Orvis Ratings and Reviews
Top Rated Product
Orvis Fly-Tying Kit with Manual
A great gift or the perfect starter fly-tying tool kit for any angler. This all-inclusive kit contains the Orvis Fly-Tying Manual, a cam-action vise, scissors, whip finisher, hackle pliers, dubbing needle, bobbin, bobbin threader, and hair stacker. Materials include: assorted hooks, dubbings, threads, dry fly saddles, head cement, wires and tinsels, beads, dumbbell eyes, chenille, marabou, hare's mask, mottled turkey quills, Hungarian partridge, peacock herl, muskrat fur, deer tails, and Krystal Flash—essentially all the fly tying materials you'll need to tie the following 8 flies: Wooly bugger streamer, chartreuse/white Clouser minnow, Adams dry, emerging X-caddis dry, flashback, pheasant tail nymph, hare's ear nymph, Letort hopper, beadhead soft hackle nymph. Made in USA/imported.
Average Customer Rating:
Rating Snapshot (30 reviews)
5 stars
17
4 stars
9
3 stars
1
2 stars
3
1 star
0
25 of 30(83%)reviewers would recommend this product to a friend.
Customer Reviews for Orvis Fly-Tying Kit with Manual
Review 1 for Orvis Fly-Tying Kit with Manual
Overall Rating:
Good Cost/Benefit,
March 6, 2013
By: paulhsbr
from Aurora, OH
"This kit is great for begginers like me. The materials included have great quality, and the book (manual) contains photographic step-by-step instructions on how to tie the flies.
It also helps on where, how and when to use the different types of flies.
I considered it a great Cost/benefit product!"
It also helps on where, how and when to use the different types of flies.
I considered it a great Cost/benefit product!"
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Review 2 for Orvis Fly-Tying Kit with Manual
Overall Rating:
Great For Beginners,
March 4, 2013
By: joeyann
from PA
"I'm a beginner at tying flies, and this kit has everything you need to get started. It has the tools, materials, instructions and carring case."
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Review 3 for Orvis Fly-Tying Kit with Manual
Overall Rating:
Good Starter Kit,
January 1, 2013
By: ADKtrout
"I recently received the Orvis Fly-Tying Kit as a gift and I am rather pleased with it. I find the manual easy to follow and its instructions well-paced for the beginner. The materials seem to be of good quality and the tools are very nice. The vice is certainly not the finest on the market, but is entirely functional and well-suited to those just learning to tie. The only reason I would give this kit four in stead of five stars is that my kit did not include either a dubbing tool or dubbing wax, both items the book uses constantly and assumes the reader has and because the kit came with a synthetic turkey quill patch that had adhered to the packaging and was therefore damaged. I don't know if the kit was supposed to include either of the two dubbing items since there is no materials / tool checklist (perhaps Orvis could include one in the future?), but it would be nice if they came with it. Overall I would recommend this product, just beware that, as you progress through the manual, you may need to add some tools or materials that are not included in the kit, a shame considering the kit's price."
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Review 4 for Orvis Fly-Tying Kit with Manual
Overall Rating:
Good starter kit...,
December 28, 2012
By: Limestoner
from Bucks County, PA
"Good starter fly tying kit. Mostly high quality tying supplies. Gives you everything you need to get started tying some popular patterns. If you would like to tie a larger variety of flies you will have to purchase more hook sizes and shapes as well as various materials that are not included with this kit. Overall though, it is probably the best starter kit out there."
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Review 5 for Orvis Fly-Tying Kit with Manual
Overall Rating:
very nice,
December 17, 2012
By: Smax
from AR
"purchased this for my husband for christmas, he loved it. Perfect!"
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Review 6 for Orvis Fly-Tying Kit with Manual
Overall Rating:
Im lovin it,
December 11, 2012
By: willtag
from Lexington,Ma
"I have been tying for a few monthes with incorrect tools and substute materials. so the kit has been great to realy tie great quality flies I feel confedent fishing with."
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Review 7 for Orvis Fly-Tying Kit with Manual
Overall Rating:
mediocre quality,
November 20, 2012
By: Alcat
"The quality of the tools included in the kit was mediocre. For example, the whip finisher was not machined to close enough tolerances and tended to stick a bit and not always turn freely. The finish of the hair stacker was very poor and the insides had to be carefully cleaned up to function properly. However, all the items promised were included in the package. For the price, the quality should have been higher."
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Review 8 for Orvis Fly-Tying Kit with Manual
Overall Rating:
Great Starter Kit,
November 8, 2012
By: hogroper
from Denver, CO
"I recently received this kit because I really wanted to start learning how to tie my own flies. It is perfect for a beginner with all the tools and materials needed to get started and step by step detailed instructions. I'm completely hooked to tying and this kit is the reason why."
