shank_Master
New Angler
- Total Posts : 43
- Reward points: 0
- Joined: 2007/12/10 11:39:56
- Status: offline
Internet FLIES ???
Well I was just wondering how many or you guys ANd gals buy there fishing supplies or flies online ? the reason being everytime i walk in the fly shop i seem to drop 60- 80 $$$$ just on flies I did a little research and found ways to pick up the same flies and gear for 80% off the price in stores and buy on the web .. I Know from Experience that there is always a some underlined issues So just wondering how many have a secret for saving money( other than making them your self )
|
swinger
Pro Angler
- Total Posts : 1376
- Reward points: 0
- Joined: 2006/11/11 19:56:03
- Status: offline
RE: Internet FLIES ???
2008/03/04 19:35:15
(permalink)
Have a good friend who lets you "borrow" them. Watch the flies you get on the net sure they may be a good price but the hooks are usually junk and the craftsmanship is sometimes subpar. You get what you pay for.
Quality over quantity I am reality I>U JC Rules!!!!!!!
|
shank_Master
New Angler
- Total Posts : 43
- Reward points: 0
- Joined: 2007/12/10 11:39:56
- Status: offline
RE: Internet FLIES ???
2008/03/04 19:55:30
(permalink)
ORIGINAL: swinger Have a good friend who lets you "borrow" them. Watch the flies you get on the net sure they may be a good price but the hooks are usually junk and the craftsmanship is sometimes subpar. You get what you pay for. thats was my thought But i did order a few dozen just to see for myself they are from a guy in washington state who supposedly hand ties them himself.. I got them and the hooks are fine not cheap at all the flies are all rabbit hair they Are really great craftsmanship( as far as I know) I have only been using flies for the past few years .. but the prices are unreal .. I have to be missing something ?? like they will fall apart after 2 casts .. But i will try the zonkers this weekend
post edited by shank_Master - 2008/03/04 19:57:29
|
saltflyfisher
Expert Angler
- Total Posts : 565
- Reward points: 0
- Joined: 2003/08/14 20:17:26
- Status: offline
RE: Internet FLIES ???
2008/03/04 20:04:58
(permalink)
If it hills, his flies are good. ORIGINAL: shank_Master ORIGINAL: swinger Have a good friend who lets you "borrow" them. Watch the flies you get on the net sure they may be a good price but the hooks are usually junk and the craftsmanship is sometimes subpar. You get what you pay for. thats was my thought But i did order a few dozen just to see for myself they are  from a guy in washington state who supposedly hand ties them himself.. I got them and the hooks are fine not cheap at all the flies are all rabbit hair  they Are really great craftsmanship( as far as I know) I have only been using flies for the past few years  .. but the prices are unreal .. I have to be missing something  ?? like they will fall apart after 2 casts .. But i will try the zonkers this weekend
|
avidangler
Expert Angler
- Total Posts : 835
- Reward points: 0
- Joined: 2007/11/02 20:36:57
- Status: offline
RE: Internet FLIES ???
2008/03/04 21:07:43
(permalink)
Alot of my tackle i'll buy online like terminal accessories such as hooks, floats, line, rods and reels. I'll always take some of my business to local shops but what i can't find at shops i buy online. Its cheaper to pay shipping than drive around to 5 different places trying to locate what you want to buy.
Born to fish, Forced to work... "Balls deep, or why even bother"
|
swinger
Pro Angler
- Total Posts : 1376
- Reward points: 0
- Joined: 2006/11/11 19:56:03
- Status: offline
RE: Internet FLIES ???
2008/03/04 22:02:43
(permalink)
Its even cheaper to call the shops to see if they have it in stock. If not they could order it and you wont have to pay shipping at all. Dont know why I chose that but I did.
Quality over quantity I am reality I>U JC Rules!!!!!!!
|
centerpin_drift
Avid Angler
- Total Posts : 205
- Reward points: 0
- Joined: 2007/11/21 10:55:43
- Status: offline
RE: Internet FLIES ???
