I will soon buy a substantial quanity of flies. There is an Orvis store not far from me here. Do they sell good quality flies? What say you? Thanks…
You are leaving a lot of speculation in that question. Where are you planning to fish, and for what species?
Orvis didn’t make a name for themselves by selling crap, so I would assume they have good flies available, but …
If you are going for bluegill and other sunfish, then a handful of cheap poppers from Walmart will keep you in fish all day.
Gary, there is also a Sportsman’s Warehouse off Hwy 65 - Blue Oaks exit. Probably 5 miles from the Orvis at the Fountains. The flies there are le$$ than Orvis and look pretty good.
I’ve used Orvis flies and they are well tied and good quality. There are some online stores that are about as good but less expensive but, unless you are buying them by the bushell, the shipping cost usually makes up for a lot of the price reduction.
http://www.flyfishingspecialties.com/ just down the road in Citrus Heights
http://www.kiene.com/ in Sac at Fulton and Marconi.
I would send you to either/or before I sent you to Orifice. That Roseville shop is the absolute worst shop I have EVER been in. Has made me never EVER want to visit an Orifice-only store…and this is AFTER talking to the manager about the service.
Spend money local, if you want to do the brick and mortar thing…keep the local shops in business.
I like Orvis. The only complaint I have is they are pricey and most of thier stuff is imported, even the flies. They have excellant quality and great customer service. Would I buy flies from them? Yup but, you will pay top shelf prices. There are many fly tiers on these fly fishing forums that I think you would get a much better deal from. Try to find one or two and see if they can deliver before you go to Orvis.
I say no. Too pricey for me. When I buy flies…very seldom these days…I have bought from these folks https://www.hillsdiscountflies.com/index.cfm Used to be a sponsor here and have nice flies and good service. Most, if not all of the flies are tied off shore, but so are the ones at Orvis as I understand it…
YMMV
Brad
The answer is yes. Orvis sells good quality flies…like they do everything else. You will lose them in trees, bushes, and fish long before they come apart. That they may be too pricey for some, isn’t a reflection on the quality.
Meanwhile, learn to tie. You may not save money, but you’ll tie flies to your specification. You won’t be hostage to the whims of a store that may no longer sell a fly you really like (the reason I learned to tie). Further, your knowledge base will expand significantly.
I have purchased flies from them and have been quite satisfied.
I have examined the quality of flies sold in certain fishing chain stores and am amazed at the quality. Not having been to an Orvis store in many years, i would think the flies they sell would fall into the same category. I would limit myself to the fly fishing chain stores e.g., Cabela’s, Gander Mountain, privately owned shops, etc., and not to the stores that sell fly fsihng goods as an added item however such as Walmart. Bes wishes
I agree that Hills Discount Flies is good; my go-to was always Blue Fly Cafe but I haven’t ordered for a while and it looks like they may be gone :(. Flyshack.com is another I’ve had good luck with. I’ve bought Orvis flies in the past and found them to be of good quality but pricey.
While I purchase a very limited amount of flies every year, the flies that I do purchase are from Orvis. I believe I bought a couple dozen Trico’s in assorted patterns for a trip that I found my boxes short on last summer? I was more than happy with them, even though I hate buying flies not tied in my vise. 
Their trout flies are very well tied and quite often the best sellers are $1.00 each. I have never found a “throwaway” from flies purchased there. However, I have in quite a number of other big shops over the years. I doubt that you would be unhappy with the quality you would find.
As with all things…you get what you pay for. My personal preference is to by local pattern from the places I’m fishing, tied by the local shop tiers. If that isn’t an option, Orvis has good quality flies.
I do NOT by “discount” flies. I’ve had enough experience with them to know that they lead to nothing but frustration. They are one fish flies, IF you’re lucky. The hooks often bend out, break when you debarb them or the fly breaks off at the eye, or the materials just fall apart. I don’t by discount hooks either, for the same reason.
i have had good luck with Miller’s Fly Shop in Tyler, TX. Service is fast; flies are economical; and good quality. If you spend $29, the postage and handling is free.
Bob
I found a shooting range several years ago that also dabbled in or vis fly fishing supplies,he had around 10 rod reels few accessories buy orvis and flies of course.I walked in one day and saw what he had left and offered a price for ALL,he bit and I bought.I still have some of the patterns in a large spares box 4-5 years later.I use to run a small bait shop and got a business in Cali. that sells to me now even though I closed the store.
While I agree with the general sentiment of supporting local shops, the Roseville Orvis store is actually quite well run. I do not know what happened to maodiver, but this is exactly the opposite of my experience. The staff has always been helpful and courteous, and the manager has gone out of his way to reach out to local fly fishers through the various local clubs.
If you are looking for cheap flies, online is the best source. If you are looking for local patterns, go to the local fly shops. The Orvis fly bins are necessarily more general, but from what I have seen of the flies they have, the quality is comparable to the other shops in the area.
Buck ‘n’ a half each now, I think.
Might want to give these folks a looksee. They are fairly new. I’ve ordered from them and have been satisfied. If you get on their mailing list they have specials from time to time. Can’t beat the prices.
http://streamflies.com/
Dave
I have purchased Orvis dry flies a few times. The hackles seem good and the flies are well proportioned and the ties seem solid. Like any commercial imported flies I have used the eyes are full of cement much of the time. The big improvement i have seen between Orvis and the cheap fly places like Hills is the quality of the hooks. Orvis flies are tied on much better hooks. For many of the cheap importers hooks are of fair to poor quality and that becomes a real problem with dry flies below about size 16.
david
Good answers. Thanks, folks…