Buying or tying

[Jpaul74]

Well, it would seem that i live in an area that hates fly fishermen. Local supply of anything in Peace River is extremely limited. Does anyone have any suggestions for an online shop to get their flies, or is everyone tying their own as well?

[scel]

Originally Posted by Jpaul74

Well, it would seem that i live in an area that hates fly fishermen. Local supply of anything in Peace River is extremely limited. Does anyone have any suggestions for an online shop to get their flies, or is everyone tying their own as well?

For the years before I tied my own, Ickyflyworks.com (banner at top of web page) supplied the lion's share of my flies. Good quality and great pricing.

[Runewolf1973]

Way cheaper I find to tie my own flies. The flies I tie aren't always all perfect looking like the ones in the store (they don't have to be), but I think the fish actually like them better because they are a bit more scraggly looking. I have way better luck fishing with flies I tie myself. You can get creative and tie basically anything you think looks like a bug or insect the fish might go for. 50% of all my flies are just my own creation and they work really well. Also I find the flies I tie myself to be more durable than the ones I buy in the store.

[ShortsideK]

Originally Posted by Runewolf1973

Way cheaper I find to tie my own flies.
Maybe. Its tough to compare considering many online fly shops sell their flies for 50 cents to a dollar. Additionally, by tying your own, you spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars on materials and equipment, eventually filling a small room with the stuff. I speak from experience.
That said, however, tying your own flies is a very enjoyable passtime.

The flies I tie aren't always all perfect looking like the ones in the store (they don't have to be), but I think the fish actually like them better because they are a bit more scraggly looking. I have way better luck fishing with flies I tie myself. You can get creative and tie basically anything you think looks like a bug or insect the fish might go for. 50% of all my flies are just my own creation and they work really well.
The fish don't like them better because they are a bit more scraggly looking. They work cuz those are the ones you're using.


Also I find the flies I tie myself to be more durable than the ones I buy in the store.

They're more durable maybe because you goop them up with Zap A Gap and put on a lot of wraps so they will be more durable. Also a reason they are less than perfect looking.

[JReed]

Definitely not cheaper to tie your own, however it is a great pass time in winter. It is very satisfying catching fish on home ties as well. I usually start tieing in November whenever I get some down time in the evening, by the time spring rolls around, it's awesome having a boat box thats brimming with multiple flies. When it's nice outside, the last thing you want is to be tieing flies, gotta be out fishing.

[Runewolf1973]

I've never shopped online for flies, but the last time I looked in the fishing stores they were not cheap. 50 cents each is cheap if you can get them for that then go for it. It certainly didn't cost me hundreds of dollars to get into fly tying, but then again I've had many of the same materials for many years and like everything, that stuff probably all went up in price. The most expensive item was probably the vise. I also find materials for fly tying at craft and dollar stores so sometimes you just gotta keep an eye out for something that would make good flies. And yes...I do make some really nice flies...good looking, durable and the fish love em. No they're not perfect, but not far from it either as I am an artist and I do pay attention to detail. On the other hand, I have a bunch of store bought Elk Hair Caddis flies that look all pretty and perfect, but seem to fall apart on the second cast. I would recommend to someone interested to buy a beginner's fly tying set and just start tinkering around with it from there. You can always upgrade little by little as you go. My entire fly tying kit takes up no more room than a hand-held shopping basket and I can pretty much make whatever fly I want.

[Bushrat]

Pretty much always tied my own flies since I was 10 or 12. You can invest plenty money in materials and tools. What I do notice is when I'm fishing I'll throw my fly into places most guys wont. They're scared of loosing their expensive store boughts. I've lost half a dozen or more flies before I finally get it under that branch just right, under that log jam, drift it to pass under that sweeper or right into that overhanging willow bush to that shady eddy where I know a fish is going to take it if I can get it on the water. If I'm not loosing flies left right and center I'm not fishing right. I got tons of material to replace them. As far as I'm concerned your going to miss the best fish unless your willing to lose a few flies. That's when tying pays for itself.

