to work from. You get all of this for a price that is going to astonish you!
- Everything you need to get into or continue wooden fly tying
- A perfect gift, travel kit or starting point for those interested in this hobby
WETFLY Deluxe Fly Tying Kit with Book and Dvd
Interested into getting into the ancient craft of wooden fly tying? Start right here. The WETFLY Deluxe Fly Tying Kit comes with everything you need to get started on your journey. Not only does it include all of the basic tools and parts you need to get started, but it also comes with a booklet and DVD designed to teach you the basics.
Don’t get lost online sifting through piles of information aimed at others, get the information from the pros at WETFLY who have added their expertise to a kit they designed. This is the perfect way to get into fly tying.
- A perfect gift idea for any anglers in your life
- An affordable starting place for a fun hobby
Dr.Fish Fly Tying Kit Fly Tying Material & Tools
Get the most complete fly tying kit on the market with the Dr.Fish Fly Tying Kit Fly Tying Material & Tools. This kit comes with everything you need to get started creating your very own custom lures. Most other kits on the market simply provide the tools you need to start without any of the actual materials leaving you wondering where to get the rest of the stuff you need to really get started.
Dr. Fish has included everything and more in their kit. It comes with feathers, furs, 55 fly hooks at 3 sizes, 2 threads, 2 copper wires, and 1 lead wire all conveniently packed up with the rest of the tools in the kit giving you the ultimate custom fly maker at your disposal. If you have any experience in tying and crafting your own flies you cannot pass up the Packed up 55 fly hooks at 3 sizes, 2 threads, 2 cooper wires and 1 lead wire.
- Complete kit comes with tools AND crafting materials
- Awesome price for what’s included
- Gives you the ability to make custom flies for all seasons, fish and water types
Scientific Anglers Deluxe Fly Tying Kit
Jump into fly tying today with this awesome starter kit from Scientific Anglers. The Scientific Anglers Deluxe Fly Tying Kit is the perfect starting point for a great hobby and craft. It comes with everything you need to get started including the vise and c-clamp. It even includes a handy DVD going over all of the basics you need to get started on your own.
If you are interested in getting into this awesome hobby or know someone looking for an awesome gift then the Scientific Anglers Deluxe Fly Tying Kit is perfect.
- Comes neatly packed in a durable travel case
- Comes with everything you need to get started tying your own flies including a handy instructoinal DVD
Scientific Anglers Deluxe Fly Tying Kit with Vise
Scientific Anglers is back with yet another beginner focused fly tying kit. The Scientific Anglers Deluxe Fly Tying Kit with Vise comes with everything you need to get started tying flies plus some extras you rarely see elsewhere. This kit comes with all of the tools you need to start your collection plus some feathers and furs so you can start outfitting custom flies right away.
Most kits do not provide any of the actual materials you need to start assembling flies. This kit gives you all of the building blocks you need to start a hobby from the ground up. Their fly tying kits are wildly popular with novice and curious fly fishermen around the world. Find out for yourself what makes their kits so good.
- Includes everything you need to make create wooly buggers, pheasant tails, elk hair caddis, rock worms
- Comes with instructional DVD and plenty of hooks to get you started
FISHINGSIR Fly Fishing Flies Kit
Get the best deal on the internet when it comes to custom fly tying kits. The FISHINGSIR Fly Fishing Flies Kit includes 100 pieces of fly tying goodness for a price that will make your jaw drop. If you are someone who likes to tie and create their own flies for custom fishing you cannot pass up on this outstanding deal. The kit includes the following materials, 30pcs dry flies, 40pcs wet flies, 15pcs streamer, 10pcs nymph, 5pcs emerger.
- Replenish your supplies of fly tying materials for a great price
- Get a full kit with everything you need for less than the competition
- A full 100pc kit with storage case included
Best Fly Tying Kit Buying Guide
Fly tying has been used for ages to lure in fish and catch them. The sense of accomplishment one feels when they catch a big fish with their own fly is quite exciting. And to do this, what’s required is a very good fly tying kit.
Why Tie Your Own Flies?
The main reasons anglers want to tie their own flies is because one, it gives them the chance to be as creative as they want, and second, it means that there is virtually no limit to the number of unique patterns they can create. All of this leads the angler to become more adept at their job.
Also, at times, the fly available isn’t suitable for the fish one wants. In such situations, it helps that the angler can create their own fly on the spot.
How To Choose A Quality Fly Tying Kit
Quality
The greater the quality of the materials used in the kit, the more durable each fly would be. Four materials are primarily used in fly tying kits: metal, natural materials, synthetic materials, and fabrics.
The metals are used for creating the wires and hooks, the natural materials are often fur or hair, the synthetic materials can be foam or plastics, etc., and the fabrics or threads are used for holding together different structures in the pattern.
Packaging
Getting good quality tools and materials is not everything when it comes to a fly tying kit. It’s very important to have a case or packaging that properly organises them and keeps them protected.
This entails two things: the tools and materials should be compactly stored inside a well-designed organiser case and the case itself should be able to withstand pressure or different harsh weather conditions in order to protect the equipment inside.
Must-Have Tools
There is a huge variety of fly tying kits available and they all have differing numbers of tools and materials. Some kits might come with barely 5 tools while others can have more than 50 even. However, there are a few tools that are a must-have in any fly tying kits.
These include the following:
- Tying vise: this can come on a pedestal base or a C-clamp. While both have their pros and cons, a C-clamp vise is sturdier than a pedestal base.
- Scissors: these are used to make cuts and trim threads, etc.
