This just doesn’t exist. Show me a fly tyer who’s saved money tying his/her own flies and I’ll show you a spin fisherman, LOL.
Allan
I never expected to save money tying flies, at least in the direct sense. But tying has definitely improved my fishing by aiding an education in entomology and providing flies that can’t be found in the shops. Tying has also kept me out of the bars, out of rehab, and out of therapy while providing an opportunity to meet some wonderful friends. All things considered, tying is quite a bargain!
Good fishing,
Arnie
I admit I don’t save money on the flies I tie. But if I wasn’t tying flies, I’d probably be engaging in some other vice that would cost me even more.
Don’t go there… That dog will bite you! HA!
For the most part I agree with you, but most of the flies I use are not available commercially.
You have to decide how much those flies are worth.
That means I have saved money tying flies.
Rick
It is possible, but, I would say, not for those who do it as a hobby. You have to be prepared to purchase your supplies in commercial amounts and limit what you tie. For example, barbless dry fly hooks that I use are 11 pence each, bought retail in packs of 50. By buying them in thousands I got them for 0.8 pence each. How many people would want to buy 20 000+ hooks at once? Another example is thread, A spool of Uni here is around 2:50 UKP for 200 meters. Guttermann Skala (finer and stronger but still polyester based) is under 10 UKP for 15 000 meters. That makes it just over 13 pence for 200 meters, but you have to spool it yourself.
These savings do not make sense if your 200 meter spool of thread lasts over a year. They do make a lot of sense for a commercial operation. That is how the flies that the shop buys can be so cheap. Generally speaking, tying for yourself, and maybe a few for friends, you are not going to save on buying them.
By buying cleverly, I’m able to supply flies to shops at similar prices to the commercial tying houses. The USP is the flies are tied by someone who knows how they work. Not someone who is copying a sample and has never seen a trout.
Cheers,
A.
I feel there are 2 types of fly tyers. You have those who tie for themselves and those who tie commercially and neither one ties to save money. The fly tyer who ties flies for themselves does it because it is relaxing and a very enjoyable hobby for them. They do not have to have the “top of the line” material and they cut corners where ever they can. Tying flies gives them the chance to be creative and the satisfaction of catching fish on their own patterns that cannot be purchased at a fly shop. The cost of material for them is an investment in a hobby that they really enjoy and they are not that concerned with making money or saving money. The only savings to them is their time looking in fly shops for a particular pattern which probably does not exist or would not be tied the way they want. For instance, most flies in a fly shop are not tied with any weight incorporated in the fly and maybe the local waters requires the fly to be fished deeper. Tying your own flies allows you to tie a particular pattern in the color you want and the size you want. The only person who ties to save money, in my opinion, would be a fishing guide who furnishes flies for his clients and this person would not have a room full of tying material.
The commercial tyer ties flies to make money and not save money and if you consider the many hours they spend each day at the tying vise, I question just how much money they actually are making. I would venture to say that a commerical tyer does not fly fish much because they just do not have the time. They do enjoy tying and making a little money from their many hours at the tying table. They also enjoy going around to different shows and tying and giving demostrations and lessons and making a little money from them.
So, neither group ties to save money. One group ties because they love doing it and it relaxes them and the other group does it to make a little money. The only person who saves money with tied flies is the fly shop owner because his only investment is in purchasing the tied flies and he has no money tied up in vises and tying material.
The casual tyer who starts to tie their own flies because they think they will save money usually does not stay with tying for very long once they see how much of their time will be needed and space. These are the tyers who save me money in material because it will not be long before they “dump” everything they purchased either on a “For Sale” board or e-bay. A commerical tyer will save me some money on material after the many years of tying has taken the toll on their health and they just cannot tie the many thousand flies required and when they sell off their material, it will be of the highest quality and at a price I can afford. To give as example would be the wonderful gentleman that posted in the Classifed Section of my latest Fly Tyer that he must, due to health reasons, stop tying commercialy and needed to unload a lot of his material that he would no longer need. I have purchased a good bit of his material and I must say, I am impressed with the quality and his prices. I posted a link here for him and I think several members here have purchased some of his tying material inventory. If anyone missed this post, just send a request for his material and prices to: materials@q.com and he will send you a PDF listing of material and prices. I can vouch for him and I think I have him convinced to become a member here on FAOL. We have shared many e-mails and I consider him a “friend” I never met.
