Cost of tying vs. buying flies

[jsmith697]

I was wondering the cost effectiveness of tying flies vs. buying them. I'm relatively new to fly fishing, but I've tied some flies and bought a lot more.

Flies can be bought for about $.89 each on flyshack where as the material to make the flies usually comes out to about $10 to $20 depending on what flies you're trying to make.

Out of one batch of material to make a fly (say, a pheasant tail nymph or an elk hair caddis), how many flies would I roughly be able to make?

 

[Volksnurse]

Yeah. No. Not really any cost savings, but damned addictive. If you don't count your time, and only one fly, you might break even. But it never stops there.

 

[huntfish]

I think in the long term it could be cost effective, but for the most part not. If you don't enjoy tying, and are only doing it to save a few bucks, it will probably not be worth it with how much time it will take up (a lot) versus how much money you would save (not much)

 

[dc410]

Tie flies if you enjoy doing it. It can be therapeutic. If you really don't enjoy tying, buy your flies on your cheapest online source. However, don't pass up the opportunity to stop in the local fly shop every now and then. You will drop a little more coin on flies but may meet some great folks and in the process and get some great tips on the local waters.

 

[nfrechet]

 

[phiendWMD]

I think you could tie 100 elk hair caddis for less than it would cost to buy them.

Hooks $15-$20 (less for Allen or Saber than for Mustad or Tiemco)
Hackle $20 for a Whiting 100 pack
Hair $5
Dubbing $3

Where can you buy 100 flies for $50? If you can, what is the quality of them? Will it be Tiemco hooks and Whiting hackle?

 

[pabrookie94]

I'm sure you "could" save some money eventually after you break even from tools and vise and materials...however, when I started 4 years ago I had maybe enough materials to tie 4-5 patterns...and now? Well let's say I could tie just about any fly you could think of other than salmon flies or some other very material specific ones.

It's an addiction and not one to be taken lightly. If you do enjoy it then that's part of the fun! Besides catching fish on your own craft is much more rewarding, to me anyways

 

[duckfoot]

My mother gave me a great piece of advice a long time ago: everyone needs a mindless hobby that doesn't have a deadline.

For some old men, it's whittling and pipe smoking. For some old women, it's knitting and crocheting.

Fly tying lets me think, relax, and do something well without a clock looming over me. It's a wonderful hobby that lets me enjoy another hobby even more!

 

[dryflyguy]

I pondered this same question when I started fly fishing in 1980. And I bought flies for the first few years I FFed.
After several years though, it became apparent to me that tying my own flies would be a worthy venture. And decided to take a fly tying class.
Looking back now - over 30 years later - I would say that learning to tie was one of the best decisions I ever made.
And - as others have mentioned - in the long run, you'll still save money.

 

[franklin]

I think the only way you save money is if you narrow your patterns down to a few that you use a lot. Even then it will take a long time to break even. If you experiment with different flies and only tie a handful of them it's very hard to break even. There is always a new material or a new tool that's needed.

My return on the investment is the excitement of trying a new fly. Sometimes one I have created or adapted. It's also very therapeutic to sit and tie. And can be done regardless of weather, season, etc.

 

[Tiogadog]

I have more money invested in fly tying tools and materials than I do fly fishing equipment. Well, maybe not more but it is pretty close. I can confidently say that at this point in my life I spend more on materials than I do fishing products. This might be due to me not really buying any rods for a few years.

I don't think you will really save much money, but you will also not feel bad when you snap a fly off on a rock or a tree.

 

[redietz]

I don't think you will really save much money, but you will also not feel bad when you snap a fly off on a rock or a tree.

That's to me one of the two biggest advantages of tying. The cost to replace a fly is trivial if I already have the materials, so I'm more likely to throw a fly into places like brush piles and under overhangs (places where the fish are.)

The other advantage is that I can get the flies that I want, tied the way I want them tied, rather than what fly seller thinks I might want.

OTOH, I definitely don't save money.

 

[BrianMyers67]

But is tying more expensive because once you start tying, you want to try every pattern under the sun ? Would you buy as many different patterns as you currently have the materials to tie if you were not tying your own flies ? Part of the problem may be that tying your own flies allows you the chance to be creative/artistic where you don't get to be in the rest of your life. It also gives you a sense of accomplishment that may be lacking elsewhere. Would tying your own save money if you limited yourself to only those patterns you would have bought if you didn't tie ?

 

[NPflychucker]

cost effective? probably not, then again for me, when it comes to my hobbies such as fly fishing/tying, Im never really cost effective with anything lol I tie because I enjoy it and I enjoy catching fish on the flies that I tie. And like has been said, you get to tie the flies the way you prefer them and you don't feel as bad snapping them off.
All I can say is if you do start tying, be prepared, its a sickness lol

 

[allan_s]

I don't give a darn about catching fish on flies that I tied, I just do it because I like them weighted a certain way and I tie variations of flies that would impossible to buy, unless special ordered from a tier and that case I would rather tie then pay a premium price.

It is cost effective if tying tons of the same flies, but if you tie a little of this and a little of that it certainly isn't. I tie maybe 15-20 different flies now religiously and I just buy any 'specialty' flies that I will only use a few a year.

 

[fishbaithohaha]

Every endeavor grows like a tree, a central trunk with many branches. You start by learning to fly fish, branching into fly tying, rod building, photography, entomology, camping, hiking, conservation, joining clubs, travel ..... eventually, to writing on a forum.

None of the ancillary activities is cheap or in the short run, saves money. Each activity can be inexpensive. Don't purchase the cheapest or most expensive vise. Cheap doesn't last and is hard to use. Expensive provides marginal benefits and alone, will not make you a better tyer.

Last comment, be part of a forest of family and friends, not a solitary tree in a field.

 

[REDNECK_FLYFISHER]

It all depends on how much you fish. If you are only going to tie A few flies and only fish A few days A year then buy them . When I started to fly fish and tying in the early 80's as A 15 year old I was lucky. My parents owned A sporting goods store so I got my equipment cheap and was able to get A lot of material from customers who hunted more than I did. I was also lucky enough to sell A number of flies for years. The store closed in 1997 and since then I have tied mostly for myself and A few people still willing to pay for quality . Mostly anymore for me though tying is my therapy from everyday life.

 

[CLSports]

If you are interested in saving a few cents, you probably should not have gotten into fly fishing. It only gets worse from here . . .

 

[shakey]

Whereas it is not likely to save money ,it could if you meet certain criteria.

If you get material for free from a hunter,or are a hunter yourself.

Stick to a few patterns.

Stick to one or two colors of thread.you could tye everything with tan thread . Or, everything with either white or black .

Use copper wire from salvaged lamp cords for ribs .

Raid someone's sewing box.

I have lots of money tied up in materials, however , I could easily fish for years with just one hen neck,a box of size 12 or 14 mustad 3906, and some colored thread for soft hackles.

That's about $20 for 100 flies . Less money if a friend shoots a starling,partridge,grouse,etc.

 

[shakey]

i could tye with just these for a year or so.

http://www.jannsnetcraft.com/sproat-hooks/810310.aspx

that's $5.35 for a hundred hooks.

conicidentally,also $5.35 for a hen saddle
http://www.jsflyfishing.com/wapsi-soft-hackle-hen-saddle-patch?child=NM-790065-CROR.

so,if you already have thread,that's a hundred flies for $10.70 plus whatever shipping is.