Important Swap Items

There are a lot of new swappers poping up now and that is great I have had a lot of questions sent to me about being in and hosting swaps, so I figured I would post this again. I am not an expert and not the rule of thumb here.

The most important thing I consider in being in a swap is have fun, be patient and communicate, ask for help when you need it.

Here are some helpful things to consider when joining or hosting a swap. John

These are suggestions, that will help Swapmeisters and tiers to have a pleasureable swap and a good time.

It is important that Swapmeisters and Tiers communicate with each other thru PM or on the BB. Swapmeisters it is a good idea to check your post at least once a day, to see if you have any more swappers that have signed up, or in case any of your swappers have questions.

1- Swapmeister- When you post your swap, give a signup deadline, and a deadline for the flies to be in. Give instructions on what type of flies to tie. Give a total on the number of tiers for the swap. Give a total for the amount of flies needed for the swap. Give your instruction for mailing in flies. I usually post my addy after I have all tiers signed up. But if you are uncomfortable posting your addy you can also PM your addy to them. When the swap is full post on the BB it is full so other tiers won't be waisting there time trying to join the swap.

2- Tiers- When you join a swap please adhere to the deadlines. Post what type of fly you will be tying. (I also like to post the recipe for the fly I will be tying.) Please use PM 0r BB with the Swapmeister for communications about the swap.

3- Tiers- either post on the BB when you have mailed in your flies or PM the Swapmeister.

4- Tiers- When mailing your flies, please send them in a strong enough and big enough box to protect them and to hold all of the flies you will be receiving back. Mark the box with your name and address and your on line nickname. Mail them at least 10 days before the end of the swap so they will get to the Swapmiester by the deadline date or earlier.

5- Tiers- include in with your flies a self addressed envelope that is strong enough for the fly box you send and will receive back. Include postage (please do not use metered mail strips on return envelopes) or money (I do not recommend sending cash) in the proper amount to send the flies back to you. I also add Delivery Confirmaton to mine. I also put my online name on both envelopes. Plus the swap name.

6- Tiers- if you want your flies sent back to you Priority Mail be sure to include enough postage to cover the increased cost over First Class Postage.

7- Tiers- include with your flies a toetag (small piece of paper) with the name of the fly, your name or handle, and your email addy so the other tiers can email you for the fly tying instructions.

8- Swapmeister- when you receive flies from the tiers, let them know on the BB or PM them that you have received them.

9- Swapmeister- once you receive all flies from all tiers sort them, get them all packaged up and deleiver them to the post office in a timely manner. Notify all tiers either on the BB or by PM that you have mailed out the flies to them.

10-Tiers- when you receive the swap flies back in the mail notify the Swapmeister on the BB or by PM that you have received them.

11-Swapmeister when the swap is over and all have received there flies, if you can, send a pic of the flies to JC and LF. (I also post a pic of the swap flies on my site.) Then mark your post as Swap Completed.

12-Above all else everyone have a lot of fun with the swap and be open to suggestions and comments, we can all learn from each other.

This is just a suggestion, but not required. It is always nice to include a little extra for the Swapmeister for the work he or she does in conducting the swap.

John - This is awesome information!! Your website definitely helped me with my first couple of swaps and I would recommend that everyone ready your site before joining a swap!! These swaps have been a really cool experience for me and keep me at my tying table. I can't wait to actually host a swap, which I plan on doing soon, just trying to think up a good theme!!

Thanks Again, G

Good (and timely) post john. I'll be hosting a swap soon. I need to wait until a few of the swaps I'm currently in to finish though.

Thanks for your comments G. I am glad I was able to help you. Feel free to contact me any time i might be of some help. John

Thanks for your coments Griff, I will be looking for swaps from both you and GT2fly. John

Thanks for the info . This will be my first swap
and I wasn't exactly shure how to go about it .

I love the pics of some of the swaps you posted .
I can see where a person could learn alot and have some fun too. Once agin thank you .

Glad I was able to help you the red tosser. If I can help at any time please let me know. John

could we have this post as a sticky? It sure would be useful. Thanks.