I agree with Warren,For me,It is getting lost at the vise for a short period of time.
it’s either tie or gain 100 lbs. If I didn’t tie on winter weekends, I’d just sit around eating.
I have started tying this past year for the enjoyment of it. However I may save a little money or break even since I would have to drive an hour one way to a fly shop or order flies through the mail and pay shipping costs.
It really is enjoyable to catch a fish on a fly you tied. I got my first and others this past weekend.
Congratulations to you! It is just so much better to catch a fish on your own tie.
Warren,
I disagree with several opinions you state in your post, starting with, “The fly tyer who ties flies for themselves does it because it is relaxing and a very enjoyable hobby for them. They do not have to have the “top of the line” material and they cut corners where ever they can.” And there are other statements you make with which I disagree.
However, we’re all entitled to our own opinion and that’s okay. Disagreements are a part of this sport that often makes it so much fun.
Allan
Allan,
I have no problem with you not agreeing 100% with me because most people don’t! : ) I guess what I meant by the statement, " They do not have to have the “top of the line” material and they cut corners where ever they can ", was for the few that purchase a lot of their fly tying material from JoAnn’s, Hobbylobby and Wally World. Not saying there is anything wrong with that as long as the tyer is happy and is catching fish with their flies. I guess my main point was that I do not believe anyone who started tying flies and still is, is not still at it because they feel they are saving money. They are still at it because they find it enjoyable and relaxing and a great hobby.
Opinions are great as long as they are flexible and disagreements are great because they sometimes spawn creativity and when it comes to tying flies, creativity is a blessing.
I think that it is possible to save money by tying your own flies if you can stick to tying few patterns that you fish regularly and avoid getting into tying as a separate hobby. Quite a few years ago I taught a young co-worker with major budget problems to tie comparaduns, deer hair caddis and fox squirrel nymphs and soft hackles. I was able to give him some deer hair, a few grouse feathers and yarn to shred and blend for dubbing. He got a banty rooster from a friend for tailing . Adding a road kill squirrel meant he had only to buy hooks, thread and tinsel to tie flies that covered most trout and panfish needs. We haven’t worked together for many years but I think if he sticks to those patterns and continued to process his own hair and hackle he is still saving money even if he has to buy some dubbing.
rainbow,
(you can save money) “if you can stick to tying few patterns that you fish regularly and avoid getting into tying as a separate hobby.” Okay, well I guess that’s true.
Fly tying instructor to student: ‘I’m going to show you 2 patterns and they are all you’ll ever need to learn, the Green Weenie and the Wooly Bugger.’
30 years later that student says to former instructor: ‘Why didn’t you tell me that those 2 flies have 10,000 variants?’
Now I’ll make a statement and ask you: As a result of my hobby (obsession) with fly tying, I have in excess of 1-1/2 rooms of materials that have cost $000s. I will never use 1/100th of what I have and could supply at least 100 tyers for life. I wonder how many other tyers (you perhaps?) are roughly in the same boat?
Oh, I didn’t get into fly tying to save money and I really don’t know anyone who thought they could.
Allan
Hell. Now I’m feelin self righteous.
O.K. I’ll help cut the bill for one beginner. A friend just called and offered me some pheasants that he’ll bring around late tonight after he’s done dog training . These will be young birds and not as fully feathered as older birds so I’ll probably just pluck some feathers before skinning them. I’ll send the first beginner who has bothered to read this far a tail cluster and a pair of wing tips. They will go to the first one to respond on this thread
rainbow,
Nice gesture. Please make certain that those feathers are absent of any critters before offering them. You wouldn’t want some youngster or ‘newbee’ to find their materials infested with things that move.
Rainbow
I a beginner at tying and would be interested in the feathers.
Actually, they are some I saved from the last time he bought me birds so I’ve had them for a while. I’ll process replacements tomorrow. Beginners should still learn to quarantine all new materials. I’ve found bugs in fly shop materials too. tjulian, send me a p.m. with your address.