Nine fly tying kits, vises and tool sets for a first winter at the bench, sorted by what is actually in the box, from a complete starter kit with a vise and materials to the vise you keep for twenty years.
A fly tying kit is three things in one box: a vise that holds the hook, a handful of hand tools, and the feathers, fur and thread that become the fly. Most cheap kits are strong on one of those and weak on another. So the first question is not which brand. It is what is actually in the box, and what you will have to buy before you can tie a single Woolly Bugger.
For a first kit, get one with all three, a book or videos, and hooks. The WETFLY Deluxe is the pick here for that reason: a C-clamp vise, scissors, hackle pliers, bobbin, hair stacker, materials and three packs of hooks in one case. If you already know you will stick with it, the better route is a good vise on its own, like the Griffin Odyssey Spider, plus a tool set and a materials pack. A vise outlasts everything else on the bench, and the one in a budget kit is usually the first thing people replace.
Tom has not tied on these. The picks are ranked from what each Amazon listing says is in the box, Amazon buyer ratings and AI-assisted research. Contents claims on this shelf are loose, so where a listing's title, bullets and photos disagree, the page goes with the photo and says so. The Colorado Anglers kit is the clearest case: its bullets mention materials, but its photo shows a vise, tools and a book, so plan on buying materials separately.
This is the minimum to tie a Woolly Bugger or a simple nymph. Starter kits cover most of it, but check every line against what is in the box.
Holds the hook. A C-clamp or pedestal base, fixed or rotary, all work for a first season.
Holds the thread spool and feeds thread onto the hook under tension.
Fine, sharp tips for trimming materials close to the hook. Keep them off wire.
Often missing from kits. Sizes 8 to 14 cover most first patterns.
Black and olive thread, marabou, chenille, hackle and some dubbing tie a lot of trout flies.
The whip finisher ties off the head neatly. Hackle pliers grip a feather while you wrap it. You can learn without either, but most kits include both.
A drop on the finished head keeps the thread from unraveling after a few fish.
Fly tying kits are sold in five shapes, and listings use a few vise terms loosely. Here is what each one means and what it leaves out.
Everything to tie a first fly, usually with a book or videos. The WETFLY and Ninnifly kits are this. Check for hooks.
A vise and hand tools in a box or case. The Colorado Anglers and Kingfisher kits are this. Add a materials pack and hooks.
The Griffin and Peak are standalone vises. Buy tools and materials to go with them.
The XFISHMAN and Loon sets are hand tools only. The Muskoka pack is feathers and dubbing only, with no tools or hooks.
The hook shank sits on the axis the jaws turn around, so the fly spins in place. A plain rotating vise turns the head but the hook wobbles off center.
A C-clamp bolts to a table edge. A pedestal is a heavy flat base that sits anywhere. The WETFLY and Griffin use a C-clamp; the Kingfisher and Peak use a pedestal.
Short on time? Start with these top-rated fly tying kits picks.
WETFLY Deluxe Fly Tying Vise, Tools and Materials Kit with Book and DVD is the #1 pick here, on 4.5-star Amazon buyer ratings (709 of them) and one clear job: tying tonight, everything in one case.
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Colorado Anglers Fly Tying Standard Tool Kit with Rotary Vise, Wooden Box and Book is the #2 pick here, on 4.4-star Amazon buyer ratings (1,524 of them) and one clear job: a low-cost vise and tools to build on.
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Ninnifly Fly Tying Kit for Beginners with Rotary Vise, Tools and Materials is the #3 pick here, on 4.5-star Amazon buyer ratings (75 of them) and one clear job: learning from video lessons.
Check PriceDetailed picks with verdicts, strengths, tradeoffs, and the situations where each one makes the most sense.
Quick verdict: WETFLY Deluxe Fly Tying Vise, Tools and Materials Kit with Book and DVD is the #1 pick here, on 4.5-star Amazon buyer ratings (709 of them) and one clear job: tying tonight, everything in one case.
Quick verdict: Colorado Anglers Fly Tying Standard Tool Kit with Rotary Vise, Wooden Box and Book is the #2 pick here, on 4.4-star Amazon buyer ratings (1,524 of them) and one clear job: a low-cost vise and tools to build on.
Quick verdict: Ninnifly Fly Tying Kit for Beginners with Rotary Vise, Tools and Materials is the #3 pick here, on 4.5-star Amazon buyer ratings (75 of them) and one clear job: learning from video lessons.
Quick verdict: Griffin Odyssey Spider Fly Tying Vise is the #4 pick here, on 4.6-star Amazon buyer ratings (616 of them) and one clear job: a first vise you never replace.
Quick verdict: Kingfisher Clarkfork True Rotary Fly Tying Vise Kit with Tools is the #5 pick here, on 4.4-star Amazon buyer ratings (153 of them) and one clear job: a true rotary vise with tools.
Quick verdict: Muskoka 27-Piece Fly Tying Materials Kit, Feathers and Dubbing is the #6 pick here, on 4.6-star Amazon buyer ratings (1,288 of them) and one clear job: stocking a kit with no materials.
Quick verdict: XFISHMAN 12-in-1 Fly Tying Tool Kit with Bag is the #7 pick here, on 4.4-star Amazon buyer ratings (409 of them) and one clear job: filling a vise-only setup with tools.
