Trout fly tying kit – trout

 

Detailed below are all the materials you will need to tie all the flies in the course "abc of fly tying for trout" plus heaps of other flies.

The overall weight of this kit is 3kg.

Over the years I have also used this as the fly tying kit that I take to international competitions such as the Oceania Fly Fishing Championships, the Commonwealth Fly Fishing Championships and the World Fly Fishing Championships. At those events there is always a need to tie flies that other anglers or guides have introduced you too or to top up your supply of a favourite that you have shared with fellow team members or just run out off and I have found that with this kit I can meet those fly tying demands.

Tools

Head lamp
Vice - preferably rotary
Hackle pliers - medium
Scissors - 2 pair
Bobbin holders - I like to have 4 in my kit
Whip finishing tool - a metal pen without the refill is my choice
Bodkin - needle tool (often with a whip finishing hole at the butt end)
Darning needle - for threading silicon legs
Safety razor blade - for trimming hackles or making dubbing from wool etc.
UV resin and torch
Super-glue
Nail polish

Hooks

Over time I have accepted that for me the best way for me to manage my trout fly hooks is to keep them in a single hook box as shown below. Any time I am getting down in supply with any particular hook in given size I buy a new pack of that particular hook and when it comes is delivered to me I consolidate my remaining hooks of that size into the new box and that goes into the hook box.

It's interesting to note that new hooks are always becoming available and if I am say swapping over from say Hanak H230BL hooks to an Anrex FW115 for my traditional loch flies and boobies
Hook box

Threads(all loaded on bobbins with slits to secure loose ends)

You will need a range of threads including.

There are three basic thickness of thread 3/0 (large) 6/0 (medium) and 8/0 (small) and of course you can buy them in waxed and un-waxed versions.

Initially I suggest you just start with 6/0 waxed thread as that will make dubbing easier and also stick with good brands such as Uni or Danvill's.

Thread is available in a lot of colours but initially just buy black, brown, olive, grey.

Also get a bobbin of clear hemming thread and a bobbin of red floss.

Threads
Olive Gutermann: olive, black & orange
Uni or Danville's 6/0: olive, black, brown, orange, white and 6/0
UTC Fl. Fire Orange
Glo brite floss pink
Pearl lurex fine
UTC holo tinsel med green & sm red
Veniard Micro Glint: brown, claret & peacock
hends Oval tinsel: gold (KNR 1001) & silver (KNR 1301)

Wool, chenille, wires, tinsels etc.

Wool (raid the closest knitting basket) - black, red, cream, claret
Chenille - black
Estaz chenille - gold 6mm and black pearl 6mm
Sparkle flash chenille - black pearl 2mm
Glow bug yarn - red
Silver tinsel - flat 1mm
Fine wire - copper, silver and red. Start with medium thickness and add other as you need it.
Lead wire - for weighting flies. Start with 0.10 mm and odd additional thickness lead wire as you need it.

Dubbing

For a basic kit start off with soft dubbing in black, brown, grey and dark olive. Every brand has a different name for its dubbing so look out for names like dubbing, superfine, angora, life-cycle and buggydub.

If you can afford it:

  • Add the same colours in seals fur.
  • A few brands now also make "peacock dubbing" and its worth have black in that.
  • Buy a Hends plastic flat tube pack of Spectra dubbing

Marabou

Start of with black, brown and olive and add other colours as you need them.

Deer hair

Start off with a small patch natural and add other colours only as you need them.

Feathers

It's better to buy a small number of good quality feathers rather than  a large number of poor quality feathers. Buy a grade #2 1/4 saddle with the right hackles rather than say a full cape of poorer quality hackles.

Dry fly

Red  or ginger cock saddle covering sizes #10 to #14  dry flies
Black cock saddle covering sizes #10 to #14  dry flies
Grizzly saddle covering sizes #10 to #14  dry flies

Wet fly

Grizzly cock or hen saddle died black with plenty of hackles suited to size #10 woolly buggers
Grizzly cock or hen saddle died olive  with plenty of hackles suited to size #10 woolly buggers
Grizzly cock or hen saddle died claret with plenty of hackles suited to size #10 to #14 wet flies

Peacock herl - with good quality flu
Pheasant - both tail and golden
Ring neck pheasant feathers - also known as church window feathers
Duck feathers - either symmetrical single grey feathers or matching grey feathers suitable for wing slips on both dry and wet flies

Tails

You can buy a range of tails including calf, kip, squirrel and possum but to start just get a calf tail died white and a black squirrel or possum tail.

Zonker strips

Black and olive is all you need for a start.

Other items as you branch out and have a go at bass or estuary flies ... but only as you need them

Silicon legs - gold flake
Holographic eyes small
Brass beads - 4mm gold
BMS beads - opal
Bean bag beads - for boobies etc.
BMS SLF (synthetic living fibre) - white, olive and orange
2mm scud back - in black and tan
Krystal flash - pearl
Shrimp shell backs - #6 tan
Epoxy - 5 minute Araldite
Lead shot - #00
2mm closed cell foam - black