Cheap Fly Tyers

[canadagrey]

Why is it that a lot of Fly Tyers are so cheap?

:derby racer:

They would drive across town to buy 1 pack of hooks just to save a nickel.

I don't get it.

They don't seem to worry about quality, consistancy.

I believe all fly tyers would save money if they only bought the materials that they will actually use rather than having boxes and boxes of stuff that they will never use. I count myself in this category.

My time is the most expensive part of tying flies.

[DonAndersen]

Fly Tiers are just further down the evolutionary chain. First there are cheap fishermen then comes cheap fly tiers.

Gotta remember, fly tying is about saving money.

 

catch ya'

 

 

Don

[maxwell]

Why is it that a lot of Fly Tyers are so cheap?

:derby racer:

They would drive across town to buy 1 pack of hooks just to save a nickel.

I don't get it.

They don't seem to worry about quality, consistancy.

I believe all fly tyers would save money if they only bought the materials that they will actually use rather than having boxes and boxes of stuff that they will never use. I count myself in this category.

My time is the most expensive part of tying flies.

 

 

i here ya dude! its all about mass production and tying the flies that i need for the upcoming season! i personally agree with buying quality materials over quantity but for some who are getting into tying or dont have a ton of expendable cash too get top notch hooks, feathers or wuteverdont justify it.. kinda like rods reels and line! do u only own highend 1000-2000 doller rod reel line combos BRB? i think alot of people get into flytying got the artistic/creative side of things and love too get new materials/mediums too create new flies with and what is wrong with that? is it hurting your pocketbook that someone buys things they dont need but want? or are u just looking to stur the pot?

[brownonbow]

Fly Tiers are just further down the evolutionary chain. First there are cheap fishermen then comes cheap fly tiers.

Gotta remember, fly tying is about saving money.

 

catch ya'

 

 

Don

 

It's been my experience that tying flies and saving money don't go hand in hand.

[jordo]

It's been my experience that tying flies and saving money don't go hand in hand.

 

On the bright side it's much easier to hide a bag of 5$ feathers than it is a new 500$ fly rod

[headscan]

I bought some tubes from the fly shop today instead of an auto parts place, but I also bought imitation jungle cock eyes because I won't spend $150 or so on a real cape. I'm not sure if that makes me a cheap fly tier or not. Where are we drawing the line on this one?

[canadagrey]

Don: It would have been a heck of a lot cheaper buying flies than what I have invested in tying equipment and materials. Granted by tying I have the opportunity to tie flies that I can't buy or to tie something that I don't have but when out for the weekend I can tie some up for the next day. The biggest advantage that I attribute to tying my own flies is that once I started to tie I then became more aware of the entomology and the relationship to fly fishing, thus making me a better fisherman. I'm not necessarily the best fisherman but I'm a way better than I would have been if I wouldn't have tied my own flies. Plus this passion has also given me the opportunity to meet some great people I otherwise wouldn't have known.

Maxwell: Nope, Don't own a $1000-2000 outfit. Top end would be a couple in the $600 range. Going to have to win the Cane Rod that Don Anderson made that we are raffelling. My intent was that a large number of tyers seem to be cheap. Not that they don't spend a lot of money, lots do but I guess my thoughts are with so many people shopping on the internet etc. for the majority of their stuff they don't realize the impact on the local shop. I realize if you are looking for a certain specific item, this may be your only opportunity to source. My experience is that if you get to know the local people in the shops, their advise and recommendations may save me money rather than buying some new dubbing at a super low price when I probably have 30 plus styles and 15 colors of each (or more I'm afraid to look)

[canadagrey]

Headscan:

I would probably use imitations as well for fishing. If I were tying display flies then the Jungle Cock would require the investment. Thank God my tying not any where good enough (all my ties are cripples)

that I don't tie Full Dress Salmon Flies. If you want to talk about spending money on materials and a specific size and or quality these guys are unbelievable. When it comes to the artistic part, heck I have trouble drawing a STICK MAN.

[Guest 420FLYFISHIN]

a dime here and a nickle there can turn into a boat but more then likly it turns into more tying stuffs. lol.

 

The things i have a problem with are the pricing on cones heads and such. Is it really worth $10 for 12 tube cones...If you do a bulk China order they are pennies each (eye weights too). Im not saying they should not make a profit off these i just dont like how much they are.

 

 

[cuttbow]

a dime here and a nickle there can turn into a boat but more then likly it turns into more tying stuffs. lol.

 

The things i have a problem with are the pricing on cones heads and such. Is it really worth $10 for 12 tube cones...If you do a bulk China order they are pennies each (eye weights too). Im not saying they should not make a profit off these i just dont like how much they are.

 

Actually $10 for a pack of tube cones is reasonable.If you tie on flex tubes,after you melt your front lip your cones will just snap on and off.Be sure to let the tube cool before you pop on the cone.A pack of assorted tube cones will last for a couple years and you can change the colors and sizes to suite the conditions,Using the same fly.

 

[Simpson]

i think alot of people get into flytying got the artistic/creative side of things and love too get new materials/mediums too create new flies with and what is wrong with that?

 

This very true in my case. Have tied and boxed more flies than I will need on the Bow for 3+ seasons...and don't get me started on chronomids. Thing is needing them has nothing to do with it for me. As Max said love to get new material, experiment and create new things! Tying for me has gone way past functional use... For me it is that I enjoy both the act of tying and the satisfaction of success on a new pattern.

 

It's been my experience that tying flies and saving money don't go hand in hand.

