chrisfish 0 Report post Posted April 5, 2007 Sounds like a good venture JH. Your flies are top notch. If 2-3$ a fly is good for you; then it is gonna be great for your customers. they will soon realize the true quality they are receiving for that price and you may find yourself very, very busy. Best of luck man. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
morfrost 0 Report post Posted April 5, 2007 2 Bucks a fly can be good or it can be bad. If you are tying simple hairwing streamers and can knock 'em off in 5-6 minutes, then you're getting a fair return on your time and the materials used. If you're tying more complex Carrie Stevens streamers and it takes 15 minutes or more to do one, you're not even getting minimum wage, once you count in the cost of hooks and materials. It all depends. You did raise a good point, though. It seems that you may have identified a potential opportunity for yourself in your area. It seems like there maybe a need for someone to supplyhand tyed flies in your area, but you need to get better known as someone who is able do this to fill the need you have identified. Have you given any thought to setting up a booth at your local weekly farmer's market? I assume there is one in your town, or nearby. If you can get permission to set up a booth, you can tie up a few dozen drys, wets, streamers and some salmon flies and sell them at the market. Tie simple standards that are familiar, and also simple and relatively quick to tie. Put in an ad in the local weekly or community newspaper ( if there is one) , or post some flyers at the supermarket,etc.to get the word out that you'll be there. More and more markets feature crafts, etc. in them, so this seems to be a good fit. When you're at the market, have cards to hand out, letting people know you are available to do custom tying. It will tie up some Saturday mornings, but a lot of folks like to come to the market, and if they know there's someone around to fill the void you identified, that someone might as well be you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Buzzby 0 Report post Posted April 6, 2007 The spring '07 issue of Fly Tyer contains an article entitled "Tying For Dollars" by Al and Gretchen Beatty. You might find it helpful. Consider that you'll be tying in winter to fill spring orders. Unless you establish a customer base in say, the Keys, where you'll be tying in summer to fill their winter orders, you might be facing certain dry spells in sales. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
seanrus 0 Report post Posted April 6, 2007 I too was looking at your site, and I must say they look SWEET!!! $2 ea is more than fair ( save that price for you friends) I was thinking more like $2.50 for simple easy to make flies and $3 or $3.50 for the ones that are harder ty. Add .50 for Jungle cock eyes or anything that cost you extra Have a look at these Atlantic Salmon flies prices they cost more than drugs (nicely tied flies though) http://www.wwdoak.com/salmonflies.htm Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wilcara 0 Report post Posted April 8, 2007 Some good advise above Daryn, I have nothing to add other than my support. Go for it mate if you have the talent and the will. Don't try to charge too much, give the guy a fare deal and it may well just come back to you some day, if not at least you have given your best. Good luck. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flyboyutah 0 Report post Posted April 8, 2007 I agree with alot said also . I think you should do the "sets" of what works in the area for the most part. You could also have some other ones , you could do as customs ( patterns that you have material for) and have a list if the person wants to chose. Plus I think 2.00 is a fair price (introductory price ) maybe little more for custom . Good luck hope it works for you steve Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Joe Hard 0 Report post Posted April 8, 2007 This is all great advise, I am paying close attention to every word. I have also got several pm's with excellent information. I will post the flies here I am have tied for him. I have thought about tying up a few different sets of flies for here, a complete Nova Scotia box. I have a list from a book, and my idea's of what you should/must have for certain bodies of water and fish species here. I went into the local hardware store and looked at the fishing section. Not a fly there, but there was a box with a couple of bucktails, $2.49 each. I dont want to tie those, but it gave me lots of ideas. Prices making a display to sell and so on. I have a registered small business, can I take my flies into any store. like the bucktail jigs in the hardware store? Just as any salesman would? Thanks very much for all the help Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Joe Hard 0 Report post Posted April 9, 2007 I made a post with my trout streamer box. I went through it and picked 5 patterns that I like to fish with the best. I started thinking a long the lines of the business. Inventory, what would it take and cost for 1000 of these flies. I am thinking very hard about each species of the area, and 5 or 6 do