Al Campbell, forwarded an e-mail that he got from Duane Treat (AKA
Handy) of Boise Idaho. The letter was regarding the Fly Tying Series,
which Al has done for Fly Anglers OnLine. The letter concerned itself
with a person with no fly fishing store near them, and how they could find
equipment and materials listed in the Fly Tying Series, or the Fly of the Week.
The letter also remarked on the price differences, between a name brand
item, how sometimes the off-brand is cheaper and better.
"I did not know, when I first started fly tying, that some of these items
have been copied by others, and are offered at a much lower price. I have
compared many of them to my 'name-brand' ones, and could tell no difference,
in some cases, I like the knock-off's much better." ~Duane
The letter was a eye opener for me, brought back the image of my old
Drill Sergeant yelling in my ear lobe, to NEVER ASSUME, PRIVATE! . . .
NEVER , EVER, ASSUME!
What some of take for granted, others are at a loss to understand or find a
solution to the problem. Where to find it, and how to get it.
You don't have to be 'Out In The Sticks,' to be unable to locate an item or
material. Sometimes it takes on the appearance of a scavenger hunt, looking
for something as simple as Boar's Hair (Peccary). Or you are looking for a
given hook to tie a certain pattern of fly. Either you are 'Out In The
Sticks,' or you're stuck with 5 fly shops that don't carry what you need.
What is a person to do?
Well the answer is so close that if it was a snake, you would have been
bitten. Here on Fly Anglers OnLine, there are 6 invited sponsors who deal
with fly tying equipment, supplies, or materials. When I said invited, that
means they were asked to become sponsors, because of their good name and
record, for dealing with the public. Sponsors are by invitation only!
These are not fly-by-night operations, or companies that are rude and
indifferent to the customer. Let me say that again, they were invited to
become Sponsors!
This is almost as good as the . . . "Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval!"
There is also another list on FAOL
of mail-order companies that deal with fly tying supplies. But as my
Grandfather always said, "Always deal with a well-established reputable firm!"
That is exactly what the sponsors of FAOL are.
Here is the list of the 6 Sponsors that deal in goods and materials for Fly Tying:
Hook & Hackle. . . located in Plattsburg NY. They have been in business 25
years. Order by e-mail, or by regular mail. Catalog available by mail or
online. 10% discount on first order in year 2001. A very reputable and
established company.
Hedron, makers of the Flashabou products. . . located in Stillwater, Minnesota.
You can e-mail them or phone. When I phoned them, they responded with a "Ya
Sur Yah Betcha!" (in Minnesota you can take a "Ya Sur" to the bank) we work
with people that have no local shops. A very well-known company and reputable.
Conranch Hackle. . . located in Elk, Washington. Owned and operated by
Dennis Conrad and his daughter Liz. He only sells direct to the
public, none of his hackles are sold to shops or stores. His chickens,
have longer pedigrees than my cats or myself. Dennis has been
raising chickens for 41 years, he has 16 different family lines
of chickens. JC and LadyFisher brought some of his pelts to the
Fish-In 2001, and I was tempted to smuggle them home. They are excellent,
feathers - and the price is right, a true bargain. A very reputable company.
BT's Fly Fishing Products. . . located in Boise, Idaho. Al
and Gretchen Beatty are both supurb tiers. They've put together
an affordable selection of tying products with you the tier and
fly angler in mind.
UNI Products . . . located in Ste-Mélanie, Québec.
Owned and operated by professional fly tier, Jean-Guy Côté,
UNI's products are tested at the bench and in the water
before appearing in their catalogue. If you tie Atlantic and
Steelhead patterns Uni is a 'must!"
Bob Marriott's Fly Fishing Store . . . located in Fullerton, California. I
have done business with them and I am completely satisfied with the
merchandise and service they supplied. Free shipping on orders over $100.
Catalog costs $5 but you get a $5 discount on your first order. You can
e-mail the order or send it in by mail. Very reputable firm.
So these are the 6 "Fly Tying Material and Supply" companies that are
Sponsors on Fly Angler's On Line. Go to the
Sponsor Page and click on any button for more information.
So thank you Al for forwarding the e-mail letter, and thank you Duane
for sending the letter to Al Campbell in the first place. It helped open my
eyes to something that I assumed everyone knew.
Oh - Oh, I used that bad word again! ~ Parnelli
Please check out the Fly Tying Section, on the
Bulletin Board, on FAOL too.
If you have any questions, tips, or techniques; send them along.
Someone else thought up most of this material before we did,
they just forgot to tell anyone about it. Or else we just
forgot about it, while learning something else. Let us
share with each other, all the things we know!
~ Steven H.
McGarthwaite (Chat Room AKA Parnelli)
|
