Do you buy or tie?

[SCflyguy]

Of the flies that you fish with, what percentage do you tie yourself? Seems like fly fishing and fly tying go hand in hand.

I've been tying for about 10 yrs and haven't bought a fly since. Just wondered 'bout everybody else.

 

[rdh2059]

I've been tying my own for 40ish years now. I started out by taking some feathers from one of my mom's prize feather pillows, "borrowing" some of her thread, whittling a clothes pin into a tying vice and some old bait hooks I found snagged at a local stream. Things have changed a LOT since then, but that same fascination and satisfaction with creating something to catch fish with, is still there...

Most fly fishers I know started out by buying their first few flies, then getting frustrated with how fast their precious investments get lost in trees and snags and broken off on fish. A cheap starter fly tying kit comes next. After that, it just seems to develop a mind of its own and it grows and grows...

Best of luck to you...
Rick

 

[wild trout]

I tie most flies. If I go to a new area and they have a differrent fly I'll buy it to support the locals.

TB

 

[Lambster]

Flies

We do both! We'll tie 80% of our streamers and nymphs and 40 % on the dries and purchase through online company in Oregon...... hard to beat prices!

 

[sandfly]

100 % tie my own for 40+ years..

 

[Jimmie]

It's hard to justify buying flies after the $$ invested in tying. I'm a new tyer so I'm still addicted to buying every new/better, material/tool that I see, and loving it. I'll have to tie for two lifetimes to get the cost of a fly below the store cost. The big reward comes with no wait to get the hot fly of the day. Plus a lot of rewarding time spent tying.

 

[Guest1]

I'm not sure if I really save any money tying. I have a million flies I will most likely never use. If I see an fly interesting fly in a magazine I'll tie it. This summer I tied a shrimp and a squid pattern and I live in Minnesota. I have who knows how much money tied up in materials. On the bright side I never have to look for hard to find patterns.

 

[Kerry Pitt]

Really the only time I buy flies anymore is if I am in a small fly shop and there are flies tied by the owner or a local tyer. More because I do not like to walk out of one of these little shops empty handed and because sometimes they have patterns not found anywhere else.

 

[HuronRiverDan]

I tye most of what I fish with...I will buy a pattern or two from a local shop to support them and as a thank you for the information they provide on the local streams; and also if they have an interesting new pattern, great to have it in front of you when you're tying a copy.

Dan

 

[Guest1]

I noticed that many of these posts say they only buy some flies from local shops to support them. I think that is a great idea. If you don't support them they may go away. I don't have a shop within... well I don't know how far. Far though. I went to Montana to visit relatives a couple of years ago. My biggest expense was the $150.oo -$200.oo I dropped in every fly shop I saw. I really wish I had a shop someplace close.

 

[Ard]

Hi there,

Like Diver Dan said, it is good to support your local shop. We have a place here in Wasilla called Three Rivers Fly Shop, I stop in now and then to buy hooks or some other item and often buy a few flies if I see something that looks fishy.

I have been fishing for a long time and have collected more materials than I will ever use. The one thing that I enjoy today as much as I did when I was a kid is wandering slowly through a fish'en shop looking at everything. The guys who run Three Rivers always give me a cheerful greeting and make some small talk when I stop in. I don't try to impress them with tales of my experience, I listen to what they have to tell me. It seems that since they feel I may need some pointers I get some useful information regarding how they are catching their fish.

They will like me more soon because I'm going to try a pair of the Simms G4 waders and a G4 jacket also. The conditions I faced out on the islands this fall drove home the point that "good' rain gear just wont do. I need the best, and the shop sells it. I could buy online or go to Anchorage where I would save a few bucks but the small shop needs the revenue.

 

[kyflytyer]

I've been tying for 15 years and have only purchased flies once during that period. I was on a trip to Belize and lost one of my fly boxes and had to replace the flies.

 

[kelkay]

I tie 99 percent of all the flies I use. Now and then I see a pattern I want to duplicate, and I buy it. I rarely tie a really small fly...size 16 is as small as I can see, or tie...but I prefer to tie size 12 and up flies. I have bought a few from local shops...but not many. I tie a lot more flies than I use, but I am trying to get practice, and become a better tyer.

 

[Guest1]

I tie 99 percent of all the flies I use. Now and then I see a pattern I want to duplicate, and I buy it. I rarely tie a really small fly...size 16 is as small as I can see, or tie...but I prefer to tie size 12 and up flies. I have bought a few from local shops...but not many. I tie a lot more flies than I use, but I am trying to get practice, and become a better tyer.

Almost all of that is exactly what I would have said. Except I can see small flies....with my 3.0 readers. Dan:shocking:
And I don't have a local shop. Oh, and the only flies I've bought are a few EP flies.

 

[flytyer_neal]

I also tie everything, my fishing partner wants me to tie for him.....I said get a vise.... the only thing I have bought is also a new fly at my favorite shop in Basalt, Colorado (frying pan area ) Taylor Creek...then I learn to tie it. Must Support Fly Shops....I buy alot of my tying supplies at Fly Shops

 

[webrx]

I tie most of my own now, but I do buy some flies from the local fly shop, and occasionally I will grab some hard to tie patterns when I am in cabelas, especially if there is a hatch on. I had some bad hackle for a while so had real trouble with dry flies, but thanks to some coaching and advice from a couple members of this board who shall remain nameless cause I don't want to embarrass Ard or Mark or Allan or...... I now have some better hackle and have been starting to tie up a few dries. So, I guess I would say I tie 90 to 95% now.

Dave

 

[crittergetter]

I buy 100% Bucking the trend of responses.

I lose a lot of fly's especially since I started tandem and Czech nymphing.

However, when I buy I will purchase in bulk. Last online order 3 of us bought 90 dozen fly's for an average of 48 cents a fly. This year I bout 37 dozen on ebay for 31 cents a fly. They were all midges and nymphs.

I do have to admit. I am getting closer to wanting to tie my own because I can't get my favorite fly with a Tung head or lead wrap base.

 

[alcorn]

I've spent the first year buying or adopting flies from other people. There was stuff I'd see and couldn't get anyone to replicate. Started tying about three weeks ago and am definately not saving money on it but its just so darn relaxing to go into my basement, turn on the stereo and just think of nothing but tying for an hour or two at a time.

 

[bloodhound]

tying is over half the fun, having caught the biggest trout i have ever caught on a trout shop tied fly is one thing but saying i fooled a fish with something i created is epic and make the catch and release that much more exciting. just my opinion. also getting frustrated at the bench over and over again and finally getting it down just right is a great feeling as well.

 

[Guest1]

I've got to agree with bloodhound here. I make my own rods to. Imagine the satisfaction of a big fish on a rod you built with a fly you invented and tied. Priceless.