Pythagoras Posted June 21, 2009 Posted June 21, 2009 Went to a shop on Saturday before I headed out to Frenchmans Creek....picked out 24 varied flies...Stimulators, PMD, BWO and Green Drakes etc....3 to 5 of each plus 1 bigger Salmonfly pattern....was quoted a price that made me swallow my gum....can you guess what it was? Quote
admin Posted June 21, 2009 Posted June 21, 2009 About 50 bucks but I'm guess they were asking about 90 Quote
Taco Posted June 21, 2009 Posted June 21, 2009 superior quality hand tied by local tyers? 75 bucks Quote
headscan Posted June 21, 2009 Posted June 21, 2009 I'd guess $2 for each of the smaller flies and $2.50 to $3 for the salmonfly and stimmies. $60 to $75 total? Quote
SilverDoctor Posted June 21, 2009 Posted June 21, 2009 (edited) I'd go with $75 perhaps a bit more depending on the shop. I've tied commercially for a few shops over the years. If you're a fly shop it costs to keep your doors open now a days. The other thing is the price of hooks and materials which is really getting up there. Edited June 21, 2009 by SilverDoctor Quote
darrinhurst Posted June 21, 2009 Posted June 21, 2009 Well at $2 each, you'd be looking at $48, so on the high side of $3 each, I'd guess $72, so I'll go with $90 as well. Quote
Nick0Danger Posted June 21, 2009 Posted June 21, 2009 superior quality hand tied by local tyers? 75 bucks How many flyshops use locally tied flies? I know 3 which all order from H20 fly, 2 of them have employees tie some local flies as well. Quote
fliesbymike Posted June 21, 2009 Posted June 21, 2009 If I bought flies, which fortunately I do not, and they were tied by a local tyer using quality materials I may go upwards of $3.00 a piece. Looking at some of the flies I have seen in fly shops I would be hard pressed to pay 99 cents a piece. Quote
Taco Posted June 22, 2009 Posted June 22, 2009 How many flyshops use locally tied flies? I know 3 which all order from H20 fly, 2 of them have employees tie some local flies as well. no idea but if the offshore flies are a buck a piece I'd imagine a quality local product would be @ least 3 times as much, just a wild guess on my part Quote
Nick0Danger Posted June 22, 2009 Posted June 22, 2009 The shops i know charge just as much for the mexico flies as they do for local ones. Quote
Taco Posted June 22, 2009 Posted June 22, 2009 well then I sure hope the flies come with a kiss Quote
Leroy Posted June 22, 2009 Posted June 22, 2009 I tie for a local shop in Calgary. Not sure how much they charge, but I know my cost for material and hooks have been steadly for the last couple of years. Here in the states, depending on the location of the shop, $1.95 to $2.50 seems to be the going price. also as a comercial tier I am required to pay 10% excise tax for every fly I sell. Fly tiers don't make money, they just make friends. Quote
theiceman2 Posted June 22, 2009 Posted June 22, 2009 Thats why Ickyflyworks.ca rocks! $0.99 per fly and they are pretty good quality. Quote
darrinhurst Posted June 22, 2009 Posted June 22, 2009 Thats why Ickyflyworks.ca rocks! $0.99 per fly and they are pretty good quality. I'll second that. Used them for the first time this spring, and I like what I've seen so far. Quote
Pythagoras Posted June 22, 2009 Author Posted June 22, 2009 It was $67 and change...I was agast! The owner saw my shock and made me a deal (Thanks!) but I gotta say I'm not in any rush to pick up any more 'shop' flys...Icky will prob be seeing some of my hard earned $ first. P.S - $3 flies get hung up in trees just the same as the .99 ones. Quote
darrinhurst Posted June 23, 2009 Posted June 23, 2009 Yes, they do, but a $3 fly will piss you off even more. Quote
Parry Posted June 23, 2009 Posted June 23, 2009 Yes, they do, but a $3 fly will piss you off even more. a $3 fly will also stand up to numerous fish (most of the time) where a .99 falls apart after the 1st... So if your catching fish use $3 flies, if your catching bottom use .99cent flies. I personally lost around $40 of hooks on sunday nymphing during run off and consistantly getting hung up on bottom and submerged tree's ect... with 1 fist to hand. So yeah some days can be pretty expensive. Ive been known to climb up pine trees to retrieve lost hooks on certain days, hell whats a few scrapped up limbs compared to a $2.50 fly Quote
theiceman2 Posted June 23, 2009 Posted June 23, 2009 I know that is the theory with spending more and getting more but I haven't noticed the quality difference from Icky. Seeps to be a good deal for a good fly. Quote
Guest 420FLYFISHIN Posted June 23, 2009 Posted June 23, 2009 i have stopped buying them in large #s. It is WAY more cost effective to buy 1 put it in a "do not use" container and just rip the pattern off! there is no copy right on fly patterns to DIY is my philosophy. Quote
Gil Posted June 24, 2009 Posted June 24, 2009 I used to complain about the cost of flies a few years back, so I started tying my own. One thing I realized quite quickly is that the professional tiers out there earn thier money. If I charged $3/fly at the rate I tie, my family would starve to death. In the end I spent a fortune on supplies that I'm sure is far more than I would have otherwize spent for many years of fishing. However, I continue to have a lot of fun tying so for me it was the right decision. Quote
Guest Sundancefisher Posted June 24, 2009 Posted June 24, 2009 The saddest thing about store bought flies is that they fall apart so much faster. I don't think they ever use head cement. Quote
TerryH Posted June 24, 2009 Posted June 24, 2009 ............One thing I realized quite quickly is that the professional tiers out there earn thier money. If I charged $3/fly at the rate I tie, my family would starve to death.............. Right on!! Factor in cost of materials, a minimum wage salary for tiers, some staff salaries in the shop, a few bucks for overhead like buildings, utilities, insurance, etc., and it's not too difficult to get to $2.00 to $3.00 a fly -- not to mention issues like exchange rates, seasonal business etc. I tie my own, but I shudder to think what it costs me per fly when I consider the mountain of materials I've accumulated -- that's a bit of math I don't want to get into . Terry Quote
SilverDoctor Posted June 24, 2009 Posted June 24, 2009 You could never get rich tying flies. You have to remember that the shop needs to mark up the product like every other product they sell to meet staff, rent and other overhead. not to mention the tax that the Government charges you. It's business. Next time you're in a shop check out the price of hooks and materials. Then factor in labor, equipment costs and overhead. Quote
theboy Posted June 24, 2009 Posted June 24, 2009 The shops buy them and mark them up....so you tie a fly your not getting near 3$.... Quote
maxwell Posted June 24, 2009 Posted June 24, 2009 it all depends on the fly being tied and how it is used.. i find lots of hackles and legs fall off of most flies tied or store bought but if u are rough on em with forceps(twisting them out of a fished mouth/clamping down on teh flies body(forceps with teeth are even worse... same with tearing off the crud u pick up off bottom, u can rip off legs and tails... most of the damage is done there .... same with ripping em out of trees.. fly quality is something that always makes me laugh.. if the fly looks good but has a bunch of brittle components dont be suprised it only lasts a few fish.. fly costs have gone up same with most things but that is the way of the world.. is it cheaper too tye your own flies.. hell no.... specially for most of the flies u see in flyshops..... the thing ive noticed in flyshops, big box stores and online sellers are cheaper flies are cheaper.... usually more basic patterns, poor quality ties and the worst part is cheap hooks..... keep in mind alot of those 3 doller nymphs and streamers have tungston cones, crystal flash things like that and better hooks..... if i were still buying flies i would get the 3 doller ones over the 1 doller flies any day of the week! Quote
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