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Review 9 for Orvis Fly-Tying Kit with Manual
Overall Rating:
Quiet Night Activity,
October 20, 2012
By: onedeltatentango
from Eastern Afghanistan
"This kit is a very impressive value, giving everything necessary to tie 8 flies and a well written and illustrated book. It has been over 10 years since I last tied flies and the book was a good refresher though at times a bit vague which might slow a true beginner down. Additionally, the materials are packaged in individual plastic bags and seem to be haphazardly attached to the cardboard inserts using staples. This leaves some bags attached by 2 or 3 staples and can damage a small amount of the tying material. All in all it is worth the price though could be executed better. It has provided an interesting activity during a number of cold winter nights in Afghanistan."
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Review 10 for Orvis Fly-Tying Kit with Manual
Overall Rating:
Great Kit!,
July 30, 2012
By: pswens
"No surprise at all that this kit is fantastic. Everything I have bought from orvis is great. Thanks again!"
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Review 11 for Orvis Fly-Tying Kit with Manual
Overall Rating:
High Expectations,
July 17, 2012
By: BOBA422
from Blue Mountain Lake, NY
"When I order from Orvis I expect good quiality and service and, as expected, that's what I got. The Fly Tying Kit seems to be of normal Ovis high quality. I had only one problem in that one of the tools was missing. I emailed the problem and almost immediatley received a response and the missing tool shipped the next day. Have since ordered more items - their light w/magnifyer is a winner."
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Review 12 for Orvis Fly-Tying Kit with Manual
Overall Rating:
Highly recommended,
April 24, 2012
By: Chris195
from Kent, United Kingdom
"This is a good way to get in to fly tying, every thing you need is in the box, the book is easy to follow and will have you tying in days"
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Review 13 for Orvis Fly-Tying Kit with Manual
Overall Rating:
A great kit!,
April 16, 2012
By: MichaelInSeattle
from Renton, WA
"I bought the kit a few weeks before the Fly Tying 101 class at my local (Bellevue, WA) Orvis store. It’s a great deal, more so with the coupon those in the class get. It has everything needed to tie the flies in the book, and more. It was all very organized in the carrying case. I’m also sure that adding in the value of my time and effort involved in gathering up all of the materials included in the kit, item by item, piece by piece, would end in a total cost far exceeding the price of the kit.
One reviewer’s complaint was that the kit came with substitute materials instead of the preferred, more expensive materials listed in the book. Personally, I think that’s an invalid complaint. When learning, you’re going to make mistakes, ruin a few things and the finished product isn’t going to turn out perfectly the first few times. I’d much rather those learning-process disappointments be done with less costly materials. Furthermore, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the materials that come in the kits. I’m told one of the big things in fly-tying is there’s no one right way, and learning to use substitutes is part of the process. There are also those who complain the kit is over-priced as it is – would they not be howling louder at a higher price tag?
As much as I like the kit, I do have a couple suggestions for improving it. The book is great, but it could be more user-friendly. If it were spiral-bound, it would lay flat on your work table or desk. When I took the Fly Tying 101 and 201 at my local Orvis store, we were all trying to juggle holding the book open to read the instructions while working at our vices. I stopped at Staples on the way home to have my book spiral-bound for ease of handling. A few dollars well-spent which saves lots of frustration.
In our class, we used the “dubbing brushes” that came in the kit. It’s somewhat like a pipe cleaner of dubbing material. You strip a little fuzz off the end like you do with some feathers, tie it in and wind it around the hook to form the body of the fly. Wanting to get some more of the dubbing brushes to tie more flies with at home, I found they’re not available in the Orvis stores, online or catalogs. So that’s an item we learned to use in the class and in the book that we can’t buy from Orvis.
On the flipside of the dubbing topic, we tied some flies using “regular” dubbing, which Orvis does carry, but didn’t include in the kits. In the class, we used a packet from the store racks in the class, and used learning firsthand to take less…and then about a quarter of that amount, and then about a third of that to wrap around the tying thread to make our fly. <grin> But adding a small packet of loose dubbing would be good to demonstrate using both type of dubbing, as our instructor did, and useful in the kit since it’s the most readily-available type of dubbing.
One thing we couldn’t figure out was why the bodkin and bobbin threader were chained together. Having the needle-sharp point of the bodkin point-up in a tool cup would be a little dangerous, and having the threader point-down would bend and damage it. I pulled the chain out of the end of each tool, and then pulled the chain apart into two-bead segments to use as fly eyes like the dumbbell beads included in the kit.
Summary - the kit contains everything you need to learn the basics of fly tying and once you decide what hook sizes you like working with, has additional materials for producing hundreds of flies."
