Tying Flies: Tying to save $, or as a practiced hobby?

I've been tying as a hobby, and commercially as well for over 20 years. I think that for 90% of the tiers out there, you really only save money if you tie saltwater and bass patterns, and not clousers either, but those $5 and up babies. Eventually, you may become one of those rare individuals who understands that you can approximate a pattern with the materials you have on hand, and that colors doesn't really matter so much. If that happens you can save money on trout patterns too. If you don't get over the "Oh no, the pattern calls for ginger Z-lon, and I only have rust! I have to go buy some!" it is strictly a hobby, not a money saving tool. A wonderful hobby that can keep you inspired until your eyes and your hands can no longer do their little tricks. Tie... You'll love it.

I think it is a combo of a hobby and trying to save money at the same time. I know some of the flies I tie are pretty much just thread and a hook, or are simple patterns with relatively inexpensive materials. Therefor tying these patterns myself really does save me some dough. I also enjoy tying flies, although not quite as much as I enjoy fishing them :LOVEIT ,
Just my 2 cents

~Ryan

I think tying flies is both a hobby and money saving technique. The best advantage of tying your own flies is the ability to make variations of popular patterns or break out with your own pattern. The key to producing quality patterns is to use quality materials and a quality tools.

Funny, I met this guy a week ago and he said he uses flies he tied to catch Steelhead, he says he catches Steelhead on his particular pattern ALL THE TIME. He showed me the fly; (I was expecting some fancy-schmancy-General-Practictionor-Royal-Hilton looking thing)... "It was a #2 hook with 20 strands of tan elk hair superglued with brown thread!!!" He landed 2 within the next 30 minutes!!??? Hummm, the next 4 hrs I snagged and lost 6 store bought rubberlegged stone fly nymphs at 1.85 a pop!
Maybe I will start tying my own...



"Follow Me and I will make you fishers of Men"
Matthew 4:19

What do I know---I'm just an old man

I tie just because it's fun and frustrating(sp) at the same time.The best thing about tying flies is when you catch fish with them. The frustreating(sp) bit is when you have the shakes and you try to do something small. Anything with to many feathers I buy and anything with just a few materials I can usually put on a hook. Besides what else can you do in between seasons.Or days when the rivers are blown out.

Jim

Tying flies is a hobby within a hobby. Fly tying enhances the total experience of flyfishing. To say one ties to save money is laughable...too many flies with too many materials to make it a cost effective endeavor unless one sticks to only a few select patterns.

Greg

I have been tying for about 20 years. Have I saved money? Probably not. However, what is the value of tying a bug lakeside or in camp in Montana? If you enjoy flyfishing then do take up tying.

DITTO WHAT GREG SAID

MIKE

What you described says it all. "...rubberlegged stone fly nymphs at 1.85 a pop! " I tied up three of these for my first time on the Yak and caught my first Yak 'bow on one of them. Subsequently, I lost all of them in the following hours, getting blanked except for that first and only nice one. Had I purchased those flies, I would have been more bummed than elated that my first shot at tying rubber legs paid off. Saved money? I think so. Had a good time despite my lost flies? Definitely!

By the way, if you have the Cabela's Fly fishing catalog, you will see that getting reasonably functionable tools isn't that expensive. Just be sure you get a rotary vise as your first purchase, instead of getting the "el-cheapo" just to save money.

Well, right now I have more time than money. So I tie to save money. At times I have more money than time and that is when I buy flies. I enjoy it though, immensely. Imagine you catching your next Steelhead on a fly that YOU tied. It's a pretty cool feeling; catching a fish on a fly you tied. Better yet, on a fly that you made up.

And yes, materials are spendy. I guess I lucked out when I hit some random garage sale in Eastern Utah a few months ago and walked away with a big Fenwick tackle box full of over (well over) $200 in tying materials and equiptment (3 sweet vices) all for $20. So yes, I am saving money. Besides, what more do you need than a box full of 5 inch black bunny leaches anyway?

MacRowdy :THUMBSUP

I have been assembling my tying kit over the last two months. If I were to stop buying material now and tie up 250 flies, I might break even. But that is not realistic. It is merely the thing I do to hold me over until I can get back on the water. And I still buy flies when I don’t have the time to tie them and I’m going to be fishing the next morning.

Fly tying is a gift that was passed on to me by my dad. I still remember those first Carey specials, six packs and renegades I tied. It will be the gift I pass on to my kids. A money saver? I don’t think so. More like a memory saver.

Matt

Besides, what more do you need than a box full of 5 inch black bunny leaches anyway?

MacRowdy :THUMBSUP

Click to expand...

Another box with Olive and Light Tan ones

Philster

i would also say it depends on what you are tying. i mean to pay 2 bucks for a san juan worm or a sparkle dun seems crazy when you can tye a seasons worth in an hour. i try to tie all my easy patterns myself ( pheasant tails, sparkle duns, x-caddis, beetles, etc.) and buy the more complicated and time consuming patterns ( hoppers, stimulators, etc.) you will find that is a really cool feeling to catch a fish on a fly you tyed yourself. then again if you don't like it don't do it. life's too short to spend your free time doing something you hate.

Philster,

So true brother so true. Olive Green Brown tan you name it!

MacRowdy

Dude, that's a beadhead Kauffmann Stonefly nymph with rubber legs--not a regular Rubber Legs. The regular Rubber Legs is no more than lots of lead wrapped on the shank, rubber legs tied in, and a black chennille body. Beadhead is optional for extra weight. I haven't yet tried tying the Kauffmann version yet, as the regular R/L is obviously simpler to tie.

It's a creative outlet for me. I tie with my kids and they make the coolest creations, I make my own creations - it is rewarding.

One point is that you can factor $ saved by staying AWAY from the flyshop except to buy materials a few times a year. "I'll get 12 of these...and WOW, look at that new Chest Pack,...and OH and I really need this (fill in blank)" It's like hitting Safeway at dinner time.

Vice: $150
Materials: $150
That satisfied feeling of catching a fish on a fly you tied: Priceless.

Jim

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i dont think anyone could ever reclaim the amount they spent on tools and materials, but like surf candy said staying out of the shops, because you are tying your own, saves. i think my my own flies( while not always as pretty) are many times more durable than commercial flies. but if you loose them it really doesnt matter. jer

Depends on how you tie

You can recoup your costs, but the key is to tie for others. I started out by being given a cheap vise and buying only the materials I needed for flies I wanted to tie. Then once I became good family members wanted me to tie for them. I only did it on one condition, they bought materials, and I kept what was left. After about 2 years I had quite the arsenal and hardly any expense. Then, started selling my flies to friends, and made all my money back and then some. Now with commercial tier's discount it really cuts costs big time. I feel the best way to start out and recoup losses is to buy what you need ONLY. You can get by with a cheap thompson knockoff (I did) and supplies you need. It's when you go buckwild that costs you.