Why I like swaps

If this is in the wrong area feel free to move. This mainly goes out to new tiers. I have just started to take a part in fly swaps I think 5 or 6 now. They are fabulous. I am not a good tier but I submit anyway. The flies I get back are nothing short of excellent and give me good ideas for my own tieing. I have found if I am going to submitt flies I want them to look good so I now use all my tools. You know those tools everyone said you have to have and never took the time to teach you how to use them LOL. some you probably didn't even know there names. I now use all those tools and even make a few of my own for very cheap. Swaps have made me research different ways of tying and to ask questions here that I was afraid to ask. the hardest thing about the swaps was signing up for the first one. Take that step, jump in and go for it you won't be sorry. Your tieng will improve several times over. I have campared my flies I first started tieng to the flies in the swaps I have submitted and wow they are massively better. We have some really great people hosting swaps that put in a lot of time that need to be reconized for their efforts. Take the time and join one you won't be sorry.

I'll second that. You've hit the nail on the head, harleybob87. I've been a member of this board for about a year and a half, and all of my swaps have been through FAOL. In that year and a half, I've tied approximately 200 flies for swaps alone. That doesn't count practice flies or the tying I've done to keep my boxes ready to fish. I am a much better tyer than I was when I first started, and I probably owe apologies to the guys that were in my first couple of swaps. My flies were ugly. Practice does make a difference, and I've enjoyed every swap I've been in since. And hopefully my quality has gone up as well, but I still have a long ways to go to match some of the beautiful submissions that regularly make it into our swaps here.

I like swaps for the new ideas I get about flies. Aslo I get to see how other use materials and get to see some new materials.
I have been in about 200 swaps over the past 10 years. I think that someday I may get addicted to them.

Join a swap if you can. You get to have flies that other have tied in your hands and tha tis a great help in making your tying better.

Beleive it or not, my tying has improved.


Rick