What does it take to make a post a sticky?. John

John, the admin would place your swap info post in a permanent position at the top of the swap forum. Your post would be ideal because it explains fly swaps in good detail. I know that you have posted the topic previously and it would be an ideal sticky for new fly swappers. I expect that JC and Ladyfisher could accomplish this.
It would be labeled as a Sticky "Basic Fly Swap Information". Sometimes stickies are for viewing only and that makes sense since questions really ought to be fielded in the general swap forum. I think it to be a great idea. It would have served me well when I joined my first swap. ALso, it would obviate the need to ask how swaps work because the information would be the first post that folks would see under the SWaps topic.
Paul

I think that is a good idea also Paul. I remeber when I first came to FAOL. I did not know anything about swaps or how to run them. I had to learn by asking a lot of questions. I know some got tired of me asking. It would have been nice to have some sort of guidelines to go by. John

Yep. It can boil down to just 2 things for tyers and swap hosts:

1) Communicate. Post when you mail, post when you receive. Post your questions. It might help someone else, too.
2) Be on time. If you are late, you affect everyone else.

Don't be afraid to ask questions. Very few will mind, and most remember being new at this, too.
Another thing to do if you are considering hosting a new swap would be to go read a few swap posts from start to finish. Boring, but you will start to see the normal order of things and how they transpire. And start small on your first swap. Keep it to 6 or 8 so you can keep a handle on things, then you can really expand things after that if you want to.
If you don't have a camera, ask for a volunteer to take pics for you. Most times, someone will be more than happy to do it.

ol'blue, has brought up some very good points that should be very helpful to all of us. Thanks a lot. John

I thought I'd add another suggestion after a recent swap I did. When you send your return package, address it yourself or include a preaddressed label for it. I had one entry that hand wrote on the original package, didn't write the return info down anywhere else. I can't read the writing on the original package, so can't send it back to him. I have tried to contact him several times, but haven't received a response. So his package of flies are still sitting on my desk waiting for his info to ship back to him.

Very important idea. I always address both envelopes myself. I also put My online name and the swap name on both envelopes. John

When you are in a swap always try to mail you flies to the swap host 7-10 days before the end of the swap, so that they will reach the host by the deadline. As the deadline date is the date for the host to receive the flies not for you to mail them. If this is done everyone will receive their flies back in a very timely manner. John

I just signed up to join my first swap. I'm pretty excited!

What sort of box/envelopes do you like to use for sending the flies, so postage can be minimized? Can anyone post a picture?

Thanks for the help!

I always try to match the box for the flies I will be getting back. Most folks use Altoid tins. I do find them a little small some times. I buy the small utility lure boxes at Bass Pro or Walmart. For envelopes Most use an appropiate sized manila envelopes. To fit the size of your box. I like to use the bubble padded envelopes. I purchase mine at Walmart. Hope this helps. John

Here is a link to the brand of mini storage boxes I use for sending/receiving my flies. I picked mine up at Michael's craft store on sale at 2/$1. They are strong and sturdy and stockable as well. http://www.craftamerica.com/storage_...ers_page_6.htm

I have the 5 Compartment Plastic Mini Storage Container. Great for small flies to streamers.

When sending I use 2 different size padded mailers. One for returning (SASE) and the other slightly larger for sending. This method has worked great for the swaps I have entered.

Congratulations on taking your addiction to the next level. Have fun!

What does the swap host do? Does he mail the fly you made back to you or does he send it back to someone else?

You send in enough flies for each member of the swap (plus an extra or two for the swapmeister, for all their hard work).

So, if there are 10 people signed up for the swap, send in 10-12 of your pattern.

Once the swapmeister receives the flies from each participant, he/she will divide up the flies evenly (so each participant gets an example of each of the other flies, INCLUDING their own fly back), and returns the re-supplied boxes back to their respective owner.

Don't worry about getting your own fly back...using the Crayfish Swap as an example, you will now have a single box with 10 different patterns to review/use/copy. Its really nice to have all those examples (including yours) in one place. If/when you decide to use the flies, you just grab the box, and can easily compare the relative actions, colors, features, and success of the other tiers creations against your own. GREAT field test!

