dudemanspecial
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How much money and time I am losing or saving has absolutely zero factor on my decision to be a fly tier.
Do fly shops still sell U.S. tied flies?
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PennKev
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For an individual, custom tier, everything is 40-50% cheaper and quality is relatively assured in comparison to scouring the interwebs for a deal.
But, if you were really cranking out flies like in an Asian or African factory you would have some deals worked out for for huge quantities of staple items. Things like chenille, marabou, etc. would be bought in pounds and hundreds of yards. Even things like dry fly hackle would be bought in enormous quantity.
hooker-of-men
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Guide / "Pro" deals for rods, etc. seem to be about 50% off in my experience. Do you - or does anyone else - have a sense if that roughly equates to the wholesale price a shop is paying for those items?
If so, is that 40-50% off roughly an industry standard that would apply to "pro" tiers and shops buying tying materials too?
PennKev
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From what I've seen, yes it seems to be the norm for materials.
Certain materials, like dry fly hackle will sometimes be on the lower end of that range, while things like dubbing or marabou will have a bigger margin. This applies to materials packed in retail packaging. I can't offer insight into the purchase or pricing of mass quantities beyond knowing that it is happening.
jifigz
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I did have a little bit of sticker shock that day we went in there, and if you remember correctly, I wanted red thread. I didn't realize they didn't sell tying materials.
I don't love a lot of fly shops, but I do appreciate a couple of them. I like Fly Fisher's, and I like Aquatic Imitations. I think the TCO shop in State College is a really nice store, but they rubbed me the wrong way years ago. It isn't all of their employees, but a few. I will admit that I don't like Fly Fisher's as much now as I used to when Steve owned it, either.
To me, the ambiance of the fly shop is what makes or breaks it.
Also, Fly Fisher's definitely sells local flies. The Feathered Hook sells local flies. Spruce Creek sells some local flies. I don't know about any others.
mr7183
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Fly Fisher's sells local flies for sure -- just had this discussion explicitly with them last time I was in the shop.
Completely agree with your point on ambiance. There's a new wave of fly shops staffed by people that I would stereotype as "college bros" and I generally try to avoid those. My favorite shop ever was Fishing Creek Angler in Benton. It had a prime ambiance at a great location, and a cool dog that had to have been 15 years old that would mosey up to every customer that walked through the door.
bringthepain
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I have never tied a fly. 25 cent average is good. Someday i will get into it i'm sure but at this stage of life i have dont have the time
jifigz
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I can't imagine being a fly fisherman and not tying.
bigslackwater
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I can't either but I know many who do not tie.
JimNovo
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I’ve enjoyed my trips to the “Hook” when my buddy from VA drops $80 on flies and Jonas looks at me and I say “I’m good…I tie!”
But Jonas makes one hell of an omelet for breakfast!!!
It’s not as time consuming as searching the internet or a catalog to order flys. It’s also not as time consuming as driving to and from a half stocked fly shop and searching through the bins. it’s easy to learn, easy to do and it does not require a lifetime of studying on a mountaintop in India. The tools can be as basic as basic can be and do not require financing. The hard part is getting started. Once you do you will see just how easy and quick it is to learn.
I just tied up a beastmaster general fly that consists of a couple chicken feathers, 3 Maribou feathers and a pinch of deer hair. On line they sell for 5 to 11 bucks. I tied it for Pennys on the dollar.
mr7183
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Tying definitely doesn’t save much money. I’m always finding a new pattern that needs different materials. I suppose at a certain point you start to come out ahead, but the payback period is probably a few years between a decent vice, tools, basic materials, and a cape or two.
tomgamber
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Totally disagree.
gfenlikestolosepasswords
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The answer is "don't do that," then.
I look at the sweater boxes stacked in my closet full of things I never used, whereas the bulk of my items could be reduced to craft store rabbit skins, a couple of saddles and a cape or two.
dudemanspecial
Well-known member
The back and forth about tying vs buying as a way to save money is completely dependent on your fishing profile. If you only fish dries on what we would consider a run of the mill type trout stream a dozen times a year then you probably wouldn't spend a fortune on buying flies as opposed to someone that fishes in the mountain brush or someone that fishes nymphs or streamers a lot.
Some fly tiers don’t save a nickel and that’s for sure. Some of those same people can’t save a nickel in any facet of life. Some tie for the art of it. Some tie for the challenge of it. I save a ton of money because that’s one of my tying goals and I look at every fly lost as a continued lowering of my start up costs. I have three vises that total about a 30 dollar investment. Contrary to what some say, a 500 dollar vise doesn’t tie a fly any better or faster than a 60 dollar vise.
I don’t buy material just because a pattern calls for something and I tie what I fish and what I find catches fish. Flys are all the same, they just differ in color and material but they are largely the same. I have no need for crea hackle, badger hackle, blah blah blah hackle. I have basic black, brown, cream and grizzly and that’s it. Fish can’t tell the difference between a badger and grizzly hackle.
I don’t buy material just because a pattern calls for something and I tie what I fish and what I find catches fish. Flys are all the same, they just differ in color and material but they are largely the same. I have no need for crea hackle, badger hackle, blah blah blah hackle. I have basic black, brown, cream and grizzly and that’s it. Fish can’t tell the difference between a badger and grizzly hackle.
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PennKev
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I'd rather have a mountain of material, flies tied exactly how I want them, and a huge surplus of flies than spend the same or maybe less on store bought flies.
One of the worst aspects of buying flies, imo, is fishing timidly because you only have 2 or 3 of anything. I don't even put a fly in my boxes unless I have 6 and once it proves it's worth I do a dozen or two. Staple flies I'll build up a huge supply of.
That said, I feel like my fishing habit is way past the point where buying flies makes sense for anybreason.
One of the worst aspects of buying flies, imo, is fishing timidly because you only have 2 or 3 of anything. I don't even put a fly in my boxes unless I have 6 and once it proves it's worth I do a dozen or two. Staple flies I'll build up a huge supply of.
That said, I feel like my fishing habit is way past the point where buying flies makes sense for anybreason.
mr7183
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“Don’t do that”?!?! Tracking down materials and tying new stuff is more than half the fun… it’s irresistible!
