Buy or Tie?

T

trouthunting

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Aug 29, 2008
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After learning that I'd gotten into Fly Fishing this year, my family went nuts and now I have about six fly boxes to fill up... My question to the gurus here is this: Would it be more cost effective to buy or tie?

I have the tools at home to tie, but not the expertise (my girlfriend usually ties them and I usually feed them to the trees. She's gone on a frustration-fueled hiatus from tying).

I'm a quick learner, but I do have a couple little problems: I have hypertension and my fingers are of an unfortunately large breadth. Lastly, I've found that small nymphs and midges are my best shot at getting any sort of bite (usually size 16 - 22).

So what's the word? Is anyone out there with shakey hands and stalky fingers actually able to save money by tying, or should I just buy?
 
Tie um up bro!! You'll save a lot of money in the long run. Granted I probably have over a thousand dollars worth of tying stuff that I accumalated over time and you will too. When you lose flies to the trees or a snag you won't feel as bad losing them. Figure you go to the fly shop before fishing. Say flies are 1.75 a piece and you get 15 that is 26 bucks and some change you lose 5 of them and you do the math.

You talk about tying some midges....a pack of 25 hooks around 4 something a pack, dubbing around 2 something a pack unless you buy a dubbing compartment already packed than it's a little cheaper than thatper dubbing, thread a dollar something per spool. Now take a look at that figure granted you might need a couple more things to tie a different pattern but still. Do the math!!

Your most expensive materials are going to be your hackles but they last a long time and if you have a friend who ties you guys could split one.

Good luck!!
 
you'll definetly save money tying your own. Buggers, hares ear nymphs, pheasant tail nymphs, compara dun + catskill style drys are not that hard to tie. Just need a little practice for them to start looking nice! I tie 95% of the flies I use. only buy the ones I hate to tie like parachutes.
 
Early in 1969, the PA Dep't of Labor came into our high school to run a series of vocational aptitude tests on all the seniors (including me) to help in career planning and entry into the big bad work force. Included in the battery of tests was a timed dexterity exercise involving a pegboard. I had pegs flying every which way, not that many of which were anywhere near the holes they were supposed to go into.

When I had my results interview with the state guy, he told me that while I was well suited for a wide range of jobs, I should make a policy of avoiding any sort of work where dexterity and fine motor skills were important.

Since that time, I've tied literally 10's of thousands of flies and have caught a lot of fish on them. Including a lot of flies in the size range that seems to give you pause. They aren't the prettiest flies in the world, but they catch fish.

If I can do it, so can you. He--, if I can do it, anybody can...:)
 
For me, a big part of the allure and fun of fly-fishing is tying my own flies. I tie established patterns, my own designs, or hybrid fly designs, and I have a lot of fun just trying out a new pattern to see if I can catch fish with them. I have some new fly patterns I tied up this winter, and can't wait to fish them. You can tie your flies weighted or unweighted, you can capture bugs and try to match the hatch on your favorite stream, you can experiment with new materials or tying methods……all great fun in itself.

As others have said, for more practical reasons, in the long run, tying your own saves money. Also, I agree that anyone can learn to tie, and no flies need to be perfect to catch fish. Actually, quite the opposite from my experience, the rattier and more disheveled the fly, the better the fish like it. Good luck.
 
I'm relatively new to fly fishing as well and I am somewhat in the same boat as you. I have short-stubby fingers and shakey hands. Add on top of that no artistic/creative ability. I haven't gotten into fly tying and really have no plan to. I certainly wouldn't do it for economical reasons, because frankly I'd have to tie a lot of flies before I saw any kind of advantage. I order all my flies online and they are about $.50 a fly, good quality and fast shipping. The reason why it would make sense to get into fly tying is because you would enjoy it and it would bring satisfaction catching a fish on your own tied fly. With what I said above I think it would be more frustrating for me than anything. I'd have to disagree with justfishes numbers, for those 25 midges it would cost all of 14 bucks to have professionally tied flies show up at my door step in 3 days. Again this is my opinion and am certainly interested in reading what more experienced fly fishers have to say.
 
what did your girlfriend tye best?don't tye that,pick your next most important fly.there is a big chance that when you get into tying your girl will start back up again.trust me.
 
Dude, getting her involved should be priority number one...I like shakey's line of thinking involved in that. Hell, If I didn't have to come up with reasons that I HAVE to go on this trip or that trip all the time it would be worth it. You don't have to be an artist, just be able to follow directions. Its much more like tying your shoes than painting a picture. I'd love it if my wife were to show an interest. Getting used to hearing how her flies catch more fish than mine would be another story...
 
