Buying Flies without breaking your wallet?
- Thread starter kory10
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Jimmie
Well-known member
Your timing couldn't be better. Have you checked Diver Dan's thread re, buying flies.
http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/flies/107075-fly-sale-you-who-dont-tie.html
Link is in Dan's opening post.
http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/flies/107075-fly-sale-you-who-dont-tie.html
Link is in Dan's opening post.
Also check out Fly Fishing Flies, The Fly Stop, Discount Fly Fishing, Trout & Steelhead Flies, Cheap Flies, Quality Fishing Equipmentmost of their flies are $.50 to .60 and they are all great quality!
Davo
Well-known member
I've bought from The Fly Stop before, they are really clean ties and the customer service is top notch!! Shipping was super fast!!
Tonto Creek Flies and the Fly Stop are both good sources. Tonto Creek has weekly specials and prompt service. Even ebay is OK if you are patient and can be there for the auction endings. In the last couple weeks I've picked up about 200 flies there at very reasonable rates. But,it's still hard to beat the sites mentioned here and in the above posts. Big Y's dries are quite nice and priced right by the dozen. It's been my experiance that any local shop is going to be overpriced. If you need a few to top off a pattern or just a local favorite they are fine. You need to order larger quantities though.
h dot verseman
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I can also testify to the fly stop on the quality of their flies, their customer service, as well as the value.
Haven't gone elsewhere to fill the box pre season, and to reload at the end.
Haven't gone elsewhere to fill the box pre season, and to reload at the end.
gt05254
Well-known member
Of course, should you decide to buy flies tied by Americans, as opposed to Chinese or Kenyans, you will likely pay more. A dozen hooks often cost more me more than what a wholesaler can buy a dozen Kenyan flies for. And they buy necks buy the dozens of gross, not maybe the 6 at a time I can buy.
Well, at least you guys are, sometimes, anyway, supporting your local fly shop. But obviously not your local tyer!
I do have to laugh when I look at eBay flies, particularly atlantic salmon flies. "Theirs" cost about 50 cents. Mine cost 4 dollars. There's a difference in more than price, I assure you.
Sorry to rain on the cheap fly parade, but with all the "buy American" hype going on these days, fly tyers seem to get left out in that rain.
Gary
Well, at least you guys are, sometimes, anyway, supporting your local fly shop. But obviously not your local tyer!
I do have to laugh when I look at eBay flies, particularly atlantic salmon flies. "Theirs" cost about 50 cents. Mine cost 4 dollars. There's a difference in more than price, I assure you.
Sorry to rain on the cheap fly parade, but with all the "buy American" hype going on these days, fly tyers seem to get left out in that rain.
Gary
mcnerney
Administrator
Another source for low cost flies tied right here in the USA is Bighornflies, and the quality is outstanding:
Bighorn Flies
Larry
Bighorn Flies
Larry
Davo
Well-known member
I'll second that Larry. Eric's quality is top notch
gt05254
Well-known member
Glitter Bears
Tied on some planet other than earth, but available nice and cheap on Ebay:
[/IMG]
Tied in the United States and not cheap:
[/IMG]
Its your money, so its of course your choice.
Gary
Tied on some planet other than earth, but available nice and cheap on Ebay:
Tied in the United States and not cheap:
Its your money, so its of course your choice.
Gary
possumsniper
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Another vote for Big Y Fly. Low prices, excellent service and fast shipping.
A couple of others I use are Millers Place. A store on Ebay. Also use Little River Outfitters. They have a great little shop in the Smokey Mountains. They offer free shipping on all their orders, no matter how many flies you order. One fly everyone should try is the Thunderhead that Little River sells.
gt05254
Well-known member
LOL, that abortion they're calling a Glitter Bear in the top pic of my two pics is from Miller's on eBay. Good luck with that!
Not to worry, done with this thread,
Gary
Not to worry, done with this thread,
Gary
bmik
Member
I just discovered Big Y Fly company. I highly recommend Hill's Discount Flies. Also have bought from Blue Fly Cafe and Percy's Flies. I still tie some flies but doing so has little to do with money and more to do with just being a hobby that relaxes me(and the satisfaction gained from catching a fish on a self tied fly). But I don't have the time to put into it and in reality it is expensive. The math or financials make a good case to buy from the discount fly sites when you consider you can buy 3 flies from any one of the sites mentioned above to one from Orvis or The Flyshop. And the flies are not bad. And in the end, I always say the fish don't know whether I'm holding an $800 rod or a $69 rod...they will both catch fish. For the most part the same goes with the flies......and I can say that the flies I've been buying work.
flybillinma
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Stick to "The 24 Greatest Flies" and you won't break the bank! Advice on the Fly from a master angler - See: Outdoor Notes: Advice on the fly from master angler Bob Sousa | projo.com | The Providence Journal Outdoors |
gt05254
Well-known member
Yup, cheap flies are sure great. As Jerry Doak says on his website, something to the effect that your fly is the only piece of your tackle the fish will ever see, why skimp....
[/IMG]Oh, this is just so much fun. Here's some more GREAT cheap flies available for less than a buck apiece:
[/IMG]
[/IMG]
How/why could you ever tie these on?? Oh, and they only cost about 50 cents on fleabay.
How/why could you ever tie these on?? Oh, and they only cost about 50 cents on fleabay.
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ausablebrown
Well-known member
Gary's ranting has some validity to it...on the other hand; if it is tied on a mustad hook, and gooped up with glue then it will catch fish and hold together. Many of my ties are on par with his "kenyan" pics and they work fine. Just don't skimp on the hooks, unfortunately you have no way to know what hook is on the fly's you buy with asking beforehand everytime.
Also to consider, is your local fly shop may be catering to you local fish with their patterns. Talking to the guides at the Ausable last week, I was able to buy the flies that the senior guide was throwing that week...because he also tied them for the store. Also lets not forget...fly fishing is expensive, gas is expensive, etc...youve got a minimum of $250 worth of gear and you just spent $25 to drive to the river, why skimp on the one piece of gear that fish sees. When you buy flies at the local fly shop you get value added ("free" information). $12 worth of flies and they tell you where to throw them.
Also to consider, is your local fly shop may be catering to you local fish with their patterns. Talking to the guides at the Ausable last week, I was able to buy the flies that the senior guide was throwing that week...because he also tied them for the store. Also lets not forget...fly fishing is expensive, gas is expensive, etc...youve got a minimum of $250 worth of gear and you just spent $25 to drive to the river, why skimp on the one piece of gear that fish sees. When you buy flies at the local fly shop you get value added ("free" information). $12 worth of flies and they tell you where to throw them.
swirlchaser
Well-known member
I tie my own so I rarely buy. The only time I buy is from a local shop if there is a specific hatch in that area. On a serious note though, even a bad fly can be a good imitation. The fish don't see quality, they just need to be fooled. When I first started tieing flies I tied what I thought were some ugly flies but the fish disagreed because they caught fish.