# What should I buy



## bjicehockey (Apr 11, 2014)

I am looking to by some fly tying stuff as I am getting into fly fishing and wanted to see what you guys would recommend. I have a 5wt rod and I am fishing manly for crappy white bass maybe some gills and a smally or two if I can. Thanks!


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## grant778 (Nov 22, 2014)

I highly recommend you buy a tying kit to start out. I got mine from cabela's. Then you can get stuff as you go, but the kit should have your basic tools i.e. vice, bobbin, scissors, as well as basic tying materials, i.e. thread, marabou, some basic saddle hackles, maybe some chenille. Usually the kits will have the materials for you to tie some woolly buggers, some basic nymphs, and some basic dries. The buggers and nymphs will do for the fish your targeting, and the trout dries might be effective for the gills and smallies too, not sure about the crappies as I have never fly fished for them.


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## bjicehockey (Apr 11, 2014)

Thanks man! I have most of the tools and such I have been tying crappie jigs for a while. What would be some colors for the stuff you mentioned?


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## Longhorn (Oct 26, 2014)

A really good fly shop should be able to help steer you in the right direction as far as materials for the flies you want to tie. I wouldn't buy too much for tying until you are certain that you want to tie. For some, tying is an enjoyable pastime. For me, it is something I only do out of necessity when my local shop doesn't have a pattern I want (e.g. Redfish Crack). To me, fishing and tying are two separate activities.


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## bjicehockey (Apr 11, 2014)

Yeah I know what you mean man it's a different bird for sure. Thanks.


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## grant778 (Nov 22, 2014)

Marabou, I would start out with white olive and black, with chenille in those same colors. I would do extra long saddle hackle in olive, white and black as well, and dry fly hackle in grizzly and brown. I like to get the whiting's 100s packs for dry fly hackle. They are a little pricy, something like 23 bucks, but they are good quality, and they package them according to the size hook they would be used to tie on. Most of my whiting hackles are in size 14, then I use them for size 12 and 16 hooks as well since a few of the hackles are a little larger, and a few a little smaller. I chose size 14 since most of the dry flies I tie are either that size, 12 or 16. I would also get some dry fly dubbing, rabbit dubbing for your wets (for both dubbings olive and grey are probably good starters), copper wire for some nymph patterns, and peasant tail and peacock hearl for nymph patterns. All this stuff will probably run you close to 100 bucks, but I think it will tie most of what you are looking to tie, and then some. If you really want to keep it cheaper and cut stuff out, for what you plan to fish for, the dry fly hackle can probably wait. I think you will find that there are some types of flies you like to tie more than others. For example, I like to tie big streamers and larger dries, though I'm not a huge fan of tying nymphs but still tie them since they are what I use the most. I don't tie extremely small (below size 18 for me) dry flies since they are kind of a pain, and I don't use them enough to justify buying the materials to tie them, so I just buy my extra small dry flies from the store.


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

Longhorn said:


> A really good fly shop should be able to help steer you in the right direction as far as materials for the flies you want to tie. I wouldn't buy too much for tying until you are certain that you want to tie. For some, tying is an enjoyable pastime. For me, it is something I only do out of necessity when my local shop doesn't have a pattern I want (e.g. Redfish Crack). To me, fishing and tying are two separate activities.


Interesting way to look at it. I don't agree, but to each his/her own. To me, they are no more separated than cooking and eating. If they were separate, in my mind, you'd cook the meal and then not eat it. I look at tying this way: I'm catching the fish right there at the bench. That's when the critical step of creating what is going to fool the fish is done. And for me it's directly related because fishing and testing dictates what I tie.

But back to crappie, you can slay crappies on smaller Clouser minnows and zonker style streamers. It doesn't have to be too complicated. All white, chart/white, purple/white, olive/yellow, these kinds of brighter color combos seem to do really well for me. Basically, you could buy some bucktail, hooks, eyes, thread, and flash and be in business if you want to start with Clouser minnows. It's a good place to start. Easy to tie and certified fish catchers.


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## bjicehockey (Apr 11, 2014)

Thanks so much guys!


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## V Fisher (Nov 28, 2009)

summer time gills #10 egg hook rubber legs and black foam or some hoppers will kill the gills


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## bjicehockey (Apr 11, 2014)

I was just looking at tying those


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