Catching a fish on something you have tied is a large part of the allure of fly fishing. As to your shakey hands, don't let it stop you from trying something new. I have no feeling in the tips of my left thumb and forefinger from an accident with a hydraulic hauler a few years ago. Since I'm a righty, I hold (sort of) the materials on the hook with my left hand. It slows me down, and the flies aren't the prettiest, but I catch fish on them. Give it a whirl.
 
I'm a learning tier myself, always just used to buy, and now I tie what I can. They don't look pretty and wouldn't pass standards, but they catch their share of fish. I still buy the patterns I have trouble tying, like stonefly nymphs. But I try to stick with easy patterns and tie what I can.

You'd be surprised at how much you can replace a difficult pattern with an easy one. Size and ease of tying don't go hand in hand. The hardest thing I've faced is dry fly hackles. Solution? Tie comparaduns for the bulk of your duns, buy a handful of hackled flies just in case. I do fine on spinners too, and thats my solution for midges. I just tie them like a small trico spinner, with no tails and a thread body. It really doesn't get any easier, they are one of the easiest flies for me to tie. The trout on Spring Creek and other places seem to approve.

For me, I think the money will work out in the long run, but thats not the reason I do it, you don't save enough money for the time you put in. Versatility is the reason. I can add weight to flies I want to fish deep, I can match that caddis color better than the tiers somewhere overseas do it, or I can add a little flash to a streamer. And if I'm camped somewhere and run into a hatch I wasn't expecting, I can pull out the ole vice and whip up an imitation instead of taking a time out to drive to the nearest fly shop.
 
What others have already meintioned, the fly tyer is pickier about the way the fly looks versus the fish. Figure Spring Creek (classA trout stream). The weekend after Christmas we were catching them on muskrat nymphs or Walt's worms. All the fly is hook, thread, and muskrat with the guard hairs poking out here and there. Such a generic fly catching wild fish. You could tie that up in probably 2 minutes per fly if not less.

To boot when you catch a fish on your own flies it's way more rewarding.
 
trout hunting: I also wondered if I would be any good at tying before I started. My hands are rather large.
25 years later, I consider learning to do it one of the best things I've ever done. I can now tie flies down to size #32.
And it definitely saves money in the long run
 
There's no reason why you can't do both. Keep at the tying and, if need be, you can still buy the smaller or more difficult patterns. I'll bet, with time, the number of flies you buy will dwindle.
 
Trouthunting

If I were you,I would learn how to tie. I never did and always wish I had.

PaulG
 
i would tie if i were you, but the only downside is you go through a lot of perfectly good hooks before you get good. i had no one to teach me, however. i'm sure you're girlfriend will teach you if you ask nicely haha [; if i could give you a quick tip, don't buy a kit and only tie flies you could see yourself using.
 
I agree with dave that you go through a ton of hooks at the beginning.
Another downside I have is that I have more flies than I could ever fish, especially from days where I sit at my desk and "tinker" around to come up with something new. Those flies usually just sit there until the pile gets big, then they get brushed into a cup.
The same goes for my fly boxes as well: there are tons of flies that will never see the water because I will fish with teh best looking ones and if they get tattered or lost I'll replace them, instead of using the "crappy" ones.
 
Thanks for all the feedback guys! I bought some equipment and had the girl (very patiently) teach me a bit. Gonna hack away at it again today and see what turns out.

Thanks again for the advice!
 
I have always questioned whether you save money tying your own flies. The problem is when I, for one, walk into a shop a see some material I think I'd like to try. I buy it and it sits in a bin never to be used. I've accumulated an incredible amount of material I may never use. Maybe one day...

I am pretty set in my ways with tying and I know what I want and, for the most part, what I'll use. I guess that goes along with aging.

The greatest thing with tying is the creativity potential. I'm to the point that I can't buy most of the flies I like to tie because they're my patterns. You can't find them anywhere. It is incredibly satisfying being able to sit down at the vise and put materials together on a hook based on what YOU feel may be productive. You can't buy that in any fly shop!

Dave R.
 
Expanding some on old lefty's point about creativity, you will likely develop a tying style all your own. It's happened to me and all my fishing buddies. And it didn't take long for me to get to the point that I pretty much have the most confidence in my own flies only when fishing
 
Great point Dave!

There are certain flies and styles you just can't get in a fly shop and would cost you double from a custom tier.
 
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