2008/03/04 23:50:53
(permalink)
If you really want to get cheap in the long run take a fly tying class, Buy your vise,tools,materials, etc, start learning to tie all your own. Very rewarding in the end knowing you created a fly that you just landed a #15 on And then you know what your getting. I have been tying flies for at least 18 years started when i was 16 now i am 34. I have enough stuff to supply half of the county i live in and i am additive i keep buying more and more. I feel you never know what your going to need. I say in a years time i turn around 1000, plus hooks I have a few friends i tie for as well. Must be doing something right they all catch fish. Ask snoborder how many flies i tie a year, Right Mark! I love it it's a passion. centerpin_drift!~
|
doubletaper
Pro Angler
- Total Posts : 3977
- Reward points: 0
- Joined: 2007/10/15 20:00:48
- Location: clarion, pa
- Status: offline
RE: Internet FLIES ???
2008/03/05 10:09:35
(permalink)
Very rewarding in the end knowing you created a fly that you just landed a #15 on And then you know what your getting. i agree with centerpin_pin here's how to save money. 1. hunt rabbits and squirrels = body dubbing and tails 2. pheasents and turkeys= bodies,tails and shellbacks etc. 3. deer = caddis, bucktail streamers and the like. 4. know a duck hunter= A.)all the mallard flank and breast feathers you'll need and you could dye them with a prismacolor marker. and matched wings B.) woodduck feathers (these are expensive if you buy them) 5. know a taxidermist= elk hair in every shade, bear hair. they always have extra, moose main 6. check out fresh road kill= owl feathers,grouse (if you can't shoot them flying,lol),muskrat to last a lifetime, red fox etc. 7. tinsle from the christmas tree all these things above i feel are free, and enjoyable to pursue. if it wasn't for these free items it would of cost me a small fortune to start fly tying. this only leaves hooks (mustads mostly), quality hackle, lead wire and smaller items to buy. a great hobbie during the slow dayz..
|
flyfishindave
Expert Angler
- Total Posts : 659
- Reward points: 0
- Joined: 2005/03/21 23:16:15
- Status: offline
RE: Internet FLIES ???
2008/03/05 11:23:33
(permalink)
you guys are right start tying your own flies, you will enjoy catching fish on your own flies. Then you can start building your own rods. I have been tying for over 40 years & building rods for for over 20 years & enjoy both. would not own half of the rods & flies if I did not do it myself.
|
snobrder151
New Angler
- Total Posts : 50
- Reward points: 0
- Joined: 2005/11/10 15:32:05
- Status: offline
RE: Internet FLIES ???
2008/03/05 14:32:39
(permalink)
ORIGINAL: centerpin_drift If you really want to get cheap in the long run take a fly tying class, Buy your vise,tools,materials, etc, start learning to tie all your own. Very rewarding in the end knowing you created a fly that you just landed a #15 on And then you know what your getting. I have been tying flies for at least 18 years started when i was 16 now i am 34. I have enough stuff to supply half of the county i live in and i am additive i keep buying more and more. I feel you never know what your going to need. I say in a years time i turn around 1000, plus hooks I have a few friends i tie for as well. Must be doing something right they all catch fish. Ask snoborder how many flies i tie a year, Right Mark! I love it it's a passion. centerpin_drift!~ lol too many
I love deadlines. I especially like the whooshing sound they make as they go flying by.
|
shank_Master
New Angler
- Total Posts : 43
- Reward points: 0
- Joined: 2007/12/10 11:39:56
- Status: offline
RE: Internet FLIES ???
2008/03/05 14:39:19
(permalink)
I really have considered taking up tying fies with all the money I spend on flies . but Time is not on my side for now.. with work, school and a family the only free time i get is in the throne room .. But now that I found a easier way and cheaper way buying direct from the tyier paying only 6$ a dozen for zonkers and 5$ a dozen for buggers nyphs ect That way its better than tying for now with no time .. But i am sure as time kicks on I will have that time and start tying my own so i will stick with plan B and pay the other guy .. But thanks for all the input by the way the flies seem to be great quality no different that what i buy at the fly shop . but well know more when i use them ( hope they dont fall apart on the second cast)
|
razmatazz05
Pro Angler
- Total Posts : 1856
- Reward points: 0
- Joined: 2006/11/17 16:03:49
- Location: 412
- Status: offline
RE: Internet FLIES ???