Thanks! I was very confused about what you did. Thank You! I think I will go join a swap now. :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by FishnDave

Once the swapmeister receives the flies from each participant, he/she will divide up the flies evenly (so each participant gets an example of each of the other flies, INCLUDING their own fly back), and returns the re-supplied boxes back to their respective owner.

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why not just tie enough for the swap??

if there is 12 people in the swap, just tie 11 flies! youre only gonna get yours back anyway!

Ya I was thinking about that. It seems funny, but maybe that extra fly is used so that the others can have the best flies possible. An insurance fly.

I usually ask for 12 flies from 12 tiers, as an example, so that the sorting of flies goes much faster. I don't have to worry about Joe the Plumbers not getting one of his own flies back. Everybody gets the same thing, and everyone has a complete set from the swap in case someone else is taking the photos for the swap.

REE

I also like getting 12 flys for 12 tyers. It DOES make the distribution easier. I once felt it was a good idea to send 11 for 12 tiers as I did not want mine back but after an email debate with a new friend (now) I have changed my mind. whenever I join a swap, I ALWAYS send a couple extra flys for the host. As a host, any extras I get are donated to "Casting for Recovery and Project Healing Waters" Two great orgs that teach women recovering from cancer and wounded/disabled vets how to fly fish. Being a disabled "nam" vet and having a scare with cancer, I can relate to them and will support them always.
jim the deserttrout

Here's what will probably be a stupid question, but what do the toe tags typically look like and how does a person go about attaching them to the fly. Just run the hook barb through the piece of paper?

One of these days I am going to participate in a swap and was just wondering how best to do it.

Thanks.

Rroy

Roy, a toe tag is a small paper, that has your on line name on it along with the name of the fly. You should include the recipe for the fly or your email addy so that other tiers can contact you on how to tie the fly. John

This is how I do mine.

bassman
Bread Fly
Hook: Mustad 3906 or 3906B #12
Thread: UTC 70 White
Body: White Poly Yarn
Wing: White Poly Yarn
Head: UTC 70 White Thread
Coat head with SHHAN

Bassman that realy helps me out, to understand what is going on and what they are about. I think I will be looking for a swap to get invloved in to try this out sounds like fun.

jeffcpr

Jeff glad this had been some help. John

I agree with REE. When you're separating the flies it is just so much easier to divide them equally. I always send a fly back, and expect it myself when I send out a swap box. It makes for an easy comparison as a tyer, but for the swapmeister, going through to make sure you have the right fly in the right box . . . I just make 12 piles and put a fly from each box in a pile, put 'em back in the boxes. You can't imagine how many times we've sat here counting flies, comparing who sent what, which fly is eliminated from which box, and so forth. Anymore it's just 12 piles, 12 flies, 11 boxes (and my generous pile!).

And the extra fly is a good thanks for the organizer. Some tyers send more than one, and sometimes even flies that are different than the swap. That's always fun!

For those who have either never entered a swap, nor hosted one, this is just a kick. Especially hosting one. I love to see how different people package and to witness the conformity of the dozen flies. This has helped my tying and made me more aware of what comes off my vise. I just finished sending out a deer hair swap I hosted here, expecting to see a whole bunch of mice and big hairy poppers only to have some of the most beautiful small trout flies come in, many with some incredible craftmanship involved. As a warmwater tyer, this just completely opened up a whole new world of tying ideas I didn't realize even existed. Before I swapped I just enjoyed the physical and creative side of tying. Swaps have expanded that immensely. What a great way to add to a hobby. JGW

I agree on the 12 also, What I do when I am hosting a swap is I have a 12 compartment plano box, as the flies come in I place 1 in each compartment, that way when the last set comes in they are all divided and I just have to place the flies from each compartment into the boxes that were sent to me. John

Okay, new topic for this thread. The September Swap was just announced. The latest reply said, "This is a monthly commitment, not a one off swap." What does that mean? I was interested in doing the hopper pattern swap, but if I do that one, I HAVE to participate in all the rest that come up for the year?

The swap of the month is an ongoing thing with a rotating swap meister who chooses the fly for the month. It involves a commitment to a monthly swap. If you want to do a regular one time swap of hoppers you could post it on the swap board and see how much interest there is.

Thank you for the info, Rainbowchaser.