it 'all patterns" for each that I would fish with, want to sell and like to tie. I am trying to come up with a dollar amount of new materials to tie a stock of the flies I mentioned above. I am thinking this will give me a starting point of how much I have invested and to look back in say 2 years to see if I made a profit. All the materials I have are bought and paid for. If I do use them its all profit, at least that is what I am thinking. I am also going to join up with these flies on the J.Stockard Fly Market team. Rome wasnt built in a day, and I dont expect I will see any sort of success if any for a while. Something I have been doing for a while is printing pictures of my flies with the pattern, putting them in a 3 ring binder. I thought a binder with just pictures of flies I have tied would be something interesting for a customer to look through. I dont want them looking at the patterns, its like that old secret of how they put the caramel in the Caramilk chocolate bars. I will be running the fly tying business from my home. I dont have bins of flies, yet and really dont want people going through my stuff. I cant tie a 'you know its got a bit of red and yellow", or anything for someone if they dont know what they want. It will be like a catalog, with prices and sizes. I have seen fishing tackle get stolen from just about everywhere, but have yet to see someone steal from a catalog. I also think it would be great to give someone the binder, sit back and watch them look through it. I do have a place in the next town that is a small engine repair shop. They sell power saws, outboards. They have a small fishing section in one corner. I am going to take 2 dozen flies of the two most popular patterns here to them. They have all ready told me they will sell them on a percentage. I am going to make a display with my info and individually packaged flies in little zip lock baggies with my info like a business card. As I mentioned in the first post of this thread, the fellow gave me $20.00 and said tie what ever you think. I can remember what we talked about in the pub, and I asked him a lot of quick questions. Line and rod weight, where he was going fishing and so on. I am going to call him tonight to make arrangements for him to get his flies. I will post the flies here and explain how I go about it with the sale. Having a beer connection is dang tempting to an Irish man like myself. If he shows up with a bag of potatoes, I will throw in some hand tied leaders. He makes the beer for Paddy's Irish Pub. There is one across the street, and another in the next town. Its not like the good bottled Nova Scotia ale but I enjoy it. I just though I would update this and add a bit of info. It might give some other tyers, that would like to start selling, or already sell flies some ideas. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wilcara 0 Report post Posted April 11, 2007 Sounds great Daryn, and that you have the head on your shoulders all set up right! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Joe Hard 0 Report post Posted April 19, 2007 I had a hard job getting a hold of the guy to get him his flies. I went to the pub, had to meet him at the back door. He was at the bar, felt pretty good to get escorted to the bar rather then to the exit. I explained the flies, and when we were done he said wait a minute. Had a bag of materials for me. Gotta like it. Here are the flies, I think it was a good deal, should be worth $20.00 Here is how I priced the flies, All tmc 300 size 2; The buggers, $2.00 The flies with J.C. and spun wool head, $3.00 The other two flies $2.50 I will add them to the database together as early season brown trout streamers, with better pictures. I left the pub, and went to the only place that sells any fishing tackle, other than Walmart and Canadian Tire, (I went there Too) checked the prices of flies and so on. Turns out that today the little store is having an open house fishing type show. I will be going there shortly, unprepared, but with a few flies. I also found out that a member of the local wildlife club, and all the hunting/fishing trapping organizations, is interested in having me tie some flies. I liked the sounds of that. He is also an avid salmon fishermen and involved with the provinces salmon programs. I have an appointment with a small business councilor early next week. This will be to help me draw up a business plan and see if I am eligible for any government funding. To also see what I can do to get my flies on the market. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VERN-O 0 Report post Posted April 20, 2007 Joe....great looking flies (I love the one on the bottom left...wool head)......one other thing to consider....since you seem pretty serious about the selling of your flies........business cards....I find them priceless.....you never know on any given day who you will run into......there are plenty of online software programs....and you can get a couple of sheets of business card stock (perferated) from any office store for cheap......good luck and keep at it Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