I liken fly tying to reloading, it's not worth the investment if your only shooting a box of shells a year.

[scel]

Originally Posted by Runewolf1973

Way cheaper I find to tie my own flies. The flies I tie aren't always all perfect looking like the ones in the store (they don't have to be), but I think the fish actually like them better because they are a bit more scraggly looking. I have way better luck fishing with flies I tie myself. You can get creative and tie basically anything you think looks like a bug or insect the fish might go for. 50% of all my flies are just my own creation and they work really well. Also I find the flies I tie myself to be more durable than the ones I buy in the store.

For the record, I got into fly tying to save money. I probably go through 100 hooks a year. I know that sounds crazy. My record for number of lost flies in 1 day is 22. I lost 12 caddis dries just the other day.

It is not a question of 'if' a subsurface fly will be lost, but rather of 'when'.

The particular risk is if you are using multiple hook rigs. Like a typical bow river nymph rig, or a hopper dropper.

The price of a less expensive rotary vise and the materials to tie flies for both pike and Bow River trout costs about $1000.
This is the materials to tie:
San Juan sz6-10
wooly buggers (olive, black, brown, white) sz6-12
beadhead nymphs sz12-20
trout/bass streamers sz2-12
caddis dries sz12-16
mayfly dries sz10-20 (green drakes, PMD, BWO, and tricos)
Pike rabbit strip leeches sz 4/0-2/0 (black, white, olive, red, chartreuse)
Pike synthetic minnows sz 4/0-2/0

There are many expensive materials, but they last a really long time, like rooster cape. A 'bugger pack' costs over $30, but will probably tie a couple hundred flies. But to buy black, white, brown, and grizzly will be upward of $120. Once you get everything in front of you, the approximate cost per
trout dry fly: $0.35
trout nymph: $0.50 ($0.75 for tungsten bead)
trout/bass streamer (weighted with a bead, cone, or eyes): $0.80
pike fly: $2.00

Take an average cost of tying your own flies to be $0.50 at about 100 flies per year, it would take 20 years for tying your own flies to be even with buying flies from Icky. It will come to parity much quicker if you tie your own pike flies though. Pike flies are very expensive at the store (usually $6-$10), and every one of them has a finite lifetime (pike destroy flies). So, if you are an avid pike angler, spending between 15-20 days on the water, I would expect to go through 10-15 flies. I went through 25 pike flies between May 8 to June 16 (I spent 10 days in Northern Sask). Those pike flies would have cost upward of $220 in the store, but they only cost me about $50

There is also the cost of learning. It takes 10 or so tries to tie a new fly. This cost goes down with practice.

For fly tying to be a value savings endeavour, you have to fish a lot for many different species. With over 100 rod days, it will probably take 5 or so years to come to parity with buying flies.

I will fly fish for my entire life (or as long as I can physically do it), so fly tying will definitely be cost-saving skill.

[professori]

Originally Posted by scel

For the record, I got into fly tying to save money. I probably go through 100 hooks a year. I know that sounds crazy. My record for number of lost flies in 1 day is 22. I lost 12 caddis dries just the other day.

It is not a question of 'if' a subsurface fly will be lost, but rather of 'when'.

The particular risk is if you are using multiple hook rigs. Like a typical bow river nymph rig, or a hopper dropper.

The price of a less expensive rotary vise and the materials to tie flies for both pike and Bow River trout costs about $1000.
This is the materials to tie:
San Juan sz6-10
wooly buggers (olive, black, brown, white) sz6-12
beadhead nymphs sz12-20
trout/bass streamers sz2-12
caddis dries sz12-16
mayfly dries sz10-20 (green drakes, PMD, BWO, and tricos)
Pike rabbit strip leeches sz 4/0-2/0 (black, white, olive, red, chartreuse)
Pike synthetic minnows sz 4/0-2/0

There are many expensive materials, but they last a really long time, like rooster cape. A 'bugger pack' costs over $30, but will probably tie a couple hundred flies. But to buy black, white, brown, and grizzly will be upward of $120. Once you get everything in front of you, the approximate cost per
trout dry fly: $0.35
trout nymph: $0.50 ($0.75 for tungsten bead)
trout/bass streamer (weighted with a bead, cone, or eyes): $0.80
pike fly: $2.00