One reviewer’s complaint was that the kit came with substitute materials instead of the preferred, more expensive materials listed in the book. Personally, I think that’s an invalid complaint. When learning, you’re going to make mistakes, ruin a few things and the finished product isn’t going to turn out perfectly the first few times. I’d much rather those learning-process disappointments be done with less costly materials. Furthermore, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the materials that come in the kits. I’m told one of the big things in fly-tying is there’s no one right way, and learning to use substitutes is part of the process. There are also those who complain the kit is over-priced as it is – would they not be howling louder at a higher price tag?
As much as I like the kit, I do have a couple suggestions for improving it. The book is great, but it could be more user-friendly. If it were spiral-bound, it would lay flat on your work table or desk. When I took the Fly Tying 101 and 201 at my local Orvis store, we were all trying to juggle holding the book open to read the instructions while working at our vices. I stopped at Staples on the way home to have my book spiral-bound for ease of handling. A few dollars well-spent which saves lots of frustration.
In our class, we used the “dubbing brushes” that came in the kit. It’s somewhat like a pipe cleaner of dubbing material. You strip a little fuzz off the end like you do with some feathers, tie it in and wind it around the hook to form the body of the fly. Wanting to get some more of the dubbing brushes to tie more flies with at home, I found they’re not available in the Orvis stores, online or catalogs. So that’s an item we learned to use in the class and in the book that we can’t buy from Orvis.
On the flipside of the dubbing topic, we tied some flies using “regular” dubbing, which Orvis does carry, but didn’t include in the kits. In the class, we used a packet from the store racks in the class, and used learning firsthand to take less…and then about a quarter of that amount, and then about a third of that to wrap around the tying thread to make our fly. <grin> But adding a small packet of loose dubbing would be good to demonstrate using both type of dubbing, as our instructor did, and useful in the kit since it’s the most readily-available type of dubbing.
One thing we couldn’t figure out was why the bodkin and bobbin threader were chained together. Having the needle-sharp point of the bodkin point-up in a tool cup would be a little dangerous, and having the threader point-down would bend and damage it. I pulled the chain out of the end of each tool, and then pulled the chain apart into two-bead segments to use as fly eyes like the dumbbell beads included in the kit.
Summary - the kit contains everything you need to learn the basics of fly tying and once you decide what hook sizes you like working with, has additional materials for producing hundreds of flies."
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Review 14 for Orvis Fly-Tying Kit with Manual
Overall Rating:
A miss,
April 2, 2012
By: nycshawn
from NY, NY
"The main problem with this item is that the book does not match the contents of the fly tying kit. It would seem to be pretty simple to match up the supplies in the kit with the flies described in the instructional book.
It is also over-priced."
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Review 15 for Orvis Fly-Tying Kit with Manual
Overall Rating:
GOOD KIT,
February 9, 2012
By: MERLINCHASER
"THIS WAS MY FIRST START FLY TYING. THE KIT OFFERS A GREAT STEP BY STEP GUIDE WITH ALL THE TOOLS AND MATERIALS NEEDED"
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Review 16 for Orvis Fly-Tying Kit with Manual
Overall Rating:
All that you need.,
January 30, 2012
By: Taysachs
from North Carolina
"I found this product to be all I could ask for. The kit came with everything a beginner fly tyer needs. The Orvis Fly-Tying manual was easy to understand and had me tying decent (Having never tied a fly before.) flies within a couple of days. I can say that I am now addicted to tying flies! The only negative thing I could say is the case is pretty much useless once you open everything. It doesn't have any compartments. Just go to any hardware store and buy a tool box. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who wants to learn how to tie flies."
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Review 17 for Orvis Fly-Tying Kit with Manual
Overall Rating:
Not Typical Orvis Quality,
January 19, 2012
By: BenB
from Alabama
"I think the quality of Orvis goods is typically second to none, and I will continue to buy their products. The Orvis fly tying kit has been an exception. For a beginning fly tier, the book is exceptionally well at explaining basic techniques and flies. The problem I have had is with the materials. The kit I recieved as a gift came with some empty material packets (hooks) and seemed to be missing some materials (epoxy for the Clouser and dubbing for the dries). This won't prevent me from buying any Orvis products in the future, but if you buy the fly tying kit, inventory the materials before opening anything."
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Review 18 for Orvis Fly-Tying Kit with Manual
Overall Rating:
excellent buy,
January 4, 2012
By: brads
from canyon texas
"the kit is complete, the book is easy to follow and the quality of the flies is great"
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Review 19 for Orvis Fly-Tying Kit with Manual
Overall Rating:
Good Starter,
January 1, 2012
By: Spivey
from Charleston, WV
"Has everything you need to begin tying flies that catch fish"
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Review 20 for Orvis Fly-Tying Kit with Manual
Overall Rating:
Fly tie kit,
December 30, 2011
By: Chill242
from The bluegrass state
"Nice kit for getting started. This was a gift and I was thrilled. This kit is all you need..."
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