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Where is the best place to buy a tying kit that comes with a vise and the tools needed to start tying jigs? I saw something about crazy angler on YouTube but wanted to ask here first and I'm sure there is plenty of experience and knowledge to go around.
Crazy is a good place to get supplies, check Barlows as well.
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Suggest you contact Del (Skiptomylou on CDC). Checkout his website at Crappie Jigs Home Page
He'll help and get you started and he shares advice when asked. As far as doing it on your own,
you may want to find the nearest fly shop and see, touch, feel and ask their advice.
The problem with buying kits is they come mostly with material for tying flys. First figure out what kind of material you want to tie your jigs out of. Then work from there. You can buy you a cheap vise for 10.00 dollars, a couple of flared bobbins for 2.50, couple of spools of 210 flat waxed thread, and a cheap pair of small curved tip scissors to get started. If you like it and want to continue then you can upgrade as you go. Which is basically what I have done over the years. This way if you don't like it you haven't invested a lot and if you do enjoy it you will have a better idea of what you want instead of wasting money on something you might not like. And stay on here, ask questions. Lots of very experienced tiers on here that are more than willing to give advice and encouragement. Lots of good YouTube videos on tying. Skip has some out there if you want to tie feather jigs that are great. Also look at start of forum for a stickie on supplie's to start tying. Lots of good info there and places to get materials.
Thanks guys
First try reading all the sticky post at the top of this page and see what is in them. Lots of good info right there for a beginner and maybe answer a lot of your questions.
Skip
I will do that
I would say stay away from kits. Get the best vise you can afford and then purchase just the things you need for what you want to tie. Soon you will find that materials will be used for many different patterns, that you have way more materials than you thought, and soon like most of us you will need a 12 step program for your tying addiction.
I got a kit from Barlow's it was 75 bucks. What was good about getting a kit was also what was bad about getting it. You get a lot of materials that you will never use. The other side of that coin is that because you have so much stuff you end up trying stuff you wouldn't really go out and buy. You do get a lot of stuff just not a lot of it. Maybe buy a tool kit to get the vice and all of the other tool stuff.
After reading all the stickies I thing I'm going to piece a kit together like Skip recommended in the stickies that way I end up with stuff I want get frustrated with.
The one tool I like the best and it cuts way down on frustration. I kid you not is a thread puller. :biggrin
Bass Pro usually has free fly-tying classes. The guys here in OKC really helped me to get started. They advised me where to get a good kit that only had the vise and tools, no materials. I'd have probably taken forever to learn how to tie, if not for them. Tying jigs is a whole lot simpler than tying some of those trout flies. Good luck.
I started with good vise, a Renzetti. Over the years I have seen lots of guys upgrade to a better vise and looked at a lot of them for sale on ebay that are used. A good rotating vise is a good investment and can be sold for most of what was given for it. Mine has shortened the learning curve and helped me turn out many jigs. I never regret spending the money to buy that vise. Ceramic insert bobbins don't break the thread a lot less and cut way down on the frustration factor a lot.
I have a Renzetti Salt Water Traveler and it's a very nice vise for sure and of course I mostly tie on my Nor-Vise though. Then since I am a Peak Dealer I have used one and seen a good many and are also a very good choice and for the money is very hard to beat.Quote:
Originally Posted by skeetbum
Skip
Just speaking from experience, make sure you start out with a good vise. Doesn't have to be a $150 vise, but don't start with a $10 dollar vise. It will frustrate you and discourage you from tying.
1st stop before you start this addiction. Before you know it you will shelling out money for a better vice, more bobbins, more scissors, molds to make your own jig heads, a production pot to melt lead, 100's for feathers, countless yards of chenille, always looking at pets and friends trying to decide if some part of them will make a good jig. Now if you decide to do this, welcome to the asylum as ther is no cure ofr this problem. ask anyone on here, we all have the same problems and would not change a thing!
