ebay and tying supplies

[DEADhead]

Anybody ever buy any of their hackle or tying supplies off of ebay? I've been debating whether or not the stuff on there is 'junk'. I'm a firm believer of you get what you pay for, but I didn't know if there were bargains to be had out there.

Any comments would be appreciated...

[WxGuy]

DH, I haven't done any buying off ebay, but I do know there are plenty of fly guys who get plenty of good stuff off there.

I'm sure there is always the chance of getting some junk, but for the most part I think there are plenty of fair deals to be had. Just try to be as certain of what you're getting as possible, I suppose.

Good luck!

[lotalota]

I have noticed that Ebay is getting nearer to retail on a lot of the things that get listed. Funny thing. For the most part I try to support the local shops in the Duluth/Superior area. For the coupla' bucks difference the value for me is still in the local shops. A guy can blow an afternoon hanging out at the Superior Fly Angler poking around the flycase, chatting about the spring run, reminiscing about the fall run...oops, I digress. If you know EXACTLY what you are bidding on it is possible to get a good deal. I have picked up 10 lifetime supplies of elk hair from a guy in CO for $10, nice saddles and capes for $15 from a guy that used the little feathers and all I wanted were the bigger sizes. Lots of stuff out there. It just takes a little diligence to parse the bad deals out.

Lota Lota...

[EatSleepFish]

lotalota- Where is the Superior Fly Angler? Thanks

-Gun control is a steady hand

[lotalota]

Their street address is 310 East Belknap (do a google on "superior fly angler"). As the addy notes, it is on the east side of Belknap. It is on the south side of the road and on the east end of a little strip mall that also has a bike shop, a cheese shop and a few other little store fronts. Jeff and Matt, the co-owners, are both first rate guys and will help you out with questions on local waters and both have quite a bit of trip info too. The other guys manning the shop when they're not around are equally helpful. Nice place to hang around and listen to guys jaw about what's happening on the local waters.

Lota Lota...

[turiprap]

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For the most part I try to support the local shops in the Duluth/Superior area.

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You've got to determine for yourself where the best place to buy materials is, but I'd like to expand on Lotalota's sentiments here. The small, local shop is the backbone of this sport. No one has better information about local conditions or better knowledge to impart or more experience from which to draw. Most of the owners and employees could make more money doing something else, frankly. It's their passion for the sport that keeps them going. I've not been in Jeff's shop, but I've met him several times elsewhere and he is a great guy. I make loops through the Twin Cities remaining three independent fly shops and they're all staffed by great people, too. If these folks fade, buying fly fishing related products will have the same pleasures as buying a TV set at a big box store.

Having ranted away sufficiently, I'd like to add that e-bay and such does have a place, particularly if what you're looking for is way out of the ordinary or otherwise rare. Just be careful about the sources and don't let your competitive spirit get the better of you when bidding.

[DEADhead]

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I make loops through the Twin Cities remaining three independent fly shops

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I used to shop Summit Fly Fishing until they closed... too bad.

I would certainly love to support the mom and pop independent fly stores; however, there aren't any around here in DL. Heck, it's hard enough just to find fly tackle, let alone supplies for tying. I'm left with the options of mail order, internet, or big box store shopping...

There were some very good editorials on the subject of local fly shops and their demise in the Feb '06 issue of Fly Fisherman magazine. An interesting read...

[turiprap]

Good points, DH. You have to have local fly shops before you can patronize them. I do get some of my supplies via mail order. The items I buy are usually private label or otherwise hard to come by, but I enjoy getting the catalogs so much that I'll order some pretty mundane stuff.

That was an excellent editorial in FF.

[lotalota]

I moved to Duluth a few years ago and would make the occasional trip 'round the 494/694 loop to hit various shops. My office was down near Crosstown and 169 so that put me right in the neighborhood of Bentley's in their old location. Good guys that'll usually have a good idea of river conditions wherever you are going. Bob Mitchell's shop out on the east side of town is full of good info as well. Both shops have most of what a guy would need to have right away and will order it if they don't have it. More importantly, these guys take the time to figure out how much you know about the sport before they start speaking to you like it's the first time you walked into a flyshop.

Truth is, poking around in the various outdoors shops is about the only thing I miss about living in the TC. While I used to make one day runs to the Brule to catch the river clearing, I now just head over after a half day at the office and check things out. Now THAT'S my kind of commute.

I agree with the notion of keeping the Kaufmann's and Flyshop catalogs coming. Many patterns in the box were hatched from those glossy pages.

Lota Lota...