2008/03/05 14:56:24
(permalink)
ebay. look up steelheadking flies or itieflies i have bought flies off of both guys. they're fairly local and do a very good job.
|
Bughawk
Pro Angler
- Total Posts : 3247
- Reward points: 0
- Status: offline
RE: Internet FLIES ???
2008/03/05 15:48:26
(permalink)
If you are interested in tying steelhead flies, some of the easiest flies to tie are glo bugs and sucker spawn. Once you learn to tie a glo bug, you can crank out 50 in a hour. They are drop dead simple. There are some streamer patterns that are also very simple and quick to tie. I will warn you that tying flies can make the per cost of the flies less than buying them, but if you are like me and end up buying just about everything you can find in a fly shop, the expense goes up. I have enough materials in my desk and the adjacent area to open my own fly shop. For me the most rewarding thing about tying flies is when I catch a fish on a fly I tied. I love that. Even better is to give a fly to someone and they catch a fish with it. I believe it is one of the best feelings in the world and always puts a smile on my face. One other thing about tying your own flies is you get to experiment. That is great fun as well. I have lots of flies I tie that are no particular pattern, but are based on some simple principles of size, proportion and color. Believe it or not, many of these creations actually catch fish. My advice is to start tying some of the very simple flies like the glo bugs and sucker spawn. They are easy, quick ties and work well. Buy your streamers for now and as you gain some skill and confidence, and also find more time, start working on the more elaborate flies, but nothing too crazy, maybe woolly buggers and simple streamers. Depending on your fishing techniques, having a few simple nymph's would not be a bad idea as well as a few simple soft hackles. Good luck.
|
SteelyShawn
Novice Angler
- Total Posts : 54
- Reward points: 0
- Joined: 2007/01/10 20:11:27
- Status: offline
RE: Internet FLIES ???
2008/03/05 16:57:37
(permalink)
If you do not have time to tie. Hill's discount flies and percy's flies are one of the cheapest I have found.
Somebody just back of you while you are fishing is as bad as someone looking over your shoulder while you write a letter to your girl. ~Ernest Hemingway
|
shank_Master
New Angler
- Total Posts : 43
- Reward points: 0
- Joined: 2007/12/10 11:39:56
- Status: offline
RE: Internet FLIES ???
2008/03/06 22:26:04
(permalink)
I treyd them flies today and well they are ok after a few fish they got pretty shaggy Not all of them just a few .. with hair falling off bUt the hooks didnt strighten out And i caught fish with them So for the price I will buy them
|
bigsteeljack
New Angler
- Total Posts : 17
- Reward points: 0
- Joined: 2003/06/20 12:15:58
- Status: offline
RE: Internet FLIES ???
2008/03/07 12:24:23
(permalink)
when you are online and you see low prices for a dozen be very leary about it. remeber all flies are hand tied. that doesn't mean they are hand tied local. if you are paying a higher price for them, then you are more than likely getting locally hand tied flies. most shops in the area buy a lot of local hand tied flies. if they are simple flies like glo bugs and sucker spawn then paying a low price is ok, but when you are talking about more complicated nymphs that take upwards of 7 to 10 min to tie, and your buying them at 6.00 a dozen be leary. that tier is not making anything on those flies if he is tying them. if he selling them at .50 a fly and he is only getting 5 or 6 done an hour, and using good hooks on top of that. then he is making nothing on those flies. a reasonable price for a more complicated pattern, i would say would be over a dollar. your paying for that persons time, and it is probably a large amount of time depending on the fly. i tie articualted nymphs for a shop, they take a good 10 minutes a fly. i get about 7 or 8 bucks a dozen. i make basically nothing on them when you consider time, materials and how much i get for them. i do it, to do it. i know i will never need to tie thousands of them, becuase in the end mine cost more than the ones coming from over seas, and i will never be able to compete with that. what few bucks i make is worth the extra little time and some people want the quality over the price, some don't.
|