OKAY. What kind of swaps are of interest?

[Mark Vendon]

Hi Gig,

Allow me to opine on why swaps have, or at least appear to have, become passe'. As you identified, some swappers have passed away. Many, and I mean most of the early swappers from this site, appear to no longer participate here, and I go back about 12 years with FAOL. As evidence, I can go back through the 2 dozen plus swaps I was involved in here and I'm sure 90% of the swappers are gone from this site. Over the years swappers got tired of getting 'invented' fly patterns by participants. Some of us participated so we could get quality patterns for replicating and the 'invented' stuff was considered junk. Yes, life happens and sometimes swappers have emergencies that delay their tying. However, nuts like me would rather learn about those situations and suggest the swapper leave the swap rather than keep everyone else waiting. Then there were other swappers who simply 'forgot' or didn't respond to reminders or answer emails. Maybe people simply got tired of swapping? Again, just my opinion, $ costs have nothing to do with the lack of participation.

Maybe someone will come up with an interesting theme and draw a crowd. I'll keep checking and see if someone identifies one that interests me But I don't see enough interest in swaps anymore. Maybe 1 on 1 swaps will be the new methodology?

Allan

Hi Allan,

I haven't been in a swap in quite a while, but I think that Face Book and You Tube have had quite an impact on many of these forums. I've noticed that in the last few years, on many of forums, that they just aren't nearly as busy as they used to be. There may be many folks viewing, but not all that many posting or asking questions like they used to.

I have to disagree with your statement about "invented" patterns in swaps being considered junk back then. Some may not have been that great, but many had really good ideas on some patterns. Here's one that you may recognize that's around 12 years old. Would you consider this one junk now?



Regards,
Mark

[Allan]

Hi Mark,

Hey, I didn't make that one up, LOL. Al Caucci, a somewhat familiar author and fly fishing instructor known to some of us, showed me that pattern and had me tye a sh*tload of them to represent various mayfly emergers. It and the others were sold, in the shop at the Delaware River Club. Hey, thanks for remembering that swap. Did you try replicating it and if so, did it (or similar style pattern) do any good?

Allan

[Mark Vendon]

Hi Allan,

As a matter of fact, I replicate it in smaller sizes for Hendricksons and Sulphurs, just tweeking the body colors and sometimes useing turkey biots for the body instead of dubbing. It's my go-to emerger pattern when those are out and about and they usually really work well. I use a curved shorter hook at times too, like a TMC 2487, or 2488. The only time that I've seen trout taking March Browns was when they were duns, floating down past me on the surface wiggleing around. I've always been partial to snowshoe hair patterns anyway. You're right about so many folks that used to be on these forums that aren't anymore. I have all of those swap flies in the same Altoids tin, and it's kind of sad to see that most of these people are long gone as far as posting goes. That swap was actually on the old VFS forum which is long gone as well.

Regards,
Mark

[Gandolf]

Hi All,

I get in on swaps every now and then, but don't want to get tied in to a lot of them because of my time situation. I keep the flies from the swap for examples to use when I tie my own copies of the fly.

However, it has now been a relatively long time since I need flies for examples, as if I have a picture and hopefully a pattern I can normally easily tie the fly without an example.

I primarily fish for bluegills, and try to fish for other panfish when I can find them, so bluegill flies are my main interest. Thus, fly swaps for bluegill flies, or crappie flies, etc., are the fly swaps that are of most interest to me.

For me swaps can be something I worry too much about, because of being concerned that I won't have my flies sent on time. It has never happened, so that it shouldn't be a concern, but it still does concern me at times.


I guess for me I am about to the point that I don't need any more new patterns, and certainly no more for trout because I have now standardized on my trout patterns, so it is hard for me to get fired up to get into a swap. Again, the only exception would be for bluegill and crappie flies.

The swaps I have been in have all been great, and well run, so they have all been good experiences.

Anyway, those are the main reasons I don't get into swaps too often. However, even with what I wrote above, if a really good crappie fly swap came up I would probably try to go for it.

Thanks and regards,

Gandolf

[rvrwader]

Hey Allan,

I have been away from tying for a little while and just now starting to get to the point where I want to start swapping again. I have noticed on several sites that there doesn't seem to be a big interest. I was discussing it with my wife and I have a feeling the forum format for starting and administering swaps is not the best and has turned a lot of swappers off. Not sure if that is true or not but in the days of the old VFS Swap page it was very easy to start and administer a swap. I was just in a swap on another page and I HATED how it was ran through the forum. Not that same as in the old days.