Buy flies vs tie flies?

[Chigimonky]

Hey all so Ive been thinking about getting a fly tying setup to tie my own but I wanted to get your opinions on this before I bought it. So is it worth making your own or is it better to just buy? Really curious what you all have to say.
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[TD1]

If you are looking for a way to save money on flies, tying is not the way to go- just the opposite. BUT, tying is extremely fun, rewarding, and a great way to get patterns that you can't get at the shops. I can't imagine having to be limited to the flies that are in the shops- a lot of what I fish are my own variations on patterns.

That being said, I imagine that you could save money tying IF you only tie a few different patterns (especially nymphs and midges) and you go through a lot of them. After the upfront costs, it is very easy to kick out zebra midges at around 10-12 cents a pop. Good luck sticking with just a few patterns, though. That would take a level of control that I definitely do not have. []

If you have the time and money for a new hobby, I definitely recommend it. The only thing that beats a night creating bugs at the vice is getting out and fishing them.
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[sinergy]

Yep I got to echo that TD1 posted due to the various types of materials that are required for different flies you could easily spend more on tying then buying flies. But most only fish a handful of flies and in the long run after you've gotten your materials its possible to save a little money. But don't count on it [laugh][laugh][laugh]


That being said the convenience of having the flies you want is priceless. Not all stores are going to carry all flies, plus there are what I call home brew recipes that you wont find in a store, add in you can make variations to existing patters, and tie flies riverside
IMHO fly tying is the way to go.

Tying doesn't have to be expensive once you got the hang of things ask your wife or GF to go with you to walk around your local craft store ( the look on her face will be priceless [laugh] )
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[WaveWolf]

[#502800]Great advice ........ I started tying because I was going to Alaska with a group of guys and I thought I could tie a couple hundred Russian River flies better and cheaper than I could buy them ....... I guess I did, but now I have a room in my house devoted to fly tying.[/#502800]
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[#502800]It is a sport in itself and an art form which you will come to appreciate only after you have tied for awhile........If you want green legs on a twisted hopper; Why not?[/#502800]
[#502800]If you want to invent your own patterns; Why not?[/#502800]
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[#502800]Find a tyer friend that lives close by before you go out and buy a kit ....... Have them show you how to tie a couple of simple patterns with his/her stuff, so you know what you really need ........ Some kits contain low quality tools and supplies that are stiff and cumbersome to use and may discourage you from tying.[/#502800]
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[#502800]Good luck and enjoy.[/#502800]
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[Browntrout]

My daughter gave me a $20 vise kit from Cabelas. I tied at least 400 flies wiith this vise. Tying SJW's, Wooly Buggers and Sow bugs can save you money. But 5 years later I am spinning hair, tying articulated streamers etc. So, I just ordered a Dyna King Trekker. I am hooked.
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[OldTroller]

DITTO!

Great hobby, lots of fun, not too expensive as hobbies go, NOT cheaper than buying but who cares it'w way more fun to catch fish on flies you tied. Especially the ones you made slight variations on.
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[STEVEF39]

I was thinking the same thing a month ago. I ended up buying a wapsi tying kit and couldnt be happier. It comes with a lot of stuff to tie with but you are always going to want to tie other patterns and varitions. But once you catch fish on your own hand tied flies you will be hooked. I mostly tie stuff I find from you tube which is good to help learn but I always seem to put my own little twist to things. Good luck with what ever you do!
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[flygoddess]

The biggest plus to tying your own, I take a small supply of everything on the road so I can basically tie anything. I have it in a nice portable Stanley rolling box (smaller one)
I take this with me on any over night fishing trip. Inevitably, the fish always want that fly that I only have ONE of, so I can quickly make more. Or I notice they are hitting say, YELLOW and HARESEARS, I can make a yellow haresear.

Fly swaps are fun, fly tying expos, anyone can participate.

My suggestion would also be the Wapsi as it is one kit that has almost all the flies that are in everyday use. The tools are good, but I would also add teflon or ceramic bobbins, good scissors and a ROTARY vise.
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[EvilTyeDyeTwin]

[quote TD1] BUT, tying is extremely fun, rewarding, and a great way to get patterns that you can't get at the shops. [/quote]

Good point. When we were on vacation down at Minersville Reservoir near Beaver UT, the only thing that was nailing the fish was a zebra midge. An old man from CA had tied a bunch of them and was handing some out on the shore. We went back to Beaver that night and the shop there had....you guessed it....no Zebra Midges. In fact they never even carry them there. Go figure!
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[morcey2]

The first flies that I tied were tied using sewing thread, brown and black yarn, and used a piece of black plastic sheeting (used to cover silage) as the wingcase. I tied them on a size 8 baitholder hook.

I caught quite a few fish up oak city canyon and on the beaver river on those before I got a proper fly tying setup.

Tying flies to save money doesn't always work out the way you think it will, but it can be done. If you decide that you're going to tie a specific subset of the flies you use instead of buying them, it can actually work. I started (or re-started) tying just nymphs about 4 months ago, specifically hares ear and pheasant tail nymphs. Those can be tied with a minimum of material and equipment. I gradually started collecting more materials for other flies. Then it was no longer gradual, and I'm going to have to take over one of our rooms in order for my fly tying stuff to be at least a little organized.

I"m getting to the point that I'll probably not need to buy any flies with a couple exceptions. I still buy a few examples of flies I'd like to learn to tie and see how close I can get to them. Then, I'll start making modifications to the pattern to make it look more like I think it should.

The other exception is when I see a good deal on bass flies that I haven't quite been able to perfect yet.

Matt
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[pookiebar]

You won't save any money tying your own flies. Sure each fly costs less then you can buy it for, example a package of dubbing costs $4.50 and you can tie literally 100 - 200 plus flies from it depending on the size.

But you will buy more dubbing and more pheasant tail feathers and more and more and more, until there is no end!! []

In truth I buy about half my flies and tie the other half. I buy mostly dry flies and the classic nymphs cause like I said you really can't save any money by tying them, especially if you can find a coupon or sale. But I also use a lot of my own patterns, and streamers and nobody sells those. So tying is a good hobby to master as well.
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[flygoddess]

I got to echo Pookie. First off, there are times that getting me to sit down and tie is like pulling teeth. It can be relaxing but it can also be a pain.
Plus although I can tie any fly, there are some cases it is cheaper and easier to just buy them.
The fact I CAN tie any fly is why I tie, however. Plus there is money that can be made...LOL
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