wbranch
Well-known member
My venture to buying flies at TCO was a one time event. I have not bought a fly anywhere for over 25 years.
N
Nocktavius
Well-known member
Tying flies will never save me money but I mostly have zero confidence in flies I didn’t tie myself.
Kms
Member
Not dissing your comment, and glad you’re happy with them, but I bought a bunch of flies from Big Y Fly recently and although they looked to be tied nicely several of the hooks were suspect.
I bent one putting it into my fly box, and found I could easily bend some others between my fingers. I hope mine were just a bad batch, but that was my first and last purchase from them.
Kyle
Well-known member
im not a machinist, but i work very close with one. the things you guys do is amazing. so hats off to you. my machinist made me a hair stacker better then any one i could buy! its a real work of art. stainless, brass, its beautiful.
wildtrout2
Well-known member
Fished a Carbon county freestone today, and it was MUCH higher than I had anticipated! I was expecting something resembling summer flows, but that just wasn't the case. The water temp was 56F-58F, I was expecting it to be about 60F. Fished my parachute Adams and only caught two small browns in the first hour and a half! I was thinking, this isn't going well. Sooo, I had to change the script, and put on a parachute black ant. Very first cast I catch a small brown! Then, in the next hour I caught 7 more. Nothing of any real size, but I have to say the parachute black ant saved this fishing trip!
Move aside parachute Adams, there's a new kid on the block. I will be fishing the parachute black ant more frequently this summer. It really made the difference for me today.
This post prolly belongs in the Ants or Beetles thread, but...
Move aside parachute Adams, there's a new kid on the block. I will be fishing the parachute black ant more frequently this summer. It really made the difference for me today.
This post prolly belongs in the Ants or Beetles thread, but...
Last edited:
jifigz
Well-known member
Me neither. When I'm in SC, Fly Fisher's tends to get my money. Although I used to like the shop better when Steve still owned it.
None of those shops would know me from Adam, though. I'm not a regular anywhere, except for the water. 🎣
jifigz
Well-known member
Parachute ant is one of my favorites.
jifigz
Well-known member
And, that is just the OPPOSITE of what happened to me yesterday. The parachute ant didn't produce squat, but the parachute Adams IMMEDIATELY began catching fish. Weird.
wildtrout2
Well-known member
That is strange.
I guess that's what keeps us coming back.
Jay_H
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 1, 2013
- Messages
- 166
Exactly. One of my favorite streams is completely confounding - one day what I throw works. Next time, under similar conditions. Nothing. But it’s still my favorite stream and the challenge of figuring it out keeps me coming back every time.That is strange.
P
poopdeck
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 7, 2013
- Messages
- 2,414
I hate to break the news to everybody who do not tie flies but, some of the very best fly tiers work in China, India, Taiwan and anyplace other than a local fly shop. Flies are tied the same way irregardless if they were tied in China or central PA. Durability is pretty much exactly the same. To think that a feather or fuzz twisted around a thread is somehow stronger if tied in the USA is a fallacy. I guess head cement may increase durability a tad but who uses head cement on trout flies. I don’t. Now the hooks may be different and cheaper but the tying process is the same.
I tie my own flies, I definitely save money doing so, I don’t fret losing flies or if they wear out after a half dozen fish. I’ll just tie another on and recycle the hook. I rarely pay for flies since I have thousands of flies waiting to be assembled.
I tie my own flies, I definitely save money doing so, I don’t fret losing flies or if they wear out after a half dozen fish. I’ll just tie another on and recycle the hook. I rarely pay for flies since I have thousands of flies waiting to be assembled.
Nymph-wristed
Well-known member
So, the problem with TCO is that they got big and get their flies from the major distributors probably through some exclusive deal. The average Umpqua fly with a tung bead is 4 bucks, which is only slightly outpacing the average Fulling Mill at like $3.45. Both will sneak in a "signature tie" that does not even have a tungsten bead, and leave the price in place, which is shady too.
The mark up was not that high at the shop in other words. Now the big distributors, on the other hand.... Charging top dollar for simple euro flies tied on the cheap in foreign lands, even with quality hooks and beads is still shady. Orvis and TCO are just passing that on to you, and you paid, which only makes it worse!
The mark up was not that high at the shop in other words. Now the big distributors, on the other hand.... Charging top dollar for simple euro flies tied on the cheap in foreign lands, even with quality hooks and beads is still shady. Orvis and TCO are just passing that on to you, and you paid, which only makes it worse!
F
falcon
Well-known member
My issue is that in most instances you are buying "shop flies" at premium prices. These flies work but are very generic to specific hatches especially on local waters. Example I see generic Dorothea patterns tied with cream hackle. The locally tied Dorothea is hackled with barred ginger if imitating the legs or a light dun if imitating the wing. No doubt the cream hackle works ok but for 4 bucks I would expect something more specific. Body color too. Some guy or gal in Nigeria probably have no idea what they are making and thank somebody for their good fortune.
Many offshore fly tying shops employ a well known individual in the fly fishing industry to go to SE Asia and help set up the operation using better materials and they provide a better product. They do a better job and pay is good especially in a place like Thailand. Gary Borger did this very thing.
At one time people did not like hooks manufactored in Japan and were Mustad or Partridge fans even when the hooks were inferior. I recall hearing Japan hss no business selling hooks to fly tyers in the US and Europe. Today the
better hooks all come from Japan or more recently South Korea. Mustad now makes a much better hook.
Google where are " insert brand name" made?
Many offshore fly tying shops employ a well known individual in the fly fishing industry to go to SE Asia and help set up the operation using better materials and they provide a better product. They do a better job and pay is good especially in a place like Thailand. Gary Borger did this very thing.
At one time people did not like hooks manufactored in Japan and were Mustad or Partridge fans even when the hooks were inferior. I recall hearing Japan hss no business selling hooks to fly tyers in the US and Europe. Today the
better hooks all come from Japan or more recently South Korea. Mustad now makes a much better hook.
Google where are " insert brand name" made?
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Bamboozle
Well-known member
I thought I heard recently from some local business folks in Carlisle that the same people that own One13 Social and Pitt Street Station are the ones planning to open the restaurant...
jifigz
Well-known member
I don't understand how you can be a fly fisher and not a fly-tyer. You're missing out on a huge and creative part of the game.
wbranch
Well-known member
I always use head cement on trout flies. I have never had a fly come apart because the thread unraveled due to the absence of head cement. Even on flies as small as a #20. I do three whip finishes and a dollop of thin head cement. On streamers I use UV and hit it with the light.
wbranch
Well-known member
100% agree! Guys who don't tie aren't fully invested.
jifigz
Well-known member
I would agree, and I know you are a tyer. I HATE buying flies. Each time I do, it is a waste of so much money. I only buy them in a pinch or I have bought "pity flies" before. I will never do that again.
wbranch
Well-known member
I clean out my boxes every year and often give away alot of flies. Send me your address and the next time I do that I'll send them to you.
6xAdams(Jones)
Well-known member
... you can keep it in this thread if you tell us how much the flies cost.This post prolly belongs in the Ants or Beetles thread, but...
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