Pre-Season "Purge"

[a23fish]

How about taking some of those flies that you have too many off or that don't meet your standards anymore and just leave them on a donation board at a local fishing hole? I've seen a few of those at various places. If they're reasonably intact someone will use them.

 

[Steeltrap]

It's just my personal opinion, but if a fly is really "ugly"...from just a bad tie, bantered in the box for too long, or beaten up by fish to the point of no return, then tying on a rock may be better enticement for the trout\fish than tying on the ugly fly.

 

[dryflyguy]

I'd be too embarrassed to give crappy looking flies to any of those organizations, particularly PHW.

I'd give them to kids I know personally... ...maybe. I dunno. This goes back to my comments on the threads about tackle suitable for kids. If I wouldn't use it, I'm not going to make some kid or beginner use it.

I agree with this too.
Any flies that I don't like, or are too beat up to work well IMO, I redo.
Don't want to give them away - to anyone

 

[JerryC]

It's something I do every year. I've got a couple of plastic jars full of them. I'll probably go though them and see if there are some hooks to salvage, not sure what I'll go with the rest. Replace patterns that didn't work or used with some new patterns. Doing the same with my tying materials. I spent the last couple of weeks stripping feathers off of old necks, saddle and dry fly and strung hackle. Just sticking them in straws and putting them in zip lock bags. Plan to sort through the rest of my materials before I go out and spend the gift cards I got for Christmas.

 

[salmo]

I'd be too embarrassed to give crappy looking flies to any of those organizations, particularly PHW.

I'd give them to kids I know personally... ...maybe. I dunno. This goes back to my comments on the threads about tackle suitable for kids. If I wouldn't use it, I'm not going to make some kid or beginner use it.

I suspect that even the flies that "look" bad to us will still catch fish and would be welcome by those who cannot afford to buy them.

 

[a23fish]

I suspect that even the flies that "look" bad to us will still catch fish and would be welcome by those who cannot afford to buy them.

A holdover from my smallmouth fishing days: I primarily chased smallies using tubes (gave that up), plastic worms (replaced all those tubes), or spinnerbaits. I noticed over the years that the more beat up a tube or worm got, the better it seemed to fish. Don't know why.

But I've stubbornly kept flies on long past their pristine condition, and still caught trout with them. I will swap them out when the thread begins to unravel or about 1/2 the body material or tail is chewed off. But then, after 2 years, I'm still a beginner

 

[WWKimba]

"Tie an ugly fly and go out on an ugly day and catch an ugly fish!"

 

[Kyle]

How about taking some of those flies that you have too many off or that don't meet your standards anymore and just leave them on a donation board at a local fishing hole? I've seen a few of those at various places. If they're reasonably intact someone will use them.

i do the same. if i had a good day ill leave a duplicate of the fly i used. its fresh, the hook is sharp, and ready to go. although ill return a week or more later and the same fly is still sitting there lol.

 

[TimMurphy]

Wouldn't this make the hooks more brittle?

Dear Fly Swatter,

The hooks are made of forged steel. Flashing them with a lighter will do no harm except to make your house smell kind of funky. It's easier if you at least make a pass with an X-Acto knife or razor blade, but as long as you don't make the hooks glow with the flame, they will suffer no harm.

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂

 

[hooker-of-men]

Sorry if anyone reads this twice, initially posted in the wrong thread:

I had no intention to clean out my box, but today I broke off 3 buggers at the shank in quick succession on a submerged tree. Clearly my streamer box had gotten wet and the hooks rusted through up under the materials even before the bend. I broke some in two with bare hands. What a bummer.

 

[redietz]

I'm not quite sure what to do with about 40 white mayfly type flies. I've just not used them where I fish.

Take a magic marker to them. Works great.

Also keep a few white for fishing an evening sulfur hatch.

 

[JimNovo]

I believe Dave W does the youth camp thing every year.

Can you provide his contact? PM me.

Anyone have a contact at Project Healing Waters?

I’d love to tie for a good cause.

 

[WWKimba]

Try here (https://projecthealingwaters.org/programs/locations/) and simply click on your state, then click on "New Jersey Programs" Then simply either contact the Regional Coordinator or the Program Lead nearest you. This way you donation can be made local to you.

I hope that this helps.

Kim

FYI, here is the contact for Casting for the Cure (women's breast cancer program) -
Jen Lofgren <jen.lofgren@castingforrecovery.org>. She is the central contact for all fly donations for their program. They run about 80 fishing programs across the country each year and appreciate fly donations as well. They will use many and try to give each participant a set of flies to take home as well. Most of their fishing get togethers are from late June to late September. Again, I hope this helps you out. I annually donate flies to each group - for each extra fly I get through my swaps I match with at least 1 tie of my own.

 

[JimNovo]

Try here (https://projecthealingwaters.org/programs/locations/) and simply click on your state, then click on "New Jersey Programs" Then simply either contact the Regional Coordinator or the Program Lead nearest you. This way you donation can be made local to you.

I hope that this helps.

Kim

FYI, here is the contact for Casting for the Cure (women's breast cancer program) -
Jen Lofgren <jen.lofgren@castingforrecovery.org>. She is the central contact for all fly donations for their program. They run about 80 fishing programs across the country each year and appreciate fly donations as well. They will use many and try to give each participant a set of flies to take home as well. Most of their fishing get togethers are from late June to late September. Again, I hope this helps you out. I annually donate flies to each group - for each extra fly I get through my swaps I match with at least 1 tie of my own.

Thank you!!!

 

[falcon]

@JimNovo I send flies to PHW to Bob Gartner
6108 Dory Landing CT
Burke VA 22018.
Include a return address as he sends a nice Thank You card

 

[JimNovo]

@JimNovo I send flies to PHW to Bob Gartner
6108 Dory Landing CT
Burke VA 22018.
Include a return address as he sends a nice Thank You card

Thanks!