Where is a good place to buy decent quality flies?

Maybe it was merely a bad batch, but I bought four Parachute Adams dries from TCO, thinking I can't go wrong, and they (fished two of them) didn't float very well at all. And, I was using my go-to High N Dry floatant. Perhaps some bad material?
 
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troutbert said:
Does Orvis tie many/any flies in Vermont? Or do they get them from overseas?
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Orvis carries a lot of Umpqua and Fulling Mill bugs on the web site, and they probably get others from other distributors, even if few are clearly branded. Got to manufacturers' sites and check names of bugs or names of designers (any of the Tom Rosenbauer or George Daniel stuff is Fulling Mill, for example), and it is pretty easy to figure out where they are from. They are def not tying in Vermont.
 
wildtrout2 said:
Maybe it was merely a bad batch, but I bought four Parachute Adams dries from TCO, thinking I can't go wrong, and they (fished two of them) didn't float very well at all. And, I was using my go-to High N Dry floatant. Perhaps some bad material?
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Umpqua or MFC there. Iffy quality at best.
 
TCO's flies never impressed me. Although granted, a lot of the "fly shop" type places mix and match. Some flies from one supplier, some from another, some tied on site, etc. So quality may very well depend on which exact flies you are getting. I've never found mass produced flies I like all that much, at places like Fly Stop, Cabelas, Orvis, etc. And that doesn't mean I won't buy them in a pinch or cheaply to fill a large order.

Again, it depends what I'm getting. I tend to be pickier about dry flies, as I want them to float right, float long, and not unravel hackles after a few fish. Much less picky about nymphs.
 
www.flydealflies.com

FLY FISHING FLIES FOR SALE: Best Discount Trout Flies

Quality fishing flies for sale at discount prices, from $0.36 each. The best place online for fly fishing flies for trout, salmon, bass, steelhead.
www.flydealflies.com www.flydealflies.com

I tie my own flies, but I've sampled these and I think they are decent flies. I've used PTs, Prince Nymphs, etc., and I have no complaint. Mention my name and maybe I'll get something free, hahah.
 
Millsertime said:
I'd recommend trying FlyStop bc you can't go wrong with the price but don't expect quality.
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Bringing this old thread back, I'll agree the Fly Stop doesn't produce the best quality flies, as I've had some of them them come apart at times. But, being as inexpensive as they are, they're worth buying.

On Tuesday I ordered 10 Parachute Adams (size 16) and I received them today! At a cost of $1.15 each, I got 10 flies for $11.50. So, even if a few of them do come apart, I have plenty of back-ups at a minimal cost. If you bought these same flies at an Orvis, or TCO store you'd pay more than twice as much, and not necessarily get better quality.

I say that because last season I bought 4 of this same fly at a TCO and had a couple of them underperform. They didn't float well and started to twist on the hook. You don't always get what you pay for.
 
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Millsertime said:
I bought some cheap FlyStop parachute flies this year bc I struggle tying the parachute part. They caught fish and the cheap gold hooks held up but once I caught 1 or maybe 2 trout, the thread unraveled causing the fly to become useless as the parachute hackle would unravel as well.

I'd recommend trying FlyStop bc you can't go wrong with the price but don't expect quality.
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On a native trout stream where I could bag 60 fish in a day or a pond I need a dry fly with durability, like a fly that can withstand catching more than 1 or 2 fish. If I had to swap my fly out after 2 fish that would severely impact my catch cyclic rate.
 
yes, I care about fly quality on dries, generally, because the way it wears out is unravelling. It makes a big difference if that's after 2 fish or 40. In a day of dry fly fishing I might lose 0 or 1 fly.

On nymphs, aw heck, I lose so dang many to snags. Losing teams of nymphs every 15 minutes. I catch plenty of fish, but I go through a ton of flies doing so.... Quality just doesn't mean as much when you're losing flies left and right.
 
wildtrout2 said:
Maybe it was merely a bad batch, but I bought four Parachute Adams dries from TCO, thinking I can't go wrong, and they (fished two of them) didn't float very well at all. And, I was using my go-to High N Dry floatant. Perhaps some bad material?
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I've only bought nymphs from TCO. Quality flies but the price was nuts! Almost $4 per fly! I have nymphs of similar quality that cost close to $1 per fly. I have no problems paying 6-8 dollars for a streamer, which I also bought at TCO, but $4 per nymph is far too expensive, considering I could (hypothetically) lose a dozen in a day.