- Whip finish tool: as the name suggests, it finishes the head on a fly.
- Bodkin needle: every threading and tying related work is done using this tool.
- Bobbin holder: the purpose of this tool is to distribute the weight evenly so that the hands are free of any burden.
- Hackle pliers: these are used to wrap hooks, lures, and hackles, etc.
Therefore, whatever kit one is buying, it should be checked whether all these tools are present in it.
Instruction Manual
This is especially necessary for a beginner who doesn’t have much of an idea of fly tying. Many of the manuals teach even up to 20 different fly patterns. While most kits come with booklets to instruct the user, some even feature CDs and DVDs with video tutorials to help the buyer see every single part of the processes of fly tying different patterns.
Accessories
With most kits selling all the usual tools, many manufacturers have started including exciting and useful accessories to attract buyers. These include stronger threads, lightweight materials like feathers, different types of glues and sticky substances, etc.
Price
One shouldn’t look at the higher or lower end of the price spectrum for fly tying kits simply. They need to evaluate their needs and find a suitable kit that covers those requirements. The prices for fly tying kits vary a lot but it isn’t difficult to find a good quality one which offers all that one’s looking for.
Types Of Fishing Flies
There are 5 basic types of fishing flies, which are as follows.
- Wet Fly
This artificial fly goes under the water and is usually attached to a weight so that it can stay underwater. - Streamer
Streamers are large-sized flies that are used with larger rods. The ‘woolly bugger’ is a great example of this type of flies. These flies are used to imitate insects such as crayfish and baitfish, etc. - Dry Fly
Used to imitate the kind of insects that fish eat, this is the most popular and widely used type of flies. - Saltwater Fly
They are not used for freshwater and their size is also larger than those used for freshwater. The ‘sand prawn’ is a good example of this fly. - Nymph fly
This type of a fly imitates sub-aquatic trout food. These look like aquatic insects that look like they are in their pre-adult or naval stage.
How To Use A Fly Tying Kit
These are the steps to properly use a fly tying kit.
- Firstly, the fly is to be mounted on the shaft. The fly should be placed in the opened jaw of the shaft.
- Next, a bodkin should be used which frees up tied down hackle fibers, etc.
- Then a whip finisher should be used. The handle of a whip finish is held between the thumb and the middle finger. The pointer finger is then moved to the handle to swivel around the tool and finish the tie.
- In the end, a tying tool is to be used to tie a knot on the finished fly to properly secure it.
Best Fly Tying Kit Brands
Even though regular flies are available at every fly store as well as an array of fly tying kits, here are a few brands that are truly excelling at the fly tying kits they are producing.
Orvis
The Orvis Premium Fly Tying Kit is one of the highest quality kits available in the market. This kit includes a vise, ceramic-lined bobbin, hackle pliers, scissors, half-hitch tool, whip finish tool, hair stackin, and a bodker.
The kit also includes a manual that explains the ways to tie 16 unique patterns. These include eight basic patterns and the other half are ‘guide proven’ patterns. This flying kit is known for the unique patterns that aren’t found in other kits.
Also, it comes with video tutorials which are quite easy to follow.
Wapsi
The Wapsi Deluxe Fly Tying Starter Kit is a much-liked choice among anglers because it has all the tools and instructions required to tie 17 of the most popular patterns today. Including scissors, bobbin, bodkin, hackle pliers, C-clamp vise, and head cement, this kit comes with a DVD which properly guides the user to tie all the patterns.
Some of the patterns that the kit’s materials can create are soft hackle wet, fur ant, woolly bugger, all-purpose nymph, greenie weenie, and poly spinner. Also, not only is this kit very easy to use to get started with fly tying but it is also quite affordable.
Hareline
This brand offers its Fly Tying Kit with Premium Tools which has 48 different materials in it, making it a very wide-ranging kit. This kit also comes with a book detailing the processes of creating 20 different patterns. However, with the large number of premium tools included in this kit, it isn’t very difficult to create even up to a hundred different fly patterns with it.
This kit includes a C-clamp vise, hair stacker, bodkin, scissors, hackle pliers, whip finish, and a half hitch tool. There are also threads, beads, and wires in addition to other materials that enable the creation of multiple patterns.
Frequently Asked Questions
Mostly, yes, it is cheaper to tie your own flies than buy new ones. However, to be really aware of the money one is saving, they need to buy a good kit and make the best use of it.
No, fly tying uses more durable forms of thread. These can be made from mono, kevlar, polyester, or nylon. The reason a sewing thread shouldn’t be used for fly tying is that those threads are commonly made of cotton which simply is not durable enough to withstand pressure, water, and bites from aquatic animals.
While nylon and polyester are cheaper options, kevlar is a very strong and the most durable option for fly tying threads.
Yes. even if one can’t see the money they are saving by using a fly tying kit, the creativity, joy, and expertise that they gain from tying their own flies are unparalleled.
This depends upon the pattern of the fly and how experienced an angler is. However, on average, it can take 3 to 4 minutes.
Yes. These tools can be bought individually but a beginner wouldn’t have an idea of which tools are more important or how to properly use them. This is why a fly tying kit is suggested for beginners especially.
Conclusion
We hope we have pointed you in the right direction with our top 5 best fly tying kit on the market today. With our buying guide this should give you plenty of information on picking the best kit for your needs.
There is nothing that beats catching a fish with a fly you have tied yourself. A kit will make the whole process much easier.
So next time you hit the lake with your very own tied fly I wish you luck and many tight lines. If you are hitting the lake with a kayak check out the best kayaks for fly fishing.