My name is Luke D’Onofrio, and each week I will do a feature on the topic of fishing and fly tying. I have been a hardcore fisherman since I was 12 years old and have caught many kinds of fish, big and small. These catches have taught me quite a bit about the sport. I am looking forward to sharing these skills, as well as my experiences, with all my readers.
At some point, most fly fishermen will make an attempt at fly tying, the craft of making artificial flies for use as bait. Fly tying is a great way to enhance one’s understanding of the sport, as it requires critical thinking in terms of which fish the fly is targeting.
The world of fly tying is endless; there are unlimited possibilities for what you can tie. This usually is an intimidating aspect for beginners because they can buy anything in a fly shop. But if they don’t know what to buy, things can get frustrating. If this is your situation, I recommend doing what I did when I started: buy a starter kit.
These come with everything you need to get started, including most of the tools and materials for the making of a certain kind of fly in a few varieties. White River Fly Shop at Bass Pro stores makes a fantastic beginner kit for roughly $60 that comes with everything you need to tie five well-known and effective freshwater flies for trout or bass species, depending on which kit you buy. Making this selection can be challenging, but it all depends on what you fish for. We will take a look at each kit and help you make an informed decision on which to buy.
The trout kit is great place to start because it is the most versatile of the two. I have caught more fish on trout flies than any other kind of fly. Trout flies are so effective because they are simpler in appearance and they represent insects and baitfish that most other lake or river fish want. If your approach is to fish for trout or anything in general, this is the kit for you.
If your main focus is freshwater bass, I recommend the bass kit. This kit will teach you how to make poppers and some effective shiner patterns. They are not as effective for other species because they are strictly designed for bass and will only occasionally catch other fish. If you’re a bass-only fisherman, this kit is your choice.
So to sum up, if you’re a beginner to fly tying, it’s important to explore your options in terms of starter kits. With the trout kit, you can produce flies that attract nearly all species of fish. The bass kit is for producing flies that will, for the most part, attract only bass. Fishermen should consider what they fish for when deciding which kit will get them hooked on fly tying.