Nothing against the store (TCO Reading) itself, it's the best fly shop close to me and they have been very helpful with setting me up for last year's steelhead trip and having Orvis products that Orvis stores didn't seem to have in stock, but their flies are definitely pricey.
 
Silent Ocelot said:
I've only bought nymphs from TCO. Quality flies but the price was nuts! Almost $4 per fly! I have nymphs of similar quality that cost close to $1 per fly. I have no problems paying 6-8 dollars for a streamer, which I also bought at TCO, but $4 per nymph is far too expensive, considering I could (hypothetically) lose a dozen in a day.

Nothing against the store (TCO Reading) itself, it's the best fly shop close to me and they have been very helpful with setting me up for last year's steelhead trip and having Orvis products that Orvis stores didn't seem to have in stock, but their flies are definitely pricey.
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I have bought a lot of flies from fly stop and have been very satisfied with performance and quality.
I had met Lefty Kreh sometime in the 70's and we were talking about matching the hatch, and what he told me was that it was 90 percent presentation as opposed to an exact match. I haven't tied in a while, but knowing what I've learned through the years, a reasonable imitation works great if properly presented. I've been thinking about tying again, but it would cost me more than I can buy these flies for. Still the craft part is interesting.
Back in the day we would sometimes tie on the stream.
 
While I tie 95% of my flies occasionally if I'm lazy or they are #22 or smaller I will buy them. Here are two online sellers with whom I have had good experiences;

Hillsdiscountflies.com

&

Discountflies.com

Both offer well proportioned flies that are tied well. Be careful some online sellers don't even use head cement. The fly will unravel quickly. It's nice though to always buy a couple flies from your local shop or a shop near where you are fish
 
I try to go local as much as possible.....Slate Run Tackle Shop, Flyfishers Paradfise, Big Springs outside Wellsboro, Kettle Creek Fly Shop, etc.....
 
I’m surprised so many on this site don’t tie your own flies. I’ve been tying my own for thirty one years. The only flies I’ve bought were ones from Cold Spring Anglers in Carlisle and that was merely to see his patterns for the Letort and Big Spring. Flies will come apart due to snags, fish teeth, break offs, etc. Since I tie my own, I can afford to lose them or discard ones that become damaged. Another benefit is customization of flies. I tie a Hare’s Ear in four or five different versions. I tie my sulphur dries in parachute and comparadun version. I tie in a bit of orange behind the eye of the hook. One day on Spring Creek, once I ran out of the ones with the orange, the fish wouldn’t take them. I know it’s an expensive hobby to take up and it takes some manual dexterity. I have so much stuff that I don’t even know what all I have. When my time is up, someone is going to get some nice fly tying stuff.
 
Dr.J 1952 said:
I’m surprised so many on this site don’t tie your own flies. I’ve been tying my own for thirty one years. The only flies I’ve bought were ones from Cold Spring Anglers in Carlisle and that was merely to see his patterns for the Letort and Big Spring. Flies will come apart due to snags, fish teeth, break offs, etc. Since I tie my own, I can afford to lose them or discard ones that become damaged. Another benefit is customization of flies. I tie a Hare’s Ear in four or five different versions. I tie my sulphur dries in parachute and comparadun version. I tie in a bit of orange behind the eye of the hook. One day on Spring Creek, once I ran out of the ones with the orange, the fish wouldn’t take them. I know it’s an expensive hobby to take up and it takes some manual dexterity. I have so much stuff that I don’t even know what all I have. When my time is up, someone is going to get some nice fly tying stuff.
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Some people just don't like to tie flies and that is fine. They prefer to buy them from the local shop.
 
I'm new to fly fishing for trout and have a lot to learn about that before I even consider tying my own flies. Also, I'm old and don't have the best eyesight, so buying them may be the best way for me to go. This winter I put together my beginners fly box. With the help of gifts from family and friends and a member here who offered to tye for me I have a nice selection to try out this spring.
 
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