Hi everyone,
I found the thread titled ’ Beginning Fly Tying" very interesting in the responses given. I am quite curious as to why many of you tie. It looks as if there are many different reasons, and I’m interested in pin-pointing some. I think it is an interesting subject that we can shed some light on for those just beginning. Perhaps it will help them look more at tying flies for themselves.
Thanks,
Mark
Well, I’ll start off Mark. First off, you will not save money tying your own. Oh sure, once you accumulate all the materials and tools you can save a lot on a particular fly-- if you don’t amoritize all the stuff you have accumulated.
I think tying is a rewarding hobby itself. There’s a certain satisfaction in catching a fish on a fly you made, and possibly on a rod you made. It sort of stimulates the creative juices that lies in all of us, and, lets face it, we can’t all create music and paintings.
Lastly, I think if you learn to tie flies you will be far more aware of what constitutes a well made fly when you go to buy some flies. I still buy a lot of flies even though I’ve been tying for over twenty years.
Dave
Good question and does make one think…
Some say it is to save money and when I give that some thought, that could be true if you are only tying flies for your area and for yourself. I know that for me I wanted to tie flies just because I wanted to be creative and see if I could come up with patterns that worked locally but could not be purchased in the fly shop. Just because a fly shop sells certain flies does not mean that those flies work on your local waters. Now if they tie there own flies to sell and they provide guide service, than one could assume that the flies being sold do work on the local waters.(notice I said assume)
I tie flies because I really do love anything to do with fly fishing and tying flies is one. It is something that I can do at home and be with the family if needed. Fly tying could be called my hobby. I cannot remember when I have ever purchased a fly. I am always on the internet looking at other fly fishermen’s patterns that work for them and if I feel it may work on my local waters, then I will sit down and tie that pattern and then let the fish tell me if they like it or not. I have one pattern that was a steelhead pattern and I thought it looked like something my trout would like, so, I down sized everything and tied it. It is my “go-to” fly during certain times of the season. I love fly tying so much that I have been teaching a Beginner’s Fly Tying class at the local college for the past 12 years. I teach it in March and October. It is one night a week for 3 hours and lasts 5 weeks. I furnish all tools and materials and handouts. I limit the class to 6 students only so that I can spend time one-on-one. I do not teach it to make money. The total cost the college charges, since it is sponsored by the college and they keep the money, is $65 per person.
I tie flies because I love it, it relaxes me because it takes total concentration which makes me forget about the world, I love to teach others the art of tying, I love catching fish on my own creations and I can tie whatever fly I want for whatever species of fish I am going after and do not have to rely on a fly shop being open or maybe not having what I am looking for. Yes, I have a lot invested in tying material, but, I at least have it and it will not go to waste plus it does not have a “shelf life” and a little material will make a lot of flies. I have enough material that I even give some away to other new comers to the art. It means a lot to me to know that I have mastered the fly tying enough that I can at least fool most of the species of fish here that I fish for. I looked at fly tying as a challenge and just knew that I wanted to learn the art and that I would enjoy it. I looked at furled leaders as a challenge and contacted Kathy Scott and purchased her DVD and now make my own furled leaders. I guess I feel if my local fly shop closes, I can continue on and provide for myself. I do not like knowing that something that I enjoy as much as I do fly fishing, can come to a halt if the local fly shop closes the doors.
I guess fly fishing provides me with peace, a place to get away from everything, a way of enjoying what Mother Nature has provided and being able to provide my own flies gives me the freedom to do that and not have to rely on someone else or shop to furnish them or not go because I did not have the funds at that time to purchase some flies to use. Lets face it, I have all the fly rods and reels I need, can tie my own flies and I can make my own furled leaders and if you take care of your fly line, it will last for several seasons. So, if you add all that up, tying flies can help you to save some of your hard earned money and fly fishing is one sport that is not very expensive to enjoy unless you must have every new thing that comes out each year. As long as you can afford to put gas in your vehicle to go to and from the water, that will be your only expense and my Ford Ranger gets me 28MPG.
