[tie one on]

When you buy tying materials :

1. Do you buy them on-line/mail order ?
2. Do you buy them at your local shop ?

I tie all my own flies & I am having a little trouble finding
larger streamer hooks for my Steelhead flies. I have stopped
at my local shop & they just happened to be out of what I
needed. Gander Mtn. had nothing. Do any of you have this
same trouble ? Any suggestions ?

Tie One On

[Midgeaholic]

Hi, Try Cabela's, Randal Kaufmans, Bass pro, or try the on-line direct to the hook manufacturers. You should be able to locate your hooks. midgeaholic.

[BigCliff]

These folks have tons of stuff too. Fly fishing equipment - fly-fishing tackle, fly fishing rods, fly fishing reels... They're near the most popular steelheading spot in the Portland area, and they've got a huge selection.

[headhunter]

I have had great success working with Fishusa.com.
They ship very quickly, reasonable prices and are extremely easy to deal with.

Otherwise it is usually local shops that I try to deal with. Not that they make a ton of money on the hooks that I buy, but it all adds up.

[Fishplease]

I only buy materials when I have the money and the opportunity to head to BPS. Even when I find what I want online first, its different at the store cause I can't tell size that good.

[Roughrider]

I buy a ton of materials, I try to buy a lot of it at the local shops, but sometimes they are limited by what they carry. Whatever I can't find I purchase online, from many different companies, depending on what I need.

[TheFlyMaster]

I always try to buy first from local fly shops. Sometimes they don't have what I need, but most can always get it. Sure you can surf online and buy cheaper, but I have better satisfaction knowing I'm spending my money to keep a local fly shop in the area and helping a fellow fly angler. Fly shops are more then just a place to buy gear, it's a place to brag about your big steelhead you caught yesterday, dream about your next fishing excursion, invent the next greatest fly along with a name for it, talk with other anglers who have the fly fishing bug and just a place to BS. You can't get that at Gander Mt.

The fly shop in my town has a great setup for customers to come in and start tying flies with the stuff they just bought off the shelf. It has about 6 vises setup with a good spread of assorted hooks, feathers and what ever is laying around. It's all setup around a large wooden desk, makes a great place to sit tie some flies, tell stories and BS about the upcoming fishing season. But this is why I support local fly shops, the big chains don't offer that.

Well run fly shops will help you with your ideas on your next killer fly your dreaming up. What materials and hooks will work the best for what your trying to conjure up.

So whenever you can, please support your local fly fishing shop.

Check out this video that a local fly shop that I support in my area did with a public TV Station : Fly fishing smallmouth bass St. Louis River Minnesota. The guy with the beard is the owner.

Tight Lines!