I am a recent beginner. Not knowing much of anything at all, I went to a board resource for assistance. I made contact with Skip and found him to be very very helpful. All I knew was that I didn't want a kit because I didn't want all the stuff that comes with it and I would never use. Plus the quality was a concern. Skip has worn out a keyboard answering questions for me, never too busy to help. That is worth a lot and something box stores and kits don't provide. Got the Peak, and materials to tie with and am having a great time. I'm still bugging him every week and he is still right there with me each time. Got well over a 100 behind my belt, still learning and it is coming together. Loving it. Thanks Skip.
That's well spoken. Especially talking about looking at pets and friends for new tying material! I do that all the time!Quote:
Originally Posted by drfish
We all want that secret jig that nobody else haves that we use as a secret weapon on slabs ##
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The molds and melting pot statement is also spot on. I have sold some molds and still have 15 or so that produce what I need, with the right hooks. This is much easier than one would think. The expense is also less than I once thought it would be. Nothing but a win win for me. I don't have to keep lots on hand or wait for shipping.
Skip,Quote:
Originally Posted by skiptomylu
I would sure appreciate if you could help me get started tying like you have some of the other guys. Too many tools and materials out there to know what I "really" need to get started.
Any advise would be greatly appreciated!
Cardsman06
Vise, scissors, bobbin, thread puller, whip finisher- you tube how to finish off the jig.
But I beg you with all my heart dont do it..... theres not a rehab on earth that can break this addiction!!
Good luck.
You’ve been warned!
It’s very addictive, before long you’ll be picking up extra shifts at work. So you have money to buy more chenille! LOL
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:hesaid X2
Once you start, there's No Turning Back!
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I will also agree with the ones above telling you this addiction is real and costly. It's a lot of fun to tie and to catch on something you tied is the icing on the cake!
Skip
standing on your own, the learning curve can drive you nutz! buy good quality {maybe not the most costly} and ask these guys questions. I havent yet had a question not answered when I've asked this group. Most important? HAVE FUN!!! Oh and buying material is as bad an addiction as tying the Jig!!! Or is it me?
I have tied a few ones and you don’t need to make it too complicated. I have a DIY vice from parts I had in the garage. Scissors and a bobbin are the only other tools I use. I use my fingers instead of a whip finnish tool. Then I bought a few colors of chenille, saddle hackle , flashabou and thread. This will allow me to tie some of the most common patterns for my area. Attachment 363806
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That’s a great looking jig and should work good. How it was made doesn’t matter as much as the results. Very nice.
The fish doesn't know how it was made
They if it hold the hook good and your doing well, what else do you need really! If you get down to it you can start really low cost, but for the majority of us, the start was just that, the start, lol!
Once you tie a jig that you fish with and catch a fish on it, your totally hooked!
Skip
I also have to vote along with Skip and the many others, this gets a hold on you and won’t let go. I have been doing this a good while and experienced something last weekend that I had never realized before. It was about as diy as one can get, it went like this;Quote:
Originally Posted by skiptomylu
I bought the hook, poured the head, painted the head, tied the jig, tied it to the fly rod I built, and caught my first American shad on a fly rod ever. Poor mans Tarpon. Quite satisfying, and he still swims for someone else to enjoy. It just doesn’t get much better than that!
My son (Montanaboy} just started tying. He says he will only tie a few jigs that he knows will work (ha). When the creative juices start flowing, he will be tying all kinds of combinations.
i experiment with all kinds of material (the wife's yarn, trout-tying feathers, even some Arctic fox fur that I got from Skip). Result: Over a hundred jigs that have never been in the water. Lately, I have been using several previously untried jigs each time out. Some working very well, some probably just drawing a chuckle from any crappie that sees them.
Big sky, I have a friend in TN that goes by Drdore (Sam). He is also held inside by the cold and ties some very nice jigs. You should holler at him and swap ideas, help keep you busy in these cold months. He just did a few crawfish flies that are really good.
The crawfish I spoke of.
Those crawdads are cool Skeet!
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Yes and if the juice doesn't flow, probably means you should just buy the jigs you want. If the juices do flow you need to know you may be in trouble with an addiction, lol!Quote:
Originally Posted by Bigskyfisherman
That Arctic Fox is killer stuff! Just brush or comb out some of the under fur and it's great stuff!
Skip