5 Best Fly Tying Kits Of 2024: Rated and Approved
I have a lot of experience tying flies, which might be why I’ve been asked what I recommend for fly tying kits.
I have been fly-tying for over 35 years, I do fly-tying classes, and I have even sold fly-tying products and fly tying kits in my fishing tackle store. Not to mention that I have sold tens of thousands of flies through my store and my guide service.
I still tie about 500 flies a year, so I know which vises, tools, and materials are best.
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1. Orvis Premium Fly Tying Kit: Best Overall Fly Tying Kit
The ORVIS Premium Fly Tying Kit is the best kit that I have reviewed.
If you have the budget for a premium kit and think that fly tying is something you will be doing for a long time, then this is the kit you want.
This kit comes from ORVIS, which is known as one of the best fly fishing companies in the world.
They are known for their great products that work and they have great customer service.
When I review kits for fly tying, I look at the quality and function of the tools first, and this kit has good tools. The vise is also important and the next thing I look at. The head of this Orvis vise is narrow which means it is perfect to grip and tie smaller flies with size 22 hooks, as well as very large streamer flies.
Most other vises have rounder heads, which can be problematic with smaller hooks.
Starting with a vise like this means you will not need to upgrade, at least not for a very long time or until you start getting into crazy small flies, which most guys don’t tie anyways.
The fly tying materials are well thought out, and can cover a variety of fly patterns.
Orvis claims this kit includes materials for up to 160 flies, with 16 patterns and ten flies each. An instructional DVD with tutorials made for beginners.
This tying kit provides a lot more than all the other kits that I have seen. You pay more, but you get much more, and just the upgraded vise makes this kit a great deal and a worthwhile investment.
2. Wapsi Deluxe Fly Tying Starter Kit Review: Best Under $100
This is another kit I used to sell in my fishing store. I’ve recommend this kit to hundreds of new fly tyers.
I like the tools and the vise, which are not as cheap as some of the other kits.
It also has a selection of really good fly tying materials, and with none of the crap that you will find in some other kits on the market.
It also comes with a variety of good-quality hooks and a DVD to help you get started.
You will need to eventually buy a lot more materials, which is okay because I recommend buying the materials specific to the local fly patterns you want to tie.
When you are ready to get more hooks, be sure you check out my article all about the Best Hooks For Fly Tying.
3. Best Fly Tying Kits + Bench Organizer: Pre-Loaded Fly Furniture Desktop Jr.
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The Pre-Loaded Fly Furniture Desktop Jr. is a pretty awesome option for new fly tyers because it comes with an organizer.
You have the option of a complete set, which includes the vise, materials, and the organizer stand.
For those tyers that already have the vise and all materials, you can purchase just the stand on its own.
4. Best Traveler Fly Tying Kit – Best Traveller Kit
Renzetti Traveler 2000 Cam Jaw Tying Kit
I have tried the Renzetti Traveler Tying kits and once sold this in my tackle store. Like just about everything from Renzetti, this is top-notch.
This kit is just the tools and the vise, so you would need to buy the tying materials separately.
If you are not sure what tools you should have, be sure to check out my article Best Fly Tying Tools and Best Tool Kits.
5. Gunnison River Deluxe Fly Tying Tool Kit – Best Budget Kit
This is one of the cheapest vises that I have used and would recommend. It does get good reviews, and comes with all the required tools and some materials and hooks.
It also comes with a fly-tying book and CD to get you started. Shop around, I have seen this kit for sell from $49.99 to $87. It’s also listed under the name Colorado Anglers Kit.
But, one of the downsides to this kit is it is very basic, and some of the tools are not great. You will likely need to upgrade the scissors to one on my page, Best Fly Tying Scissors.
Getting the right kit will make learning easier and more fun, and if you’re new to fly tying, combine your new kit with a great book from my article, The 21 Best Fly Tying Books – Beginner to Advanced.
Fly Tying Materials
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When I started fly tying, I bought materials because I thought I needed them when really I didn’t.
I have fly-tying materials that are over 30 years old, sitting collecting dust, and will likely never be used. Don’t be like me!
When it comes to fly-tying materials, I’ll give you the same advice I give to all my clients.
Find out the 4 to 6 best flies for your area or the river you want to fish, then Google search the fly tying recipe (all the required materials) for each fly and then only buy the materials based on what you need for those flies.
Many rivers or many areas have hatch charts to help you determine what flies are best.
Be careful of fly tying material list with colorful and flashy materials, most of these materials are to attract the angler, not the fish.
If you want to buy a good material kit with all good materials, check out the White River Fly Shop Premium Fly-Tying Material Kit.
Fly Tying Accessories
These are some things to consider to help improve your fly tying experience or to help keep you organized.
Pro-Tip: After you tie a dry fly, I will pre-treat the fly with a fly floatant at the tying table before storing them in my fly tying box. This helps the fly float longer and float higher which is a good thing if you want to catch more trout.
Fly Tying Station
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The Fly Furniture Desktop Sr. is as roomy as it gets while remaining portable. This is the big brother to the Jr., which I mentioned above.
This is a workstation to help you set up and keep everything organized.
You can mount your vise on the left or right, depending on which way that you want to tie.
You can also buy the upgraded version which comes full of fly tying materials, this is a good option for new fly tyers.
It has many holes to hold your tools as well as storage rods to hold your thread.
The base is designed so that it doesn’t move around.
Key Features:
- Constructed of hardwood for durability and looks.
- Right and left vise mounts.
- Many holes for storing all your tools.
- Storage rods to store your fly-tying thread spools.
- A base that is non-skid so it stays securely in place when you are tying.
NOTE: Vise, tools, and fly tying material are not included.
Cabelas Basic Fly Tying Desk
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The hardwood Cabela’s Big Horn Fly-Tying Bench is what I crafted my fly tying station to be like.
This tabletop tying platform organizer is portable and great for any table or desk.
The bench conveniently accommodates tools and components.
The Cabela’s Big Horn Fly-Tying Bench has a mount for your vise or you can secure your vise from the front like I do, and it comes with a non-skid bottom so it won’t move around or damage your table.
It has plenty of holes for your tools and a removable rod built to help you organize your thread spools.
The base has 11 wells for your hooks, containers, beads, cement bottle, and finished flies.
Key features include:
- 11.9″ x 7.7″ x 2″
- Hardwood for durability and looks.
- It will hold most or all of your tying tools and some materials like tying threads
- Non-skid base to keep it in place
- 11 different-sized wells for small components
Learn Fly Fishing
Check out my learn to fly fish page to get more information and tips that are provided by fly fishing guides and fly fishing instructors on how to fly fish.
You can also click these links to learn my best flies for trout or the best steelhead flies.
Tight Lines,
Graham
