Store bought flys

[channelfats]

I just staryed fly fishing this season, and I dont have the time or space to learn to tie my own flys yet, so I have been buying all my flies. I am starting to see a trend of flys not lasting long before the materials they are tied with start to "unravel". Forgive my lack of knowledge on descriptive terms. There falling apart, even the ones I have not been catching fish on. ? Is there a life span on these flys? Whats the deal with this? MY QUESTION IS: Where should I buy flies for the time being? I have been going to the box stores to buy, but am done with that now. Is there reputable sellers online, or should I stick with fly fishing only type stores?(thore bros-flyangler)

Thanks Guys

[DinkADunk]

good fly shop's carry good fly's. I visit all three fly shops in the Twin Cities but mainly get my fix in at Bob Mitchel's. Anyhow, at somepoint you should learn the basics of fly tying. Then if thread starts unraveling you can easily refinish it and be back at it. Another handy tool to have on you or in your bag is some UV Knot Sense. Dab a little on the head, let the UV rays of the sun cure it and you're all set.

[so haaad]

Yep, I agree with DinkaDunk. You will usually get better quality flies at the fly shops. The flies are usually locally tied at the fly shops. So chances are that the person that you buy the flies from may have also tied them. At the bigbox places, they purchase their flies from the "commercial" tiers. Commercial tiers are in the business to make money, so they tie up flies way too fast and sometimes the quality suffers as a result.

I also think you should start tying your own. YOU NEED TO MAKE TIME TO TIE FLIES! It's just like fishing. MAKE TIME! I've found that the best time to tie flies is during the winter months. Or, create a fly tying area that can be mobile. I have both a pedestal and C-clamp for my vise, but always use the pedestal. I combine fly tying with watching the evening news, and usually have time to only tie a couple of flies at a session. But the numbers add up after awhile.

[macgruber]

sometimes the shops have flies they tied themselves on sale, but for the most part they are puchasing them from distributors..... the margins just aren't there to tie their own...... that said, a shop isn't gonna get repeat business if the flies they sell fall apart..... i haven't had bad luck with any of the shops in town here....

start tyin yer own, though-- makes for a much more rewarding fishing experience..... esp. when you get to the point where you can customize the patterns and find some that really start to work..... have a fly-tying set-up you can use in front of the tv so yer not off on yer being anti-social..... like haad said, they start to add up over time...

buddies of mine have bought the ones at the bigger box stores and have had virtually no luck..... they are pretty much one-fish flies.....

[DinkADunk]

As for tying flies, you certainly don't need to tie all of yours but it's a nice skill to have. I buy flies and tie flies. I tend to tie the standard patterns that I use most often (prince nymph, pink squirel, etc), patterns that are dead easy to tie quickly (san juan worm, etc), patterns that aren't readily available (chronic leech), or patterns that just look like fun to tie (various funky steelhead patterns). I tend to buy flies that are harder (for me) to tie, good local variations (excuse to go into a fly shop and get advice), or patterns that I just don't have the time to tie when I need them. All in all I buy half and tie half.

[Quickstrike]

I tie most of my own flies, but when I'm running short of time i like to support my local fly shop here in duluth. Most flies at small shops are hand tied and high quality. Most shop owners also have good knowlege of the area and tie their flies with their specific area in mind.

[Magneto]

Quote:

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sometimes the shops have flies they tied themselves on sale, but for the most part they are puchasing them from distributors..... the margins just aren't there to tie their own...... that said, a shop isn't gonna get repeat business if the flies they sell fall apart..... i haven't had bad luck with any of the shops in town here....

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That is spot on - Mike, at Bob Mitchell's does have maybe a handful of guys that tie for him (Murray comes to mind) but, the majority of his flies come from Umpqua. I have offered to tie for him in the past, but he says he has all the flies anyone could need. His motto is; if he doesn't have it, you don't need it

[channelfats]

Thank you all for the replys. I had a sneaking feeling that I got what I payed for at the big stores.(not much)

I will have to look into the UVknotsense, as well as heed the advice on a Portable tying station. Ten little 2-year-old fingers seem to find their way into every thing left unlocked. Mabye a good case with all I need(for now) locked with a luggage lock will do the trick. Or I could teach him as I learn, and have my own little mass-fly-tyer by the time hes 4.

[deeky]

My suggestion is find someone near you who ties as a hobby and offer to buy flies from them until you learn. Unless you are looking for flies daily, a lot of guys would probably be willing to tie for a gift card (for materials), a meal, or beverages.

Then, when you are ready, you know someone who can teach you how to tie your own. Even giving up the beer, I think most tyers would be more than happy to help someone else get started.

Deeky

[DinkADunk]

Bob Mitchel's has a very good, cheap, basic fly tying class that they offer a few times a year - highly recommended. Also the St. Paul Fly Tiers club meetings are a great way to meet tiers (and learn).