Quick verdict: Loon Outdoors Complete Fly Tying Tool Kit is the #8 pick here, on 4.6-star Amazon buyer ratings (117 of them) and one clear job: a matched set of premium hand tools.
Read the photo, not the title. A complete kit has a vise, tools, thread, materials and hooks. Many "kits" are only tools, only materials, or a vise with tools and nothing to tie with. The Fishpond Tailwater "Fly Tying Kit" on Amazon is a storage bag. Hooks are the item most often missing, and you cannot start without them.
The jaws are the part that matters. They have to hold a hook firmly without it slipping when you pull thread tight. Trout flies mostly run sizes 10 to 18, so a vise listed for 28 to 4/0 (Griffin) or 26 to 4/0 (Kingfisher) covers far more than you need. Budget kit vises do fine on the size 8 to 14 hooks most first patterns use and struggle on tiny dries.
A C-clamp bolts to the edge of a table and is rock solid, but it needs a table edge it can grip and a thin enough top. A pedestal base sits anywhere, including a kitchen table you cannot clamp, and is heavier to carry. Neither is better for learning. Pick the one that fits the table you will actually tie at.
A true rotary vise spins the hook on its own axis so you can see the far side and wrap materials by turning the handle. That is nice, not necessary. Most first patterns tie fine on a fixed vise. If you buy a vise to keep, a true rotary like the Griffin, Kingfisher or Peak is worth it. If you are testing the hobby, a fixed or basic rotating vise in a starter kit is fine.
Vise, tools, materials, hooks, a book and a DVD in one case, with 4.5 stars from 709 Amazon ratings.
The Colorado kit brings the vise and tools in a wooden box. Add the Muskoka feathers and dubbing, and a pack of hooks.
Made in the USA, true rotary, 28 to 4/0 hooks, lifetime guarantee. Pair it with the XFISHMAN tools.
The Woolly Bugger is the classic first fly because it is forgiving and it catches trout, bass and panfish. A size 8 or 10 streamer hook, black or olive thread, marabou, chenille and one hackle feather.
Clamp the hook by the bend, point just covered by the jaws, shank level. Tug it. It should not move.
Wrap thread back over itself a few turns behind the eye to lock it, then cover the shank back to the bend.
A tail about as long as the hook shank, tied in at the bend with a few firm wraps.
Tie both in at the bend, then bring the thread forward to just behind the eye.
Wrap the chenille forward and tie it off, then spiral the hackle forward over it and tie that off.
Build a small, neat head, whip finish or tie a few half hitches, trim the thread and add a drop of head cement.
Once you know which kit type fits your situation, dig into each gear category for in-depth picks and buying advice:
Want to browse beyond the ranked picks? Filter and sort the full fly tying kits listing below.
The WETFLY Deluxe Fly Tying Vise and Tools Kit, because it is one of the few with everything in the box: a C-clamp vise, scissors, hackle pliers, bobbin, bobbin threader, hair stacker, thread, materials, hooks in sizes 8, 12 and 14, a book and a DVD. It has 4.5 stars from 709 Amazon ratings. The Colorado Anglers kit has the most ratings on this shelf but needs materials and hooks added.
Not in the first season. The vise, tools and a starter set of materials cost more than a good assortment of store-bought flies, and your first flies will be rough. It gets cheaper once you have the bench set up and tie the patterns you lose most, like weighted nymphs and Woolly Buggers that end up in the trees. Most people tie because they enjoy it and like catching fish on their own flies.
No. A fixed vise ties every beginner pattern. A true rotary vise turns the hook on its own axis, which helps you see the far side of the fly and wrap bodies by spinning the handle. It is worth having on a vise you plan to keep, like the Griffin Odyssey Spider or the Kingfisher Clarkfork, but it is not a reason to skip a cheaper starter kit.
Start with the Woolly Bugger, which teaches tail, body and palmered hackle on a size 8 or 10 hook, then the San Juan Worm and a simple nymph like the Pheasant Tail or Zebra Midge. The Ninnifly kit's video lessons cover the Woolly Bugger, San Juan Worm and Black Beauty, which is a sensible first three. Leave small dry flies for later. They take the most practice.
Some do, and it is the item most often missing. The WETFLY kit includes hooks in sizes 8, 12 and 14 and the Ninnifly kit includes a selection. The Muskoka materials pack says plainly that it has no tools or hooks. Check before you buy, because a kit with no hooks means a second order before you can tie.
Yes, if they already fly fish or want to. A complete kit with videos, like the Ninnifly, or a book, like the WETFLY, lets someone learn without a class. The scissors and bodkin are sharp and the hooks are real hooks, so younger kids need an adult at the bench. For a fly angler who already ties, a better vise or a tool set is the more useful gift.
Reader-supported and free of paid placements. Every pick is ranked on published specs and Amazon buyer ratings, not on who pays us.
Each pick is compared on published specs, materials, design, and category fit across the major brands.
Rankings factor in how well each product matches common freshwater fishing needs, not just popularity.
Star ratings and review volume from Amazon buyers are factored in to reflect real-world satisfaction.
A pick earns its spot by delivering useful performance for the money, whether budget or premium.
Tying is a winter project. If the season starts before your first Woolly Bugger holds together, the trout flies guide ranks the store-bought assortments worth carrying.
See the trout flies