Your investment

[Eight Thumbs]

Mantis makes an excellent point as usual. The cost of fly tying materials really depends on the number of species and the the number of locations that one wants to tie flies for. Just about any species, say trout, in say the Smokies, can be generously provided with flies for $60-$200. Add bass in a local lake and you add another $60-$100; less because you already have the tools. Add $100-$200 for bluefish on the coast; more because of the expensive hooks and amount of material used. The list grows as you add each new fish or new area. Granted there is overlap but versatility makes tying more expensive.

Then there's that nasty old collecting bug to deal with. I know that bug well---it bit the heck out of me. 8T

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You had better learn to be a happy camper. You only get one try at this campground and it's a real short camping season.

[eaustin]

I only fish for trout, and have spent somewhere in the neighborhood of a zillion dollars on my fly tying obsession. But that's just me. If you're just going to fish one river, say the Mad in Ohio, and you want to do it right, you'll need: Streamers, big nymphs, Blue Quills, Quill Gordons, Stoneflies, Parachute Adams, and San Juan Worms just for the spring. You'll need ants, beetles, smaller nymphs, Caddis, Sulphers, Red Quills, Hendrickson Emergers, Cahills, March Browns, Green Drakes, Brown Drakes, and Olives for late spring into summer. Did I mention that you'll need these in various sizes and types (emergers, spinners, duns and cripples)? You'll need more terrestrials in the summer, and Polish Woven Nymphs and different Caddis. In the fall you'll need midges, Baetis, and small flymphs. You're not going to fish one season even decently for $200. And it all changes completely when you go to Montana for your trip. So my advice to beginners would be, get rich.
Eric

[Eight Thumbs]

Hi eaustin,

I enjoyed your post immensely. One of the really great things about this board is the wide diversity of opinions. I guess for some tyers I should have added another $200 for each season that they plan to fish. I do belief that your advice of getting rich will really help most of us when we need a large mobile home to contain our growing collection of hides, feathers, and other assorted goodies too numerous to mention.

One the other hand, there are Hummers and VWs. With a frugal selection of tools (such as a very sericable vise for $20 from Hook and Hackle, $5 for a pair of scissor, homemade bodkin, and $7 bobbin) and a careful materials selection, (Indian capes, hunting friends, craft shop and Walmart shopping), I believe that I could tie your list of flies for under $200. You have a good deal of material overlap in many of your flies and some like ants, beetles and San Juan worms can be tied with scraps of material. I believe the greatest challange would be the number and style of hooks that you would require. I'll stand by my estimate of $200 but that's just my 2% of a dollar

BTW, if I ever run out of flies when I'm on the stream, I sure hope that you're fishing next to me. Sounds like you must have a tackle shop and a half in your vest. Take care! 8T

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You had better learn to be a happy camper. You only get one try at this campground and it's a real short camping season.

[lou t]

remember: Ninety percent of Fly Tying is the accvumulation of stuff!

It is nice to have what you need and might find a use for down the road...lol

[mickporter]

This all comes down to the same old argument. I suppose you could if you wanted tie perfectly good flies that trout or salmon would eat with very little outlay. Just stuff you pick up here and there.

But for some of us fly tying is just more that making serviceable flies. Its creating flies, collecting materials (most of which cost the earth and probably will never be used anyway!), and trying to create something which matches the hatch or copies a recipe handed down through generations.

For example a sawyer nymph.... Can this nymph be tied with anything other than the correct chadwicks wool in that exact shade that Sawyer used? Of course it can, and it will still catch trout. It matters very little whether the wool used is lighter or darker it still works fine and represents lots of emerging nymphs. But can you still call it a sawyer nymph?? I could look in my wifes sewing bag and find some grey or beige wool and the trout would never know the difference, or I could pay lots of pounds and buy a card of the exact shade!

Spend little or lots you can still make flies!!!!

[This message has been edited by mickporter (edited 14 November 2005).]

[WarrenP]

I also teach a Beginners Fly Tying class and have been for over 5 years. It is by no means a "uptown" fancy class. I limit my classes to no more than 6 students and teach at the local Junior College. The question on what I should buy always comes up and I have always told them to not purchase the kits due to having material they may never need since the kits will enable cold water, warm water and salt water fishermen a small amout of material to tie those flies. I recommend to them to just purchase a vise and tools to tie flies. I recommend that they not purchase the cheapest vise nor the most expensive vise. I then recommend that they purchase the "Fly in The Box" kits. I recommend that they purchase this kit since it will give them just the right amout of material to tie one dozen of a particular pattern. They need to tie one pattern over and over and try to improve on each fly as they tie it. As they progress with their tying, they can purchase material to tie the flies that they intend to use on their local waters. If they should decide that tying is not for them, they can easily sell the tools and vise. If they get the "bug" as bad as I have it, then they can invest mega bucks into tying material for their collection! I have more tying material than I will ever use and will continue to purchase more just because I love it. Since I furnish all vises and material for my classes, I do get rid of some of my collection of material at the classes in the teaching part plus I usually give material away to the students to get them started. I would never recommend that they go out and purchase a lot of material at the beginning for the simple reason that they have no idea what they need or if fly tying is something they want to continue with. If they fall in love with it, may God be with them and make sure you have a large enough room! I know I love it and the room continues to shrink!!

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Warren