Found a new addiction...

[Toomanyhobbies]

Ive gotten back into fly fishing and always wanted to try fly tying. After stocking up on some nice Steelhead flies and then loosing a lot of those flies I decided to take up tying. A local fly shop has been great with equipment and advise, they even have 3 free classes a month that are 3 hours or so long. So far Ive tied a cool streamer, (20 of them) and a ton of sucker spawns. Ive already had to buy another fly box just to accommodate my egg patterns,lol. Ive lost about 20 flies so far and at 2.50/fly Ive saved about 40 bucks tying my own plus the satisfaction of catching fish on something Ive made.

 

[Fishidiot]

Well...now you've got one more hobby too many

Glad you're having fun.
In my humble opinion, fly tying and flies themselves are the best part of the overall fly fishing hobby.
(This thread will eventually be moved over to the Fly Tying forum)

 

[Toomanyhobbies]

Lol, yeah as soon as I hit submit I said to myself why didn't I put it there. In my defense, I told my Wife, my ice fishing, fly fishing and now fly tying are all under the fishing umbrella so it only counts for 1 hobby,lol

 

[1hook]

I always said " I love to fly fish but I will never tie flies!"... Then one day I decided I would learn to tie some San juan worms and eggs for stockies...that was about a 1000$ in materials ago, it's a nasty addiction

 

[jeremymcon]

Yes you can definitely then flies for less money per fly than you'd pay for them at a shop. You probably won't save money in the long run though - If you're anything like most of us (from what I've heard from people on the forum) you'll end up buying more materials than you'll ever be able to use.

But I agree with fishidiot - tying your own flies is a huge part of the appeal of fly fishing, for me at least. Sometimes the whole reason I want to go out to the stream is to try out a new pattern that I just tied! Welcome to the hobby, good luck not becoming consumed by it!

 

[poopdeck]

It's a great way to shorten winter. I fall into the "save lots of money" end of fly tying. If you are spending more then you are saving then your a hoarder who ties lots of things that rarely get fished. I also pore and tie all my saltwater stuff for really big super savings.

 

[RCFetter]

I know you don't save money by tying your own flies but when your are tying your own flies it sure does feel that way. Plus when you lose a fly you don't feel like you lost a $2 or whatever you paid for the fly.

It's kind of like the earth revolving around the sun. We know it's true but when you watch the sun rise and set it seems like the sun revolves around the earth.

 

[geebee]

for salmon, saltwater and steelhead, the few materials needed does i think save you cash but trout patterns are so diverse in terms of styles and materials i don't think they can ever be cheaper.

its a nice hobby to have for the summer when its too hot out to fish. i think it also makes you think about how you fish a little more.

 

[marcq]

I agree with geebee for my salt stuff tying saves me a ton of cash but the tout I usually tie some but buy most. I only tie the ones I cant buy at the shop. plus you can get more creative and mess around with colors. like today I have been tying bucktail deceiver in a school bus and chicken scratch color. Those colors have produces a lot of fish for me in the past. I bet you could not find that fly in most shops.

 

[lv2nymph]

Welcome to the world of tying, it's never ending but most of us don't care. Like Marcq said you'll be fishing flies you probably can't buy at the shop. Once you get a handle on what materials will do what with different applications you'll be fishing flies that no one else is as well. I really like that part, showing the fish something new can be a wonderful thing. Just make sure you come up with a way to keep yourself organized so you know what you have.

 

[Toomanyhobbies]

I'm sure it can be addictive! Some of the guys who were there tonight had boxes and boxes of stuff, I felt, well new,lol. I bought a Plano Guide Series 3700 tackle box and even though it's barely filled it looks like it will keep everything nice and neat. Honestly about the only thing I see myself tying are Steelhead stuff like sucker spawn, egg patterns etc. I might try this Nymph pattern that Ive bought about 10 so far and have 2 left all lost to fish, they seem to love this pattern. But for now my 2 smaller fly boxes are packed full for what I need in the next coming weeks. I've even found some patterns I'm going to try when I go ice fishing (little grub looking flies).

