To tie one on or not?

osprey

osprey

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Joined
Apr 1, 2009
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3,031
Now that should get younses attention. How many of y'all tie yer own flies and who buys them? I thought about putting this in the fly tying thread but then the ones that don't tie wouldn't see it.
 
I tie my own and have for 42 years. When I fist started it was with my Dad. We had a Thompson A vice and a pair of hackle pliers. Got tread and wax from my Moms sewing table. We learned together. All we had where a couple of books. No internet back then. Great memories. Dad has since passed. I will always tie. It has become a huge part of my life. I am guessing it will always be so.

Thanks,

GenCon
 
I learned to tie in order to supply my Dad and Pap i was 5 years old.
 
Been tying mine for 27 years now huge part of my life as well. I couldn't imagine ffing and not tying.
 
Buy. May get into it someday but I've gone 35 years fly fishing without doing it and with other hobbies I just haven't the time. I know there is that aspect of the hobby of catching a fish on something you built yourself and all that and that is pretty cool. But here back 5/6 years ago I bought 1500 assorted flies and pick up a few now and then but for my $ investment in bugs... I fish when I have the time and do other hobbies I enjoy. I never built a bass spinner or a red devil or any other type of lure when I was spin'n or bait cast'n for stuff. Like I said, I may get into it one day. It'll give me something to do when the solar flux is down and the propagation is bad on the HF bands I guess.
 
Five weight , you are missing out on a great thrill but i hold no malice , send me a PM with an address and i'll send some samples.
 
I tie all of my flies, but I will not hesitate to buy a handful of dry flies during a hatch. I've been tying for, I don't know, 6 years, and I still get frustrated tying some of the mayfly patterns. My thing about tying though is I really started enjoying it once I realized how effective fishing your own pattern can be, especially on streams at home that get slammed with the same flies from TCO daily (Tully).

 
Both. I tie the flies I go through a lot of like wulffs, EHC, PT and HE. I also tie my own buggers, stuff like that. More "complicated" patterns or tiny stuff, I buy. I also buy regional flies. Like when I go to the Smokies in October, I'll stop in at Little River Outfitters and buy whatever the locals recommend.
 
I am more like Sasquatch-- I tie and supplement with purchases. I usually have enough of my own ties and old purchases to cover my expected fishing for the next month or so, but if I have a trip comming up where I expect to use and need a good number of flies that I cannot find the time to tie myself, I will place an order or pick up at the destination to cover my expected needs.

There are a couple places I like to stop and pick up a dozen or two of flies just to throw some money to the local flyshop, and make sure I have locally "approved" patterns on hand.
 
I'm pretty much the same as squatch too. I tie the easy stuff that i know i will use a lot of. I used to tie more, but i found myself buying $50 worth of material, to tie 3 flies that sit in the box for 10 years, and no matter how much material you acquire you never seem to have everything you need. i just enjoy the fishing much more than the tying anyway, so i try to focus my efforts on that part. I definitely can admire some of the awesome work guys do and understand how you can really get into and enjoy tying. to each their own.
 
You make a good point about the craft of tying. I enjoyed it for a while because I could "make something" that worked. But then I realized that purchased flies also work and I didn't really enjoy the craft. It seemed a chore and I still tie as a chore, but it is about as enjoyable as doing the laundry. No offense to anyone who enjoys the craft, because I enjoy some crafts that others would find a complete bore.
 
I tie and buy. Like Sasquatch, I don't tie complicated or tiny flies. Most of my tying is done in the winter on cold weekends so I still get that feeling that I'm FFing although I'm sitting at a desk. It keeps me going until a nice sunny day arrives.
 
Jack, I can agree with that. Whenever I am tying to "fill the box", it is like a chore. When I am at school, it's a little better since I have more time and people to tie with, but it's still a PITA when you need to tie a mass amount of smaller flies.

Recently though, I have really been getting into tying streamers in all sizes. Musky flies are my favorite because every single one that comes off the vise is unique in it's own way. There's really no limit as to what color combos/materials you can use. And the best part is every 3rd or 4th fly that comes off the vise is usually a gem. Usually I'll tie 5, keep 3, and sell/give away 2.
 
I've been tying my own for about 25 years and enjoy it almost as much as being streamside. There is something in common about sitting at the tying table when the snow and winds are blowing and being alone on the stream at the right time......maybe it is just an extension of the whole Flyfishing experience.

I always have plenty of just about everything and not a season goes by where I haven't had opportunity to share a fly or two with someone who hasn't quite got the proper match in their box.
 
I just bought enough stuff to tie a couple flies about a week and a half ago. I picked the flies I use the most to start with. One of the biggest factors was not being able to buy exactly what I thought I needed locally. I have a pretty well stocked fly shop close to me, and they still don't always have the flies I'm looking for sometimes. Now that should be less of a problem.

Started with elk hair caddis, zebra midges, comparaduns, and Rainys grand hopper. I'm still struggling with the hopper, but the others I've mostly gotten the hang of. I can't seem to shape the foam body correctly.

 
99% tie 1% buy in a pinch. That being said I don't enjoy tying a bunch of flies at a time. The most i can tie at a time is about 1/2 dozen and im done.
 
I tie all of my own, and tie a lot for others. I don't fish dry flies a lot so I may trade for them once in a while. As posted before it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to purchase 50 dollars in materials for a few flies you will never use.

It adds to the thrill for me. My favorite thing is to take fur and feathers from animals I have harvested and use that for flies. Make a great full circle aspect.

I also like creating patterns on my own. This is probably the most appealing thing about it to me. You can tweak patterns and make your own renditions of popular patterns. These patterns are not seen alot in fly project waters and I found some time is the trout aren't hitting the standard flies, switching to one of these off the wall creations can be effective.

I love learning new patterns and tying with new materials as well. I love hearing that people are having success with my flies, and that keeps me tying for others.

Some guys like to tie, other just want to catch fish. It is all in what you want to get out of it to be honest.

I think I see ospreys point of this post as to try and get people to give it a chance, and see how much other like doing it. You can honestly learn to tie for very cheap. Many guys on here have some older vices and such that they might even donate if asked.

i watched my tying go from a hand-me-down vice to a regal knock off and now a regal with Staninless steel jaws. All of these items are great and help tying go more smoothly, but one can tie on a 5.00 yardsale vice and buy some cheap hooks and steal some fur off of the cat, or even find a turkey feather and create some fish catching patterns.

You will never know everything about tying, and there is always new tricks, skills, and patterns to learn. Plus it is aways fun to talk tying and your own patterns with other tyers.
 
I buy all my flies. I'm considering getting into tying just because I'm getting more particular about the styles of fly I want to fish, and I can't always source exactly what I want when I need it.
 
To the guys who said they simply don't enjoy tying, I'm the same way. I do it 'cause for what I tie, it is more economical than buying, but I'm only good for about 6 flies at a sitting.

Even in the winter, I don't enjoy it. I fish year 'round, so tying is time away from water for me.
 
I tie almost all my own flies and have for the last 25 years. I love to tie them almost as much as I do fishing . I also try to get as much of my own material as I can during hunting season. I have saved A few deer hides and lots of tails to use and try to shoot all my own pheasants ,grouse , rabbit and turkey to use. I traded some flies to a cousin of mine in Alaska for A caribou hide from one he shot. And when I do use flies I didn't make my own I try to trade A few friends for flies that they have done. My wife thinks I am nuts for how far I take it but I just love the fact of getting fish with my own,.
 
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