Hardcore, devoted fly tiers own and use good tools. If you are tying every fly you fish or offering dozens upon dozens of patterns up for sale, you’ll get a lot out of premium tying accessories. To any fly fisher, that makes a lot of sense: we want the best tool for the job.

But what about the novice, the person who might tie some simple flies every now and then? Which tools should the person who simply dabbles in fly tying use?

Most everyone who ties flies usually begins with a kit. Along with a rudimentary vise and enough materials to tie a few basic patterns, you’ll get a pair of scissors, a bobbin, and a whip finisher. They will work. You’ll be able to figure out how to palmer hackle, spin dubbing, and create fishable flies. However, whether it be the manufacturing, materials, or design, most of these starter kit-level tools aren’t the best tool for the job – even if that job is a handful of woolly buggers or a couple Clouser minnows. They work, but they don’t work great.

Anyone who has fly fished beyond the beginner phase has seen the value in investing in a rod or a line that offers more precision, durability, efficiency, or ergonomics. Why would fly tying tools, even if only used sporadically, be any different?

Why should you spend money on better fly tying tools, even if you don’t tie a lot? Here are 5 reasons:

• Precision Whether you are wrapping a giant streamer body or trimming a tiny parachute post, you want materials to look exactly according to your expectations. Having blades that align properly and clamps that hold fast ensure things go where you intend them to. This not only speeds up your tying, but it directly correlates to the performance of the fly.
• Durability Tools get dropped. Tools get torqued pretty hard. You’ll use scissors on materials you should use wire cutters on. Nothing lasts forever, but you’ll want something that will endure some reasonable use – even abuse. Better construction and higher-quality components are the only ways to make this happen.
• Efficiency You won’t truly appreciate what separates good bobbins from bad bobbins until you use a good one. A good bobbin will maintain proper tension and won’t snap even the most delicate of threads. The same thing can be said for hackle pliers or whip finishers. When you don’t have to fiddle with your tools, you can tie more and tie more quickly.
• Ergonomics Comfort is underrated in fly fishing. Rod grips and reel handles are purposely engineered to work and to be held. Another seemingly microscopic matter, these small details add up when it comes to hand fatigue and accuracy over prolonged use. In particular, cheap tying tools with tiny  handles are counter-intuitive.
• Cost Good fly tying tools aren’t going to set you back hundreds of dollars. Do such ultra-premium accessories exist? Yes – but like  anything else in fly fishing, they are hardly necessary for most people. The difference between basic tools and really good tools is usually less than ten dollars a piece.

Fly fishers don’t like to compromise on gear. So don’t compromise on gear. Even if you just want to see what the fuss is all about, try a good pair of scissors or a nice bobbin. I guarantee you’ll notice a difference in not just how the tool feels, but how it performs.

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If you want to upgrade the bulk of your tools in one fell blow, check out the Loon Outdoors Fly Tying Tool Kit. The kit includes Ergo Arrow Point Scissors, Ergo All Purpose Scissors, Ergo Bobbin, Ergo Bodkin, Ergo Whip Finisher, Ergo Dubbing Brush, and Gator Grip Dubbing Spinner. These tools fit the five criteria above, and you will absolutely notice an improvement in your tying.