 

[sandfly]

Addictive no way !!

 

[afishinado]

poopdeck wrote:
It's a great way to shorten winter. I fall into the "save lots of money" end of fly tying. If you are spending more then you are saving then your a hoarder who ties lots of things that rarely get fished. I also pore and tie all my saltwater stuff for really big super savings.

^True above, if you are disciplined enough to just buy the materials and tie flies that you fish all the time.

I tell new tyers to just focus on flies that they fish all the time and buy materials to tie them. Flies like wooly buggers, clousers, PT's, HE's etc.

But most of us, myself included, get into buying materials and tying all types of patterns that use odd or exotic materials. We seldom or never fish those flies and the materials just sit. But, experimenting with new materials and new fly patterns is fun (but can be expensive). The choice is yours.

 

[DGC]

Tying or buying comes up now and then and I enjoy rehashing it. I think there was a time when tying was more economical than buying, but with the advent of internet fly shops and 50 Cent flies, and an exponential increase in the variety and sizes of flies available, there is truly no economic reason to tie trout flies. By saying that I am conveniently staying out of the whole quality question as regards these budget flies vs. B&M shop flies tied on site or by US production and/or custom order tiers.

Of course, in a discretionary leisure activity that is done simply because it is fun, justifications and rationales are by definitiion not required. The only time to feel guilty is if it really does take food or rent money out of your family's pocket. On the other hand, you do not get to earn fishing bum bona fides unless you have done just that and kept on fishing and tying anyway.

And simply as a preference based on what is or is not available in the market, I can state flatly that many--certainly not all--but many of my flies can not be bought at a shop, much less the Flystops of the world, and certainly not in the quality or performance capability that I expect of them. I didn't think about it this way when I started tying, but that's how it has turned out to be.

 

[eunanhendron]

tie atlantic salmon flies....see how addicted you become..
$15-75 for a single hook certainly aint saving any money...


But, I wouldnt have it any other way. :-D

 

[Toomanyhobbies]

Well like I said, so far, my only interest is in Steelhead flies. I will be trying some poppers for Bass soon,lol. See there I go...2 posts ago I was only into Steelhead flies. And this is how it all starts!

 

[geebee]

simple thread based nymphs can save you a bunch too - black, olive, red, tan in small sizes #18, #20 will fish for your all year round.

just cover em in hard as nails and they are ready to go.

 

[poopdeck]

Come on now I cant be the only non-hoarding fly tier who saves money.

Most patterns I tie with what I have not necessarily what the recipe calls for. It all works. Bugs are not made of mink no more then they are Buck tail or spotted stegosaurus tails.

I love looking at perfectly tied flies in exotic material. I also enjoy talking to and watching tier's who like to tie these flies. I just have no desire to tie that way or fish with them. I have four shoe boxes of tying material and can tie dozens and dozens, maybe even a hundred different patterns from them. Good enough for me and I have no desire or plans on expanding to 5 shoe boxes. You can save mega dollars but that's wholly up to you.

The great thing is which ever way you lean it will be equally enjoyable.

 

[geebee]

Most patterns I tie with what I have not necessarily what the recipe calls for. It all works. .

i should that more, definitely.

 

[JackM]

poopdeck wrote:
Come on now I cant be the only non-hoarding fly tier who saves money.

Most patterns I tie with what I have not necessarily what the recipe calls for. It all works. Bugs are not made of mink no more then they are Buck tail or spotted stegosaurus tails.

I love looking at perfectly tied flies in exotic material. I also enjoy talking to and watching tier's who like to tie these flies. I just have no desire to tie that way or fish with them. I have four shoe boxes of tying material and can tie dozens and dozens, maybe even a hundred different patterns from them. Good enough for me and I have no desire or plans on expanding to 5 shoe boxes. You can save mega dollars but that's wholly up to you.

The great thing is which ever way you lean it will be equally enjoyable.

This is not an alter-ego of mine, no matter what you read in the OT Jam Forum.

That said, I have never possessed, much less fingered, any pheasant phibbets, oops fibettes, maybe not, but I have created many Royal (whatevers)."