Yes it can cost a lot. But it's a great hobbie to go with a pleasing sport. I know I've spent my share as a new tier
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Yes it can cost a lot. But it's a great hobbie to go with a pleasing sport. I know I've spent my share as a new tier
Talking about "fuzzy math", how do you figure 9.14 ounces per pound
to get the result you do ? I must have too much time on my hands also.
DDRRedneck,Quote:
so how do you go about dying YOURE cats??? ive found then when ever i put them into the microwave after soaking them in dye, and then vinegar, well...my parents always make me buy a new microwave. something about cat parts splattered all over the inside of it for some reason makes it a very unappetizing place to cook youre SPAM...
three pieces of equipment you must get.
1) welding gloves
2) mesh bag
3) blow dryer.
I won't say any more lest I get into even deeper trouble than I already spend most of my life. :)
Jeff
You guys are doing this the hard way...
Use Rit dyes. Put them in a spray bottle. They come in all the primary colors, which, if mixed properly will let you make ANY color you want...just takes some experimenting...(Use the kids for this, they'll think it's cool...)
Cats are curious creatures.
Just lay a cardboard box on the floor where the cat can walk into it. It will.
Once the cat is inside the box, flip the box upright and while the cat is disoriented and trying ro figure out gravity, spray a band of color onto it. You can even be petting the cat and soothing it while you do this if you can keep from gagging....
Let the cat out of the box, and replace the box on the floor...the cat will come back soon (they aren't too bright, these cats)....still curious, you see...
You can add 'bands' of the appropriate colors to the cat until you've got it covered.
Now, to set the 'dye' you need some warm water mixed with vinegar. Place this in a tub. Put the cat into a mesh bag....here's where those gloves come in handy...warm water, not too hot, don't want to cook the kitty...
Dip the bag with the cat in it into the water, making sure to cover the whole cat.
Don't leave it in too long. Cat will drown (unless that's not a problem for you, but if that were the case, we could have gone about this in a much more civilized fashion).
Be sure to let the cat out of the bag BEFORE the significant other or cat owner returns.
I've found that if you let the cat out of the bag with others present, the results can be bad.
Buddy
Warren, I have the sort of fly tying bench where people can get lost, too, especially small children. GPS help a lot... <sigh> Unkind people have suggested cleaning it up with a shovel. Still, I like a pile of feathers and fur that can occaisonally catch a stray zephyr of wind and ride a bit. They never go far. I like to think of it as practice for some fine, Spring day when I tie that fly onto my leader, spot a fish, and gracefully flick that sucker 20 feet up a maple tree... (I hate it when reality buts in to my daydreams.)
Ed, who hasn't hardly touched fly tying since before Christmas and is suffering for it.
Ummmmm... $1,837.50/ounce x 16 ounces/pound = $29,400/pound.
$1.75/fly x 12 flies x 7,000 grains/pound x1/5 grains = $29,400/pound.
That math works. The units cancel out properly. Math rules peacefully. The Zen has found balance and harmony.
Ed, for whom "Ohm" is a secret code word of The Resistance.
This is an interesting one. I was with a pro-tyer the other day and we looked at some "shop bought" flies at $1.50AU ea, that's about $1.35US right now. These flies were real good, so we discussed the ol' "tying to save money" myth.
Now don't shoot the messenger, I tie because I like it. But has anybody worked out the total cost of tying, not just the average materials component?
I have spent thousands on desks and lights and tools and crap and endless boxes of various fluff just so that I actually have in stock the precise bit of fluff, the right hook, and the means to assemble it all.
The cost must be WAY in excess of that $1.35 each?
Other than hooks and dry hackle and a few other components, most material is very cheap. When you average out the cost of tools over many thousands of flies, it doesn't work out to much. But in our comparison, we've specifically excluded the most expensive part of a store-bought fly; labor.
I'm not going to bang out calculations, but I figure I make (or save) about $6/hr when I'm at the vise vs. buying retail. Flipping burgers pays more than that. But the satisfaction I get from tyiing flies and catching fish on flies I tied is priceless.
So, I'm not gonna quit my day job. But I'm not gonna stop tying flies, either.
Maybe that's the point I am missing. It depends how many you tie. I guess if you are like me and tie half a dozen here and there then you are financially better off to buy them. If you can tie thousands, then you would have to be ahead. I'd still like to see some figures, just for fun, on some relevent costings though.Quote:
When you average out the cost of tools over many thousands of flies, it doesn't work out to much.