Cdpaul,

There really is no 'ideal' time.

Obviously, to maximise profits, you want to tie each fly as quickly as possible without any sacrifice in quality.

The real key to true production speed is deliberate and repetitive over time. Tie each fly with the same motions every time. Find a tying rate that you can maintain comfortably over a tying session that lasts for a few hours. Remember to include breaks for the bathroom, getting beverages, etc., before you make any cost per hour decisions.

Many folks make the mistake of tying as fast as they can for a dozen or so flies, then think they can tie that way all the time.

Good Luck!

Buddy