Sorry for the long post…
I am not a tyer as of yet, but I can tell you the reason why I want to learn to tye. I am going to tye for the enjoyment of catching fish on something that I made with my own two hands. Second, I am going to tye to have a hobby to escape too after work. I don’t know that I will save much money, but I just hope to have fun.
I will weigh in on this one. I tie for the relaxation and tranquility. I am able to put just about everything out of my mind. I am not under any pressure to tie x amount to make a buck. I am not under any pressure to assure a fish will like them. If they do, great, it’s the bonus or icing on the cake.
It definately will not save you money to tie your own. The feeling of “Getting lost” is worth every penny. Some day, I might even learn how to tie a fly.
One of the reasons, not usually mentioned, is that tying is a craft that in itself can give you a sense of accomplishment. At my age I no longer fly fish but I still tie and even enjoy leading beginner’s classes. I can try different techniques that are suggested by others or even try to develop some of my own. There are always new materials to be evaluated and all the Information can be passed on to others. It’s a great hobby.
I have wanted to tie since the first time as a kid I saw someone tie at the Sports and Boat Show. I never forgot that day. When my doctor told me about 7 years ago I needed to relax or stress was going to do me in the first thing I thought of was learning to tie flies. Did a Google search and found Al Campbell’s beginner’s series and then took lessons at my local fly shop. Tying has been the best therapy I have ever found to release stress.
to save money
Well, to me it has to be because I can create whatever I want to to try and make an example of what I have been shooing away from my face.
I see bee like insects, and of course mosquitoes, and fly’s (the real kind), and I try and make something that works and looks like it.
Saving money? Well, I think I’d better live to be 150 to get a return on the investment to tye my own fly’s. 
I think it is fun to tye my own fly’s. Sometimes I tye up some stupid looking thing, cut it off the hook, and start over on the same hook. When I dismantle a fly I have tyed, the loss of materials is amazingly small, like 5-6" of thread, one hackle feather, usually that is it. But maybe a little pinch of dubbing, or an inch of chenille. So the biggest “loss” is my time. But I chalk that up to experiance.
If cost is of that much of a concern, just buy your fly’s, you’ll be money ahead.
But if you like to refine yourself, if you want to try and be creative, and partake in the joy of making your own fly’s that even catch something…
Tye your own flys.
I even tyed some hat pins for my Father-In-Law for Fathers Day. Now THAT was having fun with tying my own!
I also make a few rods for Family. To me it is fun.
To them it is a treasure they will cherish long after I am gone…
You can’t always be where you would like to be (on the creek), but what sez you can’t enjoy your free time in a way you’d like to? (so far there is no legislation against fly tying) :rolleyes:
Thank You Ray, and God Bless you, Sir.
My Daddy taught me a lot of things. And one of the most important was to respect my elders.
There are times I just watch and don’t fish myself. It is in those times I teach.
Hoping to share and pass along things taught, and things learned.
I tie to more closely match the flies that are around where I live. Take for example early little black stones. So many of the commercially tied early black stonefly nymphs are so bulky that they really are not a good match, I tie mine thin and sparse. I like to be creative and make patterns my own. I guess my overall answer would be that I can make them exactly how I want them…Call me a control freak:D
Save money?:rolleyes: I have walls of material and bought some more yesterday. Looking back, once I started tying I began to “get” and cover all the life cycles of various bugs. I didn’t really do that when I bought flies, just drys and nymphs.
I, and my wife, tie flies so we can have something else to throw our money away on. We have enough material to outfit a modest fly shop, and still find more stuff that we really “need”.
VEE, my lovely wife, is an artist that works in just about every medium imaginable. This artistic talent comes out in her tying as well. Besides letting her catch fish on flies she tied, it’s a pure artistic outlet for her, from a size 22 trico spinner to a full dress Atlantic Salmon Fly, her flies are works of art.
