Adapted from the FFF booklet Introduction to fly tying (by Al Beatty & Bob Lay)

As a general rule, quality tools will allow you to learn faster and tie better flies. As such, you should strive to obtain the best tools your budget will allow. This does not mean that tools must be a costly investment. Your local fly shop owner can be a source of quality tools and materials. As you gain experience, retail catalogs also can be an excellent source.

The tools needed to begin fly tying are a vise, scissors, bobbin, bobbin threader, bodkin, hackle pliers, hair stacker, whip finisher, and hackle gauge.

THE VISE: This is your single most important purchase. This tool holds the hook secure while the fly is being constructed. There are many vises with prices ranging from $35 to several hundred dollars. Some vises are more versatile than others and you need to consider the type of mount (base). A C-clamp mount is usually less expensive and often gives you more control in height while a pedestal mount may cost more but is more flexible for different types of tables or counters where you may want to tie.

The way the hook is secured in the vise also is a consideration. There are rotationary and rotary vises. A rotary vise is one that allows the jaws (and fly) to be turned 360 degrees while you are constructing the fly. This feature can be used to your advantage, but is not an absolute necessity. The Thompson "A" vice is an excellent choice for a beginner and is available with either a base or clamp mount for a reasonable price, however it is not a rotary vise. It's cousin, the Thompson 360, is a full rotary vise.

SCISSORS: After a vise, scissors are probably the next most important fly tying tool. Considerations when making your purchase include the quality of the blade, the size of the finger holes and the fineness of the point. Finger holes need to be large enough to facilitate easy manipulation of the scissors and the blade MUST be of high enough quality to maintain a good edge. Without a fine point, you cannot get close enough to the body of the fly to cut material. Besides the standard scissor, the spring-loaded clip style of scissor is available in fabric stores and fly shops. It can be an excellent choice for the fly tier with the advantage that replacement blades are available when the blades become dull. No matter which scissors you select, just be sure they are sharp and have fine points.

BOBBIN: Thread is used in the construction of the fly and a bobbin holds a spool of thread as it is applied to the fly. This rather inexpensive item consists of a stainless steel tube that is flared at the end, and heavy spring steel material with beads on the end to hold the spool of thread. Considerations include the length of the tube, it's diameter, and whether it includes a ceramic tip. Some feel that a longer tube is an advantage because it allows more leverage when wrapping the thread and more control in placement of the thread. Either a standard or long length bobbin will function perfectly well for the beginner. Bobbins with a larger diameter are used for floss, not thread. In time thread friction may wear groves in the flared end of the tube; a ceramic tip will prevent this tendency. A ceramic tip, however is not an absolute necessity for the beginning fly tyer.

BOBBIN THREADER: This is a tool used to pull the tying thread through the bobbin tube. It consists of a fine wire loop secured together at one end to a handle or knob. This tool can be purchased, or one can be made with fine guitar string or wire. A dental floss threader, available at any drug store can be used as a substitute. BODKIN: A bodkin has several uses. It is used to apply head cement to the finished fly and also to "pick" out dubbing on some patterns. It basically consists of a large needle and a handle about the size of a pencil. This is a relatively inexpensive tool that an also be made by inserting the head of a 2-inch pin into the end of a 3-inch piece of quarter inch dowel.

HACKLE PLIERS: The hackle pliers are an absolute necessity when wrapping hackle around the shank of the hook. Many different styles are on the market today; however, pliers with one rubber grip and one serrated brass grip are relativity inexpensive and recommended for the beginner.

HAIR STACKER: Getting the hair tips even is a basic necessity if the fly is to be properly proportioned and balanced. The hair stacker performs this function. Generally available for under$10.00, this tool consists of two tubes, one that fits inside the other. The larger of the two tubes has a bottom attached to it; the smaller is open on both ends. The hair is inserted into the top end of the smaller tube with the tips pointing downward. The tool is then turned to the vertical position, inserted into the larger tube and tapped on a solid surface. This action "shakes" the hair fibers to the bottom of the stacker, thus evening the natural ends. The tubes are then moved to a horizontal position and separated. The evened hair fibers are then removed to construct a portion of a fly.

WHIP FINISHER: The whip finisher is the tool used to knot the thread at the completion of a fly so the thread can be cut without the fly coming untied. There are two primary types of whip finishers available on the market today, the Thompson or the Matarelli. Each accomplishes the same task in a different manner. Both are good products with the choice of selection up to the tier. It is strongly recommended that the beginner learn to use one of the above tools; however, a good substitute for the whip finisher is the hollow tube of a ball point pen. It will not only provide a whip finish, but can be used to tie a half hitch knot.

HACKLE GAUGE: This inexpensive tool is a must for the beginning fly tier. In the construction of a fly there is a direct correlation between the size of the hook and the size of hackle used. Generally speaking the hackle should be one and one half times the distance of the gap of the hook. Accuracy and ease in obtaining this important measurement is gained by use of a hackle gauge. Several styles of hackle gauges are available and beginning fly tiers should use one to ensure their fly proportions remain consistent from one fly to the next.

As you progress into fly tying and become proficient in the required skills, you may develop a need for more tools. The same theories of purchase should apply. Tools are a life long investment .

This article was provided by the Federation of Fly Fishers. Visit their site for more articles and information about fly fishing. The Federation of Fly Fishers is a unique non-profit organization concerned with sport fishing and fisheries.