I have been fly fishing for many years, and I have decided it is time to start tying.  Any recommendations on a set up?  I need tools, basic materials, and a book or two I guess.  There are many options out there.

What does arf recommend?

What kind of flies are you wanting to tie?  Saltwater? bass? trout? panfish?

I tie mainly trout flies - though I put my stuff away 4-5 years ago and haven't tied a fly since.   I use an HMH vise (spartan I think) it a good solid vise, though not cheap.  I tied for years on my fathers Thompson model A vise.

Vise, good scissors (good scissors, not your wifes old sewing scissors), hackle pliers, glues, tying threads, Whip finisher (you can do a whip finish without one, but they help to learn)

Materials will be specific to the flies you're tying.  Hair bodies, dry fly hackles, etc - you'll end up with tubs full of various materials.

Very good lighting, a dedicated space is nice.  It's a messy vice, er hobby.

ETA:  When I started tying again the last time a local fly shop had classes - basics, advanced, salmon flies --- I took them all.   It was interesting and I learned a lot.   The owner of the fly shop had tied flies commercially and still does custom fly orders.

If you have an Orvis around, they have a free class.  You tie a couple of flies, you won't learn everything but it will give you an idea of what you are getting into.  Also, you probably don't want to start out trying to tie #20s.


YouTube, orvis, and intheriffle.com have some great close up videos.

My interest is mainly trout flies, but I also fish for blue gills and small mouths, so I will probably tie stuff for them too.  Looks much easier since they are bigger.

Find a good fly shop and ask about classes. They usually have free or very cheap intro classes. Some choose to start with a kit, like I did. It was mostly a waste of money as I replaced everything in short order. You are better off learning what tools and materials you need and buy them right the first time.

Enjoy!

Amazon has several tying kits available ( with reviews ), as well as materials.  Don't know who makes the best kit ( been out of the game for years but getting back into it ).  Youtube is a wealth of information on fly tying also.  I spent hours lastnight watching tying vids on youtube.  Good luck, and enjoy!

Check for fly fishing groups in your area.

In Houston TX we have the Texas Fly Fishers of Houston.    I just started a beginners tying class they are holding.

Lots of fly shops offer beginners classes.

OP, where in VA are you?

I'm in South Boston but have a home in TN. I'm up here working and travel back and forth and fish from TN through NC up into VA.

Wow - a fly fishing forum, been around for two years and never noticed. Pure novice in the AR world, but can help in this forum.

To get started, get a cheap kit for less than $100. It should have a simple lever action vice, scissors, at least one thread bobbin, bodkin (needle on a stick), half hitch tool. Get some Uni 6/0 thread in black, olive and tan and wait til later until you go smaller or heavier. Buy some #16 and #14 nymph hooks, don't think about dry flies for a while. Buy some hares ear dubbing - natural in color (gray to brown) but you can go in hundreds of shades.

Watch Youtube videos, there are literally hundreds of thousands out there to get an idea, but work on techniques first, not patterns. Spinning dubbing will be your first most valuable skill. Trout everywhere eat hares ear nymphs and you can not tie one so ugly a fish will not eat it and they don't need tails or wings. Hooks are cheap, get some gold, copper and silver brass beads and start tying as doing is better than watching. I worked on a starter vice for two years then upgraded to a Renzetti traveller as a true rotary vice is a big help. One more thing is a bottle of Zap A Gap (super glue), in the medium viscosity. Never use gel.

After spinning on dubbing for nymphs, get some #6 and #8 streamer hooks, black / olive maribou, crystal flash and black / olive medium chenille, some grizzly booger hackle and try some woolly booggers. Everything eats woolly boogers, especially bass and bream. Don't overthink it (like I am doing on my pistol build). Certainly glad to help someone else start a hobby that will "save money"

Starting with a basic kit is a good idea. Not too expensive, you get the tools & materials. You'll get instruction on how to tie a few different flies & that's the materials you'll get.
Youtube will be your best friend & a couple books wouldn't hurt either.

Something like this for a kit:https://www.sierratradingpost.com/superfly-introductory-fly-tying-kit~p~331dp/

Where are you at in VA?
Find a fly shop.  or even a cabelas.  I think all the cabelas I have been into have a pretty decent selection of tools and materials.
Things would have to be so much easier for beginners now with on line videos, than when I got started by my Dad back in the 70s.

check ebay, usually lots of collections being sold. you can get tools and mat'l for less than .25 on the dollar easy.

Charlie Craven has several, easy-to-follow books.

I definitely second the idea about finding a local fly shop. I'm willing to bet that they all do free classes.

Be careful, it's addicting. I don't even want to think about how much I've spent on materials.

Griffin makes good, entry-level vises. I love my Renzetti Saltwater.