I started tying because I couldn’t find a shop that had a fly selection that was geared toward the local bugs and fish species. Many years and flies later I tie flies because I’m using flies that were designed hundreds of years ago and aren’t available in fly shops anymore. I also find it relaxing to sit at the vise and tie. I just enjoy it.
REE
Saving money is a matter of scale. Several times I’ve done a rough calculation of the amount of money that I’ve saved by tying my own flies, and I’ve always come out way ahead. Enough so that even giving away several hundred flies to a good cause and a couple hundred dollars worth of surplus inventory to a deserving person last year, I am still way ahead of the game.
If you fish not too much, or you tie as a hobby, or you lose a lot of flies when you do fish, you probably come out on the other end of the scale. But if you are enjoying the process, so what ??
Two other points for me. One, I like well made things, generally. And I found that most flies I bought when I first started fly fishing were not well made. The ones I tie myself reflect a theme - effective, simple, durable. Second, I have gotten to the point that I have enough experience fly tying and fishing that I can be creative and come up with my own patterns - and that is very enjoyable. It is particularly enjoyable when someone I only know through the Bulletin Board asks for a recipe and tying instructions on a fly that I came up with, and then gives me feedback that it worked for him / her.
John
I tie solely to produce flies the way I like them, and to have them when I need them. I have probably reached the break-even point on money savings (after 32 years and change). I do NOT tie to make pretty things, to copy someone else’s patterns, to experiment with materials or new techniques or new bugs, to save money, for relaxation, or for any other reason.
The reasons for me, which is the same as most of you, is to produce something that better fits the area I’m in. Also, to catch fish on a fly you tied yourself, especially a wild fish, is great. I also tie a few patterns for friends that work great but are hard to find commericially.
It’s also very peaceful to me. I put on music and veg out. It’s a different zone. I also made the tying desk I use out of 30 year old cherry from my uncle.
As far as saving money, HA. If I wanted to save money I’d stop fishing and tying.
Jeremy
yup, saving money, passing time, reducing stress, pride of creation, all of that is good.
i’ve made a lot of friends tying flies. first in class. then virtually, on the web. there are a lot of fly swaps on the web, and sometimes the folks running them are very friendly. sometimes the folks participating are very friendly. on occasion i’ve asked for a recipe for a swap fly, and have never been turned down.
when i meet other anglers, there is something else to talk about, and i can learn more from people i meet. anyone who ties flies seems to like to talk about it–including me! 
I started tying because I couldn’t see paying money for something I could make myself. I have a hard time judging whether what I’m looking at in the shop will work on the water. Plus, when you pick out a half dozen flies, and realize you just spent $10, Ouch. Then you realize that same $10 will buy a 25 pack of hooks, some dubbing, a spool of thread and maybe a small pack of strung feathers, you go “Hmmmmmm…” That’s where the Save money idea comes from.:rolleyes:
When I’m sitting at the vice, I can experiment and modify to my hearts content. I doubt if even half of the flies I’ve tied have gotten wet. I put them in the box or baggie, and there they stay. I just enjoy the process. I like watching the flies (usually:o) improve as I get to the third and fourth flies. Of course, after about the fourth fly, my mind wanders, and I just have to wait and see what it’s gonna be when I’m done.
Kirk
I tye, therefore I am!
When I finally made the decision to get serious about fly-fishing, I bought some flies at a local Sportman’s Warehouse, and Scheels sporting goods. Also bought some on-line from Bass Pro & Cabela’s. NEVER really thought I’d be interested in tying my own.
But…then I found out some of my store-bought flies worked really well. I needed more! But then I could never find some of those patterns at the stores again. I felt like I HAD to start tying my own. So…I started.
I learned that I DO enjoy it. I don’t tie fast, nor do I tie large volumes of flies…yet I tie way more flies than I could ever use (and I fish a LOT). I don’t do it to relax or to unwind…that is just a very real side benefit.
Tying flies may not be for everyone. But I don’t think I’ve ever heard anybody say they were SORRY they tried it!