Giving up tying

[fessiewig]

I was thinking of giving up tying flies. For the past few years I've found it increasingly difficult to sit down at the vise for more than three flies at a time. In years past I'd tie dozens at a sitting, but that hasn't happened on a regular basis for many years.

I been looking at different sites on the web which sell flies and have found a couple which sell them at really reasonable prices (less than a dollar each). For $500 dollars you can get an awful lot of flies and once you've filled your fly box it's not very costly to maintain it. Just think of how much you've got invested in fly tying material. I don't know about you, but I've got thousands of dollars tied up in the stuff.

So . . . . that's what I've been thinking. Any comments?

Oh yeah, I'd keep enough materials to tie the few patterns I can't buy and sell the rest and use that money to buy flies.

[bluenose]

Perhaps since I've only been tying flies for two years, I haven't reached the point that you have.
Tying gets me through the long winters and allows me to try my hand at different and new patterns.
There are no fly shops locally ( materials I use are ordered online ) so the flies I tie are the ones that I use.
Yes, it can be expensive, but there are far worse things my money could be spent on!

Regards

[Owl's Roost]

Gee, John that's a pretty drastic measure. Not unlike you I find that I don't sit for long periods of time at the bench,but just give it up cold turkey? I look at flies other folks tie and there is always something I do a little different. These imported flies don't last and I don't think it's good buiness for them to last. They need you to lose them or cast them to pieces pretty regularly so that they can sell you some more. There is always a variation of color or size that is important to my fishing, if only in my own mind. To be dependent on somebody elses rendition of a fly is not acceptable. I also like to tinker around with something new every so often. You are right that the materials are expensive, but that creates some fun going to the craft store and finding some bead, etc. for less than I can find it at a fly shop or in a catalog. I enjoy giving a fly away to a fellow fly fisher and I am just too cheap to think I would do that if I were paying for them. I know I'm paying for them if I tie them but it's not the same. I would probably tell the person where they could buy them. When I get the "spruce horrors" about March or so it's kind of nice to uncork a bottle of Woodsman's and let that creosote fragrance waft about my tying bench and crank out a few old favorites and some new thing that I just know will kill them in a few months. Think this over before you make that fatal leap. :wink:

[overmywaders]

John,

I sold all my flytying materials last year as I needed the money and like you I tied only half a dozen patterns. I got just a small fraction of the value of all the necks and skins, but I was satisfied... until I started fishing again this season and found that no-one sold the patterns I use, quite the way I make them.

Yesterday I received a shipment of flytying "stuff" purchased from another weary tier. It begins again...

Best regards,
Reed
www.overmywaders.com

[Birddogtwo]

John,

DON'T DO IT!!!
You are of course correct that it is much cheaper to buy flies. Tying for me is stress reduction. I've always been afraid to add up what I've spent on tying equipment and materials.. Probably I'm at $50 per fly. LOL
Tying can also be a great social event. I get together with a variety of friends in the dead of winter and tie. I'd be happy to host the First Annual Fly Fish NH tying get together this winter. I have room for 10-12 comfortably. If you promise not to get rid of all your stuff I'll even drive up to Littleton to pick you up. Of course if you do get rid of stuff, I'll be happy to lend you whatever you want.

HMMMM This idea sounds better the more I think about it. I think this fall I'll post a date and see what happens.
Dave

[Flyfish99]

Tying has become, for me, such an integral part of the whole flyfishing experience that I could never think of giving it up. It is as much a part of the fishing as is casting. It gives me a lot of pleasure to modify a pattern and make it more effective under certain conditions, or to tie a fly to imitate a specific insect instead of using a standard pattern. I seldom sit down to a marathon tying session anymore, usually tying an hour or two at a time, but since my "pattern base" has been long since tied, I am usually just tying replacements, or experimenting with a new tie.

Think long and hard before you give it up.

[Jammin' Salmon]

John,
I too over the past several years have scaled back my tying. I still tie the streamers and some wet flies but those #22 dry flies and smaller, I leave for someone else. This past year I have used the following company www.blueflycafe.com with good success. Seldom do I pay more than $.60 a fly and they will tie any fly you want--just send them a sample if they don't have it listed. Sure it may take away from the total experience but I remember those nights at the vise trying to put hackle on a size 22 hook only to drop the darn fly on the carpet and then spending 10 minutes finding it and another 10 minutes having my wife take it out of my toe!

[fessiewig]

Blueflycafe is one of the sites I have also found, but I didn't know they would special tie flies for you. How long does it take for them to complete an order?

[Jammin' Salmon]

I ordered some flies right off the site and had them in 3 days from time of order. What I like about them is that you can mix and match sizes and numbers. Most sites require a minimum order of a dozen of one size but they will let you mix and match and will give you the discounted price for the total number of flies of each type.
I inspected the flies I received and of course they weren't as good as the ones that I tie but then again I wasn't picking them out of my toes either! They are of fine quality and come with a money back guarantee. Sounds fair to me.

Rick

[fessiewig]

I've decided to do both. I'm giving up tying the flies I don't tie well and will continue to tie those which I do. That will also give me the ability to tie new and inventive flies should I wish.

I've come up with another good reason to purchase flies . . . . it forces you (unless you're wealthy) to limit the files you carry on stream.

[PW]

Guess I should put the flies away you've made for me. They'll be collectables some day. Don't give it up completely John your flies are EXCELLENT!!!

Birddogtwo if your serious about your offer for this winter send me a PM sometime and I'll see if I can make it an official happening.

[MJ]

Birddog, like PW I find your suggestion of a winter fly tying gathering rather interesting. I don't tie my own at present, but I am somewhat interested in perhaps involving myself in such to a LIMITED degree. :)

It couldn't be but a good thing to get some practical, hands-on exposure to others experienced in tying. Keep us posted, yes?

[Birddogtwo]

Re Flytying session
I'm thinking January or Feb. I tie all winter so I guess any time will work but with bird season sloooowly coming and then the holidays the dead of winter might be best but I'm game for more than one time... (after all I don't have to travel) maybe one in November and another in January? Let me know if your interested. beginers are more than welcome. I can comfortably fit 12-15 people and have a couple of extra vises It should be fun. As I reread this it seems vague and noncommital so how about this


WHO IS INTERESTED IN GETTING TOGETHER ON NOVEMBER 26 from 09:00 until @400-4:30 for some fly tying?

I probably should post this under it's own heading rather than hijack Fessies thread