Take an average cost of tying your own flies to be $0.50 at about 100 flies per year, it would take 20 years for tying your own flies to be even with buying flies from Icky. It will come to parity much quicker if you tie your own pike flies though. Pike flies are very expensive at the store (usually $6-$10), and every one of them has a finite lifetime (pike destroy flies). So, if you are an avid pike angler, spending between 15-20 days on the water, I would expect to go through 10-15 flies. I went through 25 pike flies between May 8 to June 16 (I spent 10 days in Northern Sask). Those pike flies would have cost upward of $220 in the store, but they only cost me about $50

There is also the cost of learning. It takes 10 or so tries to tie a new fly. This cost goes down with practice.

For fly tying to be a value savings endeavour, you have to fish a lot for many different species. With over 100 rod days, it will probably take 5 or so years to come to parity with buying flies.

I will fly fish for my entire life (or as long as I can physically do it), so fly tying will definitely be cost-saving skill.

You might be correct (but for me I doubt it). I look at the wall and cupboards in my tying room and there is conservatively $5000+ in materials alone . I really don't know anyone who ties because they actually think they are getting a cheaper fly. Most tiers do it because they can get a better quality fly every time (after a few years practice), they can get a fly that isn't available in the fly shops, they can get the fly they need when they need it (or anticipate the need for it) and they flat out enjoy tying flies. That last criteria I think is the most important. I have known a lot of flyfishers who have bought a kit, tried tying flies and found they didn't enjoy it...never opened the kit again. Different strokes.

[Runewolf1973]

I would never spend that kind of money on tying flies. My entire kit cost me a little over a hundred dollars and I got everything I need to make all the flies I need, including pike flies. It all fits inside a shopping basket. If you're the type that needs the most expensive, fancy vise or the most premium feathers then of course it will not be economical to tie flies. I am the creative type and I get creative when the money isn't there. You can probably find most of what you need to make some really decent pike flies from a dollar store. You won't be able to match exact patterns found in books, but you can create your own patterns. If you want to match the exact patterns of all the different flies found in books, you will no doubt spend a sh** ton of money for all the different materials you'll need. I prefer creative over costly.

Like someone above said...different strokes for different folks.

[Mr Flyguy]

One sort of intangible value (and esteem booster) in tying your own flies is giving a few that are working or have worked to a fishing buddy, or a friend, or even a stranger at the lake/stream, and then seeing them catch fish or hearing about it. Unlikely that one will give away flies that you bought in a store for $$$'s!

Or if you're really nasty, give them some that you absolutely know won't work but claim that "that's weird, they worked for me"

[ShortsideK]

Originally Posted by Runewolf1973

I would never spend that kind of money on tying flies. My entire kit cost me a little over a hundred dollars and I got everything I need to make all the flies I need, including pike flies. It all fits inside a shopping basket. If you're the type that needs the most expensive, fancy vise or the most premium feathers then of course it will not be economical to tie flies. I am the creative type and I get creative when the money isn't there. You can probably find most of what you need to make some really decent pike flies from a dollar store. You won't be able to match exact patterns found in books, but you can create your own patterns. If you want to match the exact patterns of all the different flies found in books, you will no doubt spend a sh** ton of money for all the different materials you'll need. I prefer creative over costly.

Like someone above said...different strokes for different folks.

"You get what you pay for." GIGO

[Stryker2]

Interesting thread... and everyone's opinion also very interesting! Personally I started tying flies before I learned fly fishing, I broke my knee and was stationary for a few months so I taught myself to tie flies with videos and then when I could walk again I learned how to fly fish. I would have to say that in my opinion there is no better feeling than catching a fish with your own fly! Especially when you tweaked the fly to your liking! That being said, it can get expensive if you become obsessive with the materials! I don't tie my own to save money, I tie because the winters are long and I love the hobby.