Your investment

[Ray Kunz]

At Tying classes the question comes up asking how much will a beginner have to spend on materials before he/she feels they can handle most of the patterns they expect to tie. My answer is that they will never stop buying stuff and that you can do a lot of substituting, at first, if needed. But this does not answer the question. Maybe I should ask you folks about how much you spent before you reached a point where you only replace items or try newly offerred products. We provide a package of about $60 in material each for our classes but when I claim they should expect to dig for about $2000 if they include a hook assortment and a couple books they panic.

[PaulM]

Ray, I think this is somewhat dependent upon the individual. I have two friends that are much thriftier than myself and can tie a good range of flies with a much more modest budget. I?m compulsive with my tying and love to have as many options as possible with my tying patterns. I would be willing to wager that a modest tier could probably tie a very good selection of local patterns in the $500-$1000 range. Both of my friends tend to tie very little in the way of dry flies that require the more expensive genetic hackle. I think this is one area where they can save a bundle. I also believe they tie a smaller range of hook sizes and stay to a few basic hook styles.

[dudley]

Maybe I'm not a good example because I'm so *(%#$@!$! cheap, but I haven't bought much of anything but thread and hooks for years.
I have a few 1/2 necks but also use India necks.
A lot of my other feathers came from hunters.
Furs.. roadkill, old fur coats, and hunters, also free.
I might pick up something in a craft store or Wallyworld. Fairly cheap.
Tying is not my hobby, fishing is, so I tie what I need to catch fish, not look pretty in the box.
Tying my own flys is very economical for me.

I think I can safely say that I haven't spent more than $600 in the last 25 years


[This message has been edited by dudley (edited 11 November 2005).]

[RickB]

I think it depends on what you are tying and your approach. You can get some very good deals on packages of stuff to build your collection from EBAY and from some of the bigger shops like Cabellas. As mentioned, you can get a lot of tying materials cheaply from craft stores, xMart and don't forget to make friends with a hunter and visit your local taxidermist to see what you can get cheap or free.

There are lots of ways to go about it and you will end up spending as much as you want too (and more than you significant other wants you to!).

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Fish more, work less!

[William Fitzgerald]

Ray I sure would like to own the local fly shop to supply the $2000 of material that you feel it would take to tie. The $60 sounds like a better start. Now if you feel one should buy a $600 vice when a $30 will do then maybe.
I have been tying longer than most on FAOL and feel you should tell the students to buy what they need for each pattern. Some of my friends have a hundred spools of thread and probably use less than a dozen colors or sizes. I must use 6 or so. One bucktail at a time 2 necks 2 saddles 5 or so different hooks sizes.

As a teacher I would never tell my student that it would take x number of dollors to tie. It would be up to the patterns he or she would want to tie.
I also have many hunters to supply pheasent,duck,turkey skins and deer hides and tails. A few road kill red grey and black squirrel tails.
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Bill




[This message has been edited by William Fitzgerald (edited 11 November 2005).]

[irondragon013]

I'm a rather spastic tyer myself. I like to have many material options but I also like to find a good deal on most of my tying materials.

[Bob Widmaier]

I agree with Bill and the approach for the beginner is to buy what you need for each pattern and eventually you end up with a spectrum of materials for a variety of flies. Perhaps the basic cost figure should include a basic vise, essential tools, thread, etc. Also, I think it is important to present tying flies as a hobby and as hobbies go, it is not very expensive.

Dr Bob

[ducksterman]

I agree with Dr. Bob. When I started out I had this false idea I needed to cover all possibilities. Because of that and the fact that I'm also a materials junky I've ended up with a alot of stuff I don't need. Worse.... because I got stuff before I had the expertise to know good from not so good.

[clyde holmes]

I will second what Rickb said about taxidermasts. I stopped by one in Bend or and walked away with carabou,moose,elk,deer,and black bear.

[mantis]

Hmmmm, Taking for granted that the new tyer is serious about tying at least to the point where they want to tie enough flies for their personal use. You then have to consider what the new tyer fishes for...Salt water? Bass? Trout? Panfish, Salmon? Say it's trout. I would go thru your locale season of hatches and see what you need to tie the half dozen or so major hatches. Nymphs spinners and soft hackles require inexpensive material. Dries? You can probably get by with 4 half necks, Griz, Br, Cr and dun., a half doz packs of dubbing, to cover the various cr, brs and oliv, winging material...woody, and a couple of other feathers for winging,...lot of people like parachute , post on. They will need some light and black thread, 6/0 or 8/0. also several different types of hooks in different sizes.
If they are into salt water they will want heavier thread more expensive hooks, and a good assortment of synthetic materials.
If their primary concern is bass... then deer hair, foam and cork for poppers... So what if they want to do it all??? We haven't even talked about tools yet? It can get up to several hundred dollars in a big hurry..
God forbid they want to get into featherwing salmon fly patterns using original and natural material/...A couple of years ago I saw a prime Indian Crow go for $2,400. A damaged one went for $1,800. And this is a small bird!
Sure you can catch fish on flies tied with generic materials... Some are frugal enough to do that... However in most fly tyers that is not the nature of the beast.
Most clubs and TU chapters hold flea markets.. great place to get a $3 pack of dubbing for a quarter or a half a buck..No one is going to have enough or big enough assortment for $60...not $200 either. Yup! It's going to be a min of $600 and B4 they know it...They will hit a grand... and that is with a simple under a hundred dollar vise.... Good luck...
Everything seemed simpler in the 1940's and 50's didn't need all this fancy and high priced tools and materials...
Heck, if they are trout fisherman, just teach them how to tie a Klinkhamer...they win't need any other fly.