selling flies......

ryguyfi

ryguyfi

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Oct 18, 2006
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So I've come to a problem in my fly fishing career. I have introduced so many people to the sport, that I feel obligated to give them flies to start out. After this innitial gift of 20-30 flies, I give them more as we go steelheading, bass, summer, panfish... etc. I have told some if not all of them that I might start charging for them just to cover my costs. I think my box has less flies than theirs right now. Can't catch up.... so if I do start charging, what do I charge. I was thinking just .25 a fly. I'm not looking into making any money, but if people start relying on me to tie for them, should I charge more as the demand will go up? Just curious if anyone else does this or what their thoughts are.

I just need an extra 5 hours in the day... 1 to tie, 4 to fish :-D


Ryan
 
It's very easy. Invite them over for a beer drinking (they bring) and fly tying party so you can teach them, "how easy and cost-efficient," it is for them to tie their own flies. (ha ha ha).

In all honestly, try that approach, as it worked or me twice.

Short of that you simply explain to them that fly tying is time consuming, you're not their fly supplier and while you'll gladly give them some flies, giving will be if and when you can but for the most part you're on your own.

Also, scale back and give them easy to tie flies - wooly buggers, greenweenies, san juan worms, simple catskill tie dries, etc. Let them buy the more time consuming flies or learn to tie their own.

BTW, one of my friends now ties all his flies while the other ties select flies and buys the rest.
 
For my friend I charge a dollar and they don't mind. It's half price of a shop and much better flies. Not to mention that they can make suttle differences in what they want or have patterns they can't buy in a store.

I figured $1 covers my materials (20 -- 30 cents per fly) and my time.

If I tie for random people my prices vary from $1.25 -- 2.50 depending on the fly. I don't this all the time and used to get more "customers" when I worked at a fly shop.

If I tie for a shop, which is very rare, I ask for atleast $1, or $.50 and materials at cost.
 
I wouldn't mind charging a dollar, but my flies aren't fantastic. My basic nymphs are pretty good, but when they can get them on flystop.com for .55 why should I charge more than that for inferior ties? Mine catch fish, that I know. My biggest problem is sitting on the stream and catching fish with X fly. "what do you have on?"... "ohh I've got X fly on, sz x, in x color" "Can I have one?" I'm not selfish by any means, and always give fies away, even to complete strangers, but it would be nice to get a few bucks here and there to buy more hooks and supplies.
 
Tell them to buy their own flies. I have accepted gifts of flies from others, but I wouldn't dream of making a habit of asking for a fly much less expecting it.
 
I agree with Jack.

Once you start charging them for flies, they gain the right to bitch about wanting more, and wanting them now.
 
People, friends or not, always take advantage of FREE! I say charge them. How much you charge them? Depends on how cheap you can get materials. Any money you make off them you can just recycle back into fly tying materials, gas money, fishing gear etc. By the sounds of it they go fishing with you on a regular basis anyway, so it benefits you and your friends,
 
I like GreenWeenie's idea. I'd suggest trying that before you charge 'em.
 
I wouldn't charge them a per fly fee. I'd offer to provide flies if they take care of the gas. Or if they buy lunch or after fishing beers or anything. Make it a barter. If they are true friends I think it just works out better.
 
ten dollars a dozen and be done with it!
 
Ryguyfi

I don't think it's unreasonable for you to ask them to pay for the flies you tie for them, you have to make up for your time and costs. Even if you don't want to charge them full price get something, they shouldn't mind that!

The guy who ties for me is a pro and ties for many flyshops, he does give me a discount, I don't mind paying at all, the only problem is he's very busy with the shops, so I have to wait till he gets a chance to get to me. I don't mind because he does a great job.

PaulG
 
This should work. Give them a volume “discount”:
1-2 flies - No charge
3-5 flies - $1.00 / fly
6-11 flies - $2.00 / fly
12 –19 flies - $3.00 / fly
20+ flies - $5.00 / fly

They should get the idea. And if they continue to come back and want to tie them a bunch of flies, quit your day job and tie full time, you’ll be making a salary well into the six figure range.
 
My vote goes to trying to get them into tying. Get some beer and do some sort of get together. Help them tie a fly or few so they see they appreciate the time put in at the bench. If you can get them into tying, then you could pull your resources and each tie a few different patterns and split them. Getting people into fishing is a cool thing to do, but at a certain point they need to be self sufficient.


If that fails, guide them to theflystop whateverflyshop.com and get them into buying their flies. With that said, I do tie some flys for my buds but its because I enjoy gifting. They're usually my own patterns or some variation of another that you will have a tougher time finding on the net. Plus it's a rewarding feeling watching your fly produce fish for others. My time on the bench has always been both appreciated and reciprocated in some form or another.
 
shakey wrote:
ten dollars a dozen and be done with it!
Click to expand...

So three dozen equals a tank of gas for me. What you have to find out is if this person has the same allergic reaction I do to actually paying for flies. :-D Frankly I cringe at the expense of gas. I have had friends that I kept in flies and they drove. Or I kept in flies and when we'd get home we'd grill at his house...etc. If you want to make it a flat price that's fine. I just see it as doing business with friends and that doesn't always work well.
 
I use to give flies away to some of my friends and family but the hook and material prices add up after time and I can't keep giving flies away. I have been following this thread because I would like to start charging for flies but really didn't know what to ask. The barter system isn't a bad idea however I would like to put whatever I make on flies back into hooks and material.

Ron
 
I have a bit of a policy I follow.
When I start somebody new into flyfishing, I'll gladly give them some flies - for the first year or 2. Not 20-30 at a time, though!
After that, I figure that if they really like to flyfish, they can learn to tie their own, or buy them.
And I've taught most of them to tie - for free. Saving them the expense and commitment of taking a class - like I did.
 
Once on stream, the value of a fly, especially to a friend, becomes much greater with prices usually starting at $5 and going higher based upon the desperation of the friend : )
 
once off the stream and the friend has been skunked, the "right" fly gets even more expensive.
 
Thanks for the help guys. I might try to tie up a bunch of extra flies this winter, and not worry about it right now.

I was talking to Bob at the shop on the Neshannock the other day. He said his brother, when he just started fly fishing, was fishing a hole just behind the shop and nailing trout. Caught several right after another. Bob yelled down "Hey what are you catching them on?" His brother said. "Hares ears". Bob said he then sold many many hares ears. Later that day they were sitting in the shop and his brother's rig was sitting there... Bob started laughing... "you idiot, that's not a hares ear, that's a prince nymph!" .... sold all those flies, and wasn't even the right one lol.
 
tomgamber wrote:
I wouldn't charge them a per fly fee. I'd offer to provide flies if they take care of the gas. Or if they buy lunch or after fishing beers or anything. Make it a barter. If they are true friends I think it just works out better.
Click to expand...
I used to hunt with a guy that never once in 20 years offered to kick in for gas or even spend for a cup of coffee. Some people just don't get it.
As for giving away free flies, I do it all the time. The folks I give them to have done favors for me in the past and I like to help people who have helped me. Besides, it's a good excuse to tie up some more. I can always use the practice.
 
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