Tie your first flies.
Tying your own flies is cheaper, oddly relaxing, and there's nothing like catching a fish on something you made. You don't need a fortune in kit or years of practice - a handful of tools and six forgiving patterns will get you catching. Here's where to start.
The five tools to start
Clamps the hook rock-steady so both hands are free to work.
Holds the thread spool and feeds it under control - the tool you hold most.
Fine, sharp points for trimming close. A cheap pair blunts fast; buy one good pair.
Ties off the head with a tidy, secure knot. A few half-hitches work in a pinch.
A needle on a handle - picks out fibres, frees trapped hackle, dabs head cement.
Add a spool of thread, a bag of beads and a few packs of the materials below, and you're tying. A cheap starter kit covers most of it.
Fly-tying vises compared
The vise is the one tool worth buying well. A true rotary vise turns the hook on its own axis so you can wrap materials by spinning the fly; a vise that only rotates lets you turn the fly to see the far side.
| Model | Type | From the maker | Who it suits | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Renzetti Traveler 2003 (pedestal) | True rotary | Hooks #28 to 4/0; cam jaws; bent shaft; ordered right- or left-handed; made in the USA | Tyers who want to spin the fly to wrap materials, from midges to big streamers | See on AmazonMaker's specs |
| PEAK Rotary Vise PRV-G2 (pedestal) | Rotary | Hardened, tempered tool-steel jaws hold hooks from 2/0 down to the smallest made; steel, brass and aluminum; white pedestal base with a hook and bead pocket | A first rotary vise for trout and bass flies | See on AmazonMaker's specs |
| Regal Medallion | 360° rotation and tilt | Regal's signature workhorse series; head turns 360° and tilts; jaw heads sold for different hook ranges | Tyers who want strong hook hold and to turn the fly to see the far side, without full rotary tying | See on AmazonMaker's specs |
How we put this together. Three vises compared on what each maker states on its own product page, checked on 26 October 2026. We have not tied on them side by side; Regal's hook-range page could not be read, so its row gives none. There are no prices here: the Amazon link searches for the exact model, and we may earn a commission if you buy through it.
Six flies to learn, in order
MaterialsHook #12-16, red thread, red Ultra Chenille (or Vernille).
- Pinch the hook in the vise and lay a base of thread along the shank.
- Lay a length of chenille along the top of the shank and bind it down in the middle, leaving both ends hanging.
- Wrap thread to secure it, build a small thread ball at each tie-in point so the worm stands proud.
- Whip finish, add a drop of head cement, and singe the chenille ends with a lighter for a tapered tip.
MaterialsHook #6-10 (streamer), black thread, bead, marabou, chenille, saddle hackle.
- Slide a bead to the eye, clamp the hook, and start the thread behind the bead.
- Tie in a marabou tail about a shank-length long, then tie in a saddle hackle by its tip and a length of chenille at the tail.
- Wrap the chenille forward to the bead and tie it off - that's the body.
- Palmer (spiral) the hackle forward over the body in open turns, tie off behind the bead.
- Build a thread head, whip finish, add head cement.
MaterialsHook #16-20, black thread, silver bead, fine silver wire.
- Slide a small bead on and start thread behind it, catching in a length of fine wire at the bend.
- Wrap thread smoothly forward to form a slim, slightly tapered body.
- Counter-wrap the wire forward in evenly spaced turns for the 'zebra' rib and tie it off.
- Whip finish behind the bead. That's it - deadly and quick.
MaterialsHook #14-18, brown thread, pheasant-tail fibres, fine copper wire, peacock herl (optional).
- Start thread and tie in a few pheasant-tail fibre tips at the bend for a short tail, plus a length of copper wire.
- Wrap the pheasant fibres forward as a body and tie off two-thirds up the shank.
- Rib the body with open turns of copper wire (it protects the fragile fibres) and tie off.
- Build a small thorax with peacock herl or dubbing, whip finish, cement.
MaterialsHook #18-22 (dry), grey thread, peacock herl, grizzly hackle.
- Start thread and tie in one strand of peacock herl and a small grizzly hackle by the stem at the bend.
- Wrap the peacock herl forward to the eye for a fuzzy body and tie off.
- Palmer the hackle forward through the body in open turns so the fibres stick out all round, and tie off.
- Whip finish a tiny head - keep it neat, these are small.
MaterialsHook #12-16 (dry), tan thread, dubbing, brown hackle, elk body hair.
- Start thread, tie in a hackle at the bend, and dub a tapered body up the shank.
- Palmer the hackle forward over the body in open turns and tie it off at the front.
- Clean and stack a small clump of elk hair, measure it a touch past the bend, and tie it in as a wing at the front.
- Trim the butt ends to a small head, whip finish over them, and add cement.
Now you know what each one is for: see when to fish them in the fly box, match them to the right rod with the fly rod & line matcher, and tie them on with a solid knot.
A starting point - tying styles, materials and hook sizes vary widely, and the best way to learn is to tie alongside a video or a local club. Take care with sharp hooks and scissors, and keep head cement and tools away from children and pets.
Fly-tying kit
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