I found a place i can sell flies and just sat down and tied a half a dozen pheasent tail nymphs. It took me 23 minutes almost exactly. What is the ideal time for each fly?
tying commercially
I found a place i can sell flies and just sat down and tied a half a dozen pheasent tail nymphs. It took me 23 minutes almost exactly. What is the ideal time for each fly?
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
It Just Doesn't Matter....
Ah, a man that wants to stay poor forever. Commercial tying is a good way to never get to go fishing. When you turn your hobby into a job it usually is no longer fun. However, I wish you well with your endeavor.
The first thing you need to do if you have not done it already is to get a federal Employer Identification Number ( EIN). You will need this to pay the federal excise tax on the flies you sell. You will need a state business license and perhaps a local license. There could be more requirements in your state but these are the big ones.
I don't tie PT nymphs but your count seems a bit on the slow side. A way to tell where you need to be is to take 60% of the retail price your fly shop charges for the fly you are tying. That will way you an idea of what you will get paid for your flies. Then figure how many you have to tie to come up with enough for a profit after paying for material, overhead such as lights, heat, travel expense to deliver flies or shipping if you ship, and the wage you would need to earn.
Don't try to tie every pattern in the fly shop. Pick a few flies you like to tie and are good at and stick with them. Local patterns that are not available through the large commercial sources are a good bet.
Good luck with your venture.
fishbum
Alright thanks. I am a sophmore in highschool and we are requiered to get a work permit if we get a job, does anyone have a clue if this applies to fly tying. I figured that if i could tie during the late fall, winter and early spring when i dont do any fishing besides a few times out on the ice. Where do i go to get the EIN and buseness licenses. I figured it would be a good way to save some money for college expenses.
I have a meeting tomorrow morning with a guy from the Old Ausable fly shop in grayling.
Renowned Fly Tyers Al and Gretchen Beatty (and members here if I'm not mistaken) did an article on this in the spring 2007 Fly Tyer magazine on commercial tying. Try to find that article or else email them (albeatty2@aol.com) and see if they will send you an electronic copy.
As a possibly better way to get started take a look at the "fly market" on the J. Stockard site as a means of selling some flies. www.jsflyfishing.com/cgi-bin/category/31000
My ffirst inclinations (and my experience) is to agree witn fishbum, but upon reading your reply, I can tell you that I had a friend who was a very successful commercial tyer from the age of 13-17. He tied while watching television!
Good luck!
I just got done setting up with the guy and i am tying a sulfer emerger, size 16. He said for this pattern i get 11 dollars a dozen. He is selling me all of the hooks, thread and other materials at cost.
Having done more than several stints as a commercial tyer I can assure you it will not make you rich...
Start by preparing materials for at least a dozen flies at once... I would often do lots of 50. You want every piece of all materials to be as exactly alike as possible.
Count thread wraps and minimize their number as much as possible. Not only will the flies hold up better without excess thread, but they will all look more uniform.
Try to develop a rhythm with each material as it is tied in, again so everything is exactly the same...
Do not try to compete for speed until you have tied a LOT of the same fly. PT nymphs must be tied far faster than 4 minutes each to be worthwhile. Depending on the exact pattern a serious commercial tyer will do them well under a minute each.
It is impossible to compete with Third World sweat shops, so stick to big local complicated flies for maximum return on your efforts....
art
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote