Re: {Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders} Good Reasonably Priced Fly-Tying Kit for Beginner

Firstly: If your surgery is after the next Beer Tie (May 8th), come to that so you can at least get a feel for tying a fly or two at the Learning Table. I'm sure there will be folks there who will let you try their vises as well, so you can test out a few different styles - I have a Renzetti Traveler that I'd be glad to let you try.

Typically, I would recommend getting things separately, rather than buying a kit. The biggest complaint that I hear about kits is that they come with a low quality vise, which leads to a lot of frustration. The vises in the kits are usually $15-20 pieces of junk that come covered in oil and will drive you nuts. (If others out there have had different experiences, please speak up!) Spending a little more will drastically increase your enjoyment at the beginning.  I think the best vises under $100 are the Peak Non-Rotary and the Renzetti Apprentice. Second to a good vise, you'll want a pair of good scissors... the only thing more frustrating than a vise that doesn't hold hooks is a pair of scissors that doesn't cut! Personally, I like Dr. Slick scissors.

If you are going to buy a kit, get one that has just tools and not materials - that way you can just get what you need and you aren't stuck with a bunch of materials that you'll never use. One thing to consider when starting out with materials are kits like those from Spirit River. They have all the hooks and materials you need (including instructions!) for tying a single fly pattern in a few different sizes. The LL Bean in Tysons carries a bunch of them, but I can't find them on the LL Bean website. 

Good luck with the surgery and the tying!

--Scott

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