 

X2, again as I am not buying only what I need, but material I want to try out....at the end of the day I still spend less in a month than some works colleagues spend going out for lunch in a week. All about priorities I guess.

 

 

 

 

 

[maxwell]

a dime here and a nickle there can turn into a boat but more then likly it turns into more tying stuffs. lol.

 

The things i have a problem with are the pricing on cones heads and such. Is it really worth $10 for 12 tube cones...If you do a bulk China order they are pennies each (eye weights too). Im not saying they should not make a profit off these i just dont like how much they are.

 

 

dude u gotta understand taht those bulk cones sold at a shop need indvidual packaging, labeling, marketing, shipping, brokerage fees and someone has too get paid for each of these processes too get them from a 3rd world factory all the way too your local shop.. personally i support my local shops for almost all of my stuff except the things that i cannot get at my local shop... BRB is right.. those who choose to not shop local in the end are the reason the local retailers go out of business or have trouble selling items.. then dont carry peticular products then get flack frmo locals for not haveing 1 pack of everythinhg in there shop...

[PGK]

.

[bhurt]

I don't go around shopping for deals on my ting material as I do all my shop at one store, but I understand where some people are coming from, expically if they do not have alot of money and have a family to feed.

 

I am kind of confused though, you bring to the table the question "Why are Fly Tiers So Cheep" where is your information to support this statement, or is it just our own opion, if its your own opion then I'll leave it at that.

 

I know a few tiers that are not cheep and they only buy what they use, like myself. Now there are times I lose a package of something (If you have ever seen my ting bench you would understand) and go out and buy a new one only to find the missing package. There are also times when I will buy a new type of material to see what I can tie with it.

 

I also know alot of tiers out there that will donate any old material to kids classes or to people that can not afford to buy materials (I know I have had some of my friends give me supplies that they where not using anymore)

 

As I see it I do not tell people how to spend their money and I don't expect people to tell me how to spend my money. Don't get me wrong if I know something is better priced somewhere else I will mentioned it, bbut if they go there then they go there if not then who really cares.

 

I did notice you mention about buying online vs buying from a shop, now I buying everything from my local shop and I have bought somethings online and I really don;t see what it matters where someone gets something, once again its none of my business where someone buys something.

 

Now I don't belive in this but I can see some people thinking along these lines, What has the local shop done for me other then sell me something and take my money. That could be how some people view things and truth to tell what has the local shops done for them to get their business. The shop I shop at has from day one been extremly friendly to me, helpped me out when I needed something and has gone out of their way to help me out with a few things, this is why I spend thousands of my hard earned money there

[flyisdown]

Speaking for myself, and only myself:

I consider every dime I spend in fishing as the cost of entertainment. I enjoy shopping for materials and trying new techniques. I will admit that I have spent more money on materials which I would consider a waste, if producing fishable flies at costs lower than retail is the end goal, or point of judgement.

My tying is not for cost savings, or to develop the next big thing. I spend more time fiddling with oddball materials, and producing some horrible stuff, than I do producing fishable flies. I enjoy sitting down, playing with the tools and materials to see what they are capable of doing, rather than pounding out flies to fill my box.

 

I cant say that cost is not a consideration, as I'm not exactly rolling in stacks of cash. Instead of looking for alternate materials at a cheaper rate in bulk, i will pay for tha packaging the first time, buy the small quantity. If I find success with the material, i would consider buying it bulk, or from a different LOB for cost savings.

 

My 2 bits..

 

Cheers.

 

 

[snuffy]

I think the whole buy local thing gets overplayed. I remember when I was working for a small business in Canmore and Starbucks came to town, the owner said, "I'd buy local if they'd stop treating their staff like $hit and train them to pull a decent expresso, but they won't. All they want is to make sure they stay the only game in town." That about sums it up for me.

 

I buy my tying materials locally not out of loyalty, but because I generally find it more convenient and the price difference isn't worth worrying about. But if I can get a reel for $190 off ebay that'd cost me $285 at Country Pleasures, it's not a hard decision, especially after I made an emergency stop there in my fishing grubbies last summer and got condescended to by the staff. Over 20 years of spending a lot of $$ in that store - I won't be back.

[daxlarsen]

I spent 35 bucks on a tying kit of all the tools I need, plus a vice. I've spent about $2-300 probably on tying materials, and I have enough for zillions more flies. if you buy a pack of 50 hooks for 6.99 and 5 materials that'll run you probably 25 bucks. so lets break it down here a little

 

Prince nymph

 

50 hooks 7.00

50 beads 7.00

peacock herl 2.00

Tinsel 1.50

brown biots 2.00

white biots 2.00

black thread 1.50

 

so that comes to a total of 23 bucks. keep in mind you're getting 50 flies, that retail for about 1-2 bucks each depending on where you're buying them.

now take into consideration that if i want to make 50 copper johns, all i need to do is buy wire of any color for 2 bucks a pop, and scudback and there ya go.

 

the startup is a little expensive, but considering in my fly cases that were usually sparse cause i was a cheap fly fisherman, is now full and i have well over 500 flies that i've tied myself since last october. Having said that in a local flyshop these sell for 2 bucks each so you're lookin at about 1 grand worth of flies that I have saved.

 

so if you're tying to save cash it's totally possible, but if you are the guy who has a 1200 rod/reel setup, then you probably have more expensive tying gear and materials.

[daxlarsen]

I use carpet for dubbing. Serious.

 

I once tied half a dozen hares ear nymphs using hair from my sisters dog. I think it must have been the oil in the dog hair, but the fish LOVED them on the crowsnest hahaha