Do fly shops still sell U.S. tied flies?

[bringthepain]

Pretty sure he still employs a lot of local tyers

Glad to hear it!! I'd love to get back to Penns i dont think i have fished it since 2017

 

[bigslackwater]

My rule of thumb is under $2.00 = imported, over $2.00 = made locally.

 

[Bamboozle]

My rule of thumb is under $2.00 = imported, over $2.00 = made locally.

You better adjust that rule for inflation...

As an example, I don't think Orvis sells a single fly under $2.00 online or at any of their stores and I almost guarantee they aren't tied locally or even in Vermont...

Same goes for TCO closer to home but at least they admit they outsource flies.

 

[mattofcarlisle]

You better adjust that rule for inflation...

As an example, I don't think Orvis sells a single fly under $2.00 online or at any of their stores and I almost guarantee they aren't tied locally or even in Vermont...

Same goes for TCO closer to home but at least they admit they outsource flies.

Some of their musky flies and a good chunk of their smallmouth patterns are tied locally.

 

[mtelesha]

As a kid I use to tie dozens of nymphs for my local shop for in store credit 🙂

Back then it was a hidden black art. Now a days you can learn so quickly. Thank God I had a mentor at Trouts Unlimited and Eric Leiser was a patient of my dad who was a Chiropractor. He would get free adjustments and teach me for free. I got the best end of the bargin.

I have a network of people who will occasionally call me for flies but it is getting less and less frequent. Custom orders by American fly fishers are still happening but I think the people who would order are now mostly tying.

Custom orders = better hooks and better beads usually. The over seas African and Sri Lanka tyers are amazing so it is hard to beat them with tying skills anymore on standard patterns.

 

[dudemanspecial]

You better adjust that rule for inflation...

As an example, I don't think Orvis sells a single fly under $2.00 online or at any of their stores and I almost guarantee they aren't tied locally or even in Vermont...

Same goes for TCO closer to home but at least they admit they outsource flies.

Orvis flies are made by Fulling Mill which are tied in Kenya. Tom Rosenbauer did a podcast with a guy from Fulling Mill and they went surprisingly indepth about the whole deal. Very good listen.

Podcast: Where Flies Come From, with Steve Carew - Orvis News

My guest this week is Steve Carew of Fulling Mill. Steve is the guy who gets fly patterns from an original sample to those gorgeous flies you see in the fly bins of your local Orvis store or dealer. How do commercial flies get made? Who are these people who . . .

news.orvis.com

 

[Zipper]

As a kid I use to tie dozens of nymphs for my local shop for in store credit 🙂

Back then it was a hidden black art. Now a days you can learn so quickly. Thank God I had a mentor at Trouts Unlimited and Eric Leiser was a patient of my dad who was a Chiropractor. He would get free adjustments and teach me for free. I got the best end of the bargin.

I have a network of people who will occasionally call me for flies but it is getting less and less frequent. Custom orders by American fly fishers are still happening but I think the people who would order are now mostly tying.

Custom orders = better hooks and better beads usually. The over seas African and Sri Lanka tyers are amazing so it is hard to beat them with tying skills anymore on standard patterns.

What brand of hooks do you use?

 

[Darryl]

I am a tyer for the Feathered Hook specializing in Catskill-style dry flies. I tied 450 dozen for the shop last year. Almost every fly in the Feathered Hook was tied locally and we definitely appreciate your patronage.

 

[bringthepain]

I am a tyer for the Feathered Hook specializing in Catskill-style dry flies. I tied 450 dozen for the shop last year. Almost every fly in the Feathered Hook was tied locally and we definitely appreciate your patronage.

Glad to hear that is still the case. 450 dozen, holy moly

 

[PennKev]

My rule of thumb is under $2.00 = imported, over $2.00 = made locally.

Nope.

Higher price generally gets you a better quality fly but it has nothing to do with country of origin, though that is certainly not a rule.

From what I've seen the cost of flies is as much linked to tourism as anything else. Buy flies in Central PA, price goes up. Buy them in Montana, price goes through the roof.

 

[poopdeck]

Agree. What the local market will bear is what the drives the retail price. If a shop pays a dime for a fly but can get 5 bucks for it they will sell it for 5 bucks. Fly shops are in business to make money and the ones that have stayed open know that. The ones that have shuttered their doors were not running a business.

 

[bigslackwater]

Nope.

Higher price generally gets you a better quality fly but it has nothing to do with country of origin, though that is certainly not a rule.

From what I've seen the cost of flies is as much linked to tourism as anything else. Buy flies in Central PA, price goes up. Buy them in Montana, price goes through the roof.

fair enough. Point me in the direction of shops making quality local flies for less than $2 please!

 

[poopdeck]

fair enough. Point me in the direction of shops making quality local flies for less than $2 please!

Would love to help you out but I tie every fly I fish so my recommendation is to start tying your own quality flies at roughly a quarter per fly. It’s a very straight forward and easy process requiring only the most basic of equipment.