day5 0 Report post Posted April 20, 2007 I print my cards on plain stock and cut them apart it is much cheaper. Cards are a must. the other thing I cant emphasize enough is knowing the COST of each fly. I know how much I spend on each fly that I sell down to the penny. You need the best materials available but you need to find them at the lowest possible cost. Buy in bulk get in with manufactures like hairline and anglers choice. Do what you can to get each fly under 25 cents If your costs are much higher you will not earn much money!!!!! If you sell for fly shop prices You will not sell as many either. Also tie flies with as few steps as possible. If you tie a fly that takes 15 min to tie... and you get an order for 30 of them :wallbash: you will hate tying fast!!!! good luck and if I can ever help shoot me a line!!!! :headbang: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
panfisherteen 0 Report post Posted April 20, 2007 printing cards would be a good idea also,try to interest local tackleshops,since a lot of fisherman go there.If they buy the flies and they work well,the name of those flies will spread,creating more business for you i am also into selling jigs,and i do have a tackleshop interested,and the guy had some testers test them out(ice fishing).Hit the tackleshops,they could be a "breeding ground" for sales Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CapeBSalar 0 Report post Posted April 20, 2007 I've been following this post with excited anticipation. That set of flies is well worth $20.00, i'd say more like 30.00 but you are doing something very important, giving them their money's worth and More! That little bit extra is what keeps people coming back to you, in my opinion. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Joe Hard 0 Report post Posted May 20, 2007 I ran into the guy I sold the flies to, he told me he has had some real good luck with them. On the other hand I have been going to a business counciler, and they lost all my paper work. I have been trying to do it all over again. What a pain, I am beginning to think that I should just take another year and gather a surplus of materials for flies I would like to sell locally, on my website and for the J. Stockard fly market. How much do I really want to have the government involved? It seems like I have been having an all around run of bad luck. I sent a couple packages and money orders out to members here and other, and they all came back. One insufficient postage, got a stamped envelope and put the extra stamps inside, got the money order and sealed the envelope and then mailed it, a couple with the wrong address. If you are expecting something from me, that is why it has not arrived, I'll send you pm's. I have had no luck fishing, I lost a big salmon, straightened out a tmc streamer hook on me. It came out of the water about 5 feet in the air then just shook the hook free. I have also had several nice browns...well almost. I have seen a few 6 to 10 pound fish rolling on the surface ahead of me as I walk the bank. it seems as I get close to these spots wind comes from nowhere to ruin my cast and I put the fish down. either that or something goes wrong. I like to retire flies that have caught me 20 inch or bigger trout, put them in my hat. I used a fly this year and caught a couple, one 20 another about 24. It was a hot fly but ruined by another larger fish, tore the wire rib from it. I repaired the fly with a thread rib. Saw a big brown feeding along the bank. It raised to the fly I was using, but refused. So instead of casting and casting the same fly. I took out the fly I just mentioned that was repaired. Tied it on and said to myself, I should not even be using this fly, it did its job it should be in my hat. I made a couple of false casts, and as I was about to drop the fly along the bank, I saw the fly go flying across the river into the marsh. I know for a fact that the knot was good and that nothing hit my line or anything like that. I have never been able to wear jewelry, watches, rings or chains. Really not my thing anyway. I use my cell phone or camera to check the time. Its kinda hard to see in certain light and a bit of a hassle. I went to the dollar store and got a small clock. About the size of a Bic lighter, maybe smaller. Great big numbers on it, I came out of the woods the other night in the dark. I had my headlight on to see through the swamp. As I approached the road I shut it off. While my eyes were adjusting I walked right into a barbed wire fence. I knew it was there, but refused to put the headight back on. So I decided to walk under a street light along the road to check the time on my new clock. As soon as I took it out from my vest, to look, the street light went out. I think I am jynxed, as lots of other bad luck coincidences have been happening. Every fly I have tied has been a monstrosity, nothing seems to be going right. I made a promise to myself and some family members that I would not drink until I see them this September in Ontario. Maybe its just a test of will. Its only about 100 days or so, but I have a feeling its going to be a long. long hot dry summer Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites