Looking for Flies

NymphNut · April 27, 2008

As much as anything you need to decide if you want to support local tiers or tiers in China or Kenya that tie flies for less than $10 per gross.

Glod Bless You for saying what needed to be said. :headbang:

Article #1

AIFTG is dedicated to the independent American fly tyer - the artist that brings his or her practical experience and knowledge gathered in the field back to all of us in the creation and tying of a fly. The true fly tyer understands both predator and prey including the relationship between the gamefish of choice and the plethora of insects, crustaceans and baitfish upon which they feed. The true tyer then builds that practical knowledge into the fly.

In the 1980's the fly fishing industry began a new trend of importing trout flies from warehouse manufacturing companies from foreign lands (Sri Lanka, China, Africa, etc). As a result, fly tyers here in America have suffered a continual decline in both the demand and the price of their flies. In essence, artistic American talent and creativity in researching, testing and fishing the fly were displaced by warehouse labor - fly tyers that have no creative talent or experience in fishing for American trout, tarpon, bass, panfish, steelhead or salmon.

As an example, a salt water fly fisherman and tyer in Florida may tie a fly to imitate a particular baitfish found in the flats where tarpon pursue their prey. The independent American tyer has opportunity to study the behavior of the various baitfish and the tarpon as they relate to one another. How does that baitfish become available to the tarpon? What is the baitfish's feeding and escape behaviour and, if appropriate, what is it's migration behaviour? If the baitfish darts or flashes in a particular manner, what materials may be used or how might those materials be implemented in a different way to simulate the baitfish? Where do the tarpon and baitfish meet in the ecology of those flats in Florida? Scales tend to reflect color. Does the bait fish have various shades of color based on habitat? If so, how might the fly be modified to create a better presentation based on the various colors of the baitfish in various locations or changing light conditions?

A black ant pattern from China may look like a blank ant tied in America. It has wings, it has legs, it has two lumps for a body. However, the American tyer may have noticed that the ant of concern has wings and legs with a brownish cast in the natural light of the sun as it lies on the surface of the water. Such observation is not available to the tyer in foreign lands. The American tyer might also note that the winged queen carpenter ant of the western states is very large - one of the largest insects available to mountain trout.

Such characteristics are lost to the foreign laborer. Today, the fly fisherman is provided with mass marketed fly patterns (ie, "one size fits all"). And because the American fly tyer is displaced, the fly fishers of America lose a "gene pool" of creativity, art and science in the advancement and evolution of the artificial fly. In essence, the economics and primary interest of corporate endeavors suppresses the science and art of our sport. And like many ailments that go unrecognized until too late, the sport of fly fishing suffers the consequences. Fly fishing becomes something less than what it once was.

In addition, the American fly tyer has complained of unethical business practices on behalf of the foreign fly industry. The common complaint is where a pattern developed by an American tyer is copied by the corporate entities and their foreign warehouse labor - many times making small changes to the material, renaming the fly and giving credit of its creation to another tyer or fishing guide who has a business relationship with the corporation. While the majority of guides and tyers in America are ethical, such onerous business practice by the few is an insult to all who truly love the sport.

Similar analogies can be demonstrated with warmwater bass and panfish, steelhead, Atlantic salmon, Pacific salmon (both salt and freshwater river), and the many other gamefish that give meaning to our sport. Each species represents a unique fishery and professional tyers here in America are necessary to maintain and advance the sport for each of those gamefish species.

Foreign tied flies are here to stay. In some cases, they are well tied flies in their own right and marketed by many fly shops as professionally crafted. Indeed, they may be presented as the fly of choice by reputable fly shops. And while that may be true, such sales do not support the local tyers and the next generation of flies necessary to entice the ever more sophisticated and selective gamefish. Other foreign manufacturers use substandard materials or are poorly tied in an effort to reduce cost. Such flies may be dressed to appear pleasing to the fly fishermen in the store, but their performance on the water is likewise substandard.

Foreign flies have a market in the novice and amateur fly fishing industry. The flies are cheap and the novice (as well as the professional) can afford to lose a few flies. In some cases, foreign flies also provide a beneficial role in keeping prices down in America. But there is a fine balance to be reached there and it is our belief that this balance has been weighted too heavily and too long on behalf of the fly shops and companies that give precedence to economics at the expense of the American tyer and the advancement of our knowledge, creativity, and sport of fly fishing.

The American Independent Fly Tyers Guild (AIFTG) is an effort to recognize the few remaining independent fly tyers here in America that continue the tradition in support of our art and heritage of fly fishing. That art and that heritage begins with the study and observation of the gamefish, the prey upon which they feed, and the creation of a fly.

Please join us in recognition of the independent American fly tyer. The future integrity of our sport is defined by your purchasing decisions today.

Article 2

Some job angst flies against experience - Sunday, March 14, 2004

SUMMARY: Debate over "outsourcing" shouldn't overlook the two-way benefits of international trade.

The "outsourcing" of U.S. jobs to places like India has become a hot topic, garnering a lot of attention in the news media and figuring prominently in the early presidential election campaign. The issue really flared recently after White House chief economist Gregory Mankiw said exporting jobs is just another form of international trade and "is probably a plus for the economy in the long-run."

That's not an especially savvy way of putting it, but he's probably right. To understand why, let's cast our attention to a small and early example of job outsourcing - one that strikes particularly close to home for many Montanans: fly tying.

Flies, of course, are the edible-looking things fly fishermen tie on the end of a line to catch fish - in these parts, mostly trout.

Fly-tying is a skill-based, labor-intensive endeavor that involves wrapping fur, feathers and other materials around a tiny hook to produce something that resembles an insect or minnow. The process defies automation. Flies must be tied one at a time by hand, each one following a particular design. A well-tied fly is a piece of art, as well as utilitarian device.

Up until, say, the early 1970s, most of the artificial flies used for fishing in America were tied in the United States. A generation ago, we recall walking into Dan Bailey's Fly Shop in Livingston to see a whole room full of workers tying flies. More commonly, the flies fishermen bought in sporting goods stores were tied by independent contractors working out of their homes.

People still make a living tying flies today, but a large percentage of flies sold in the United States are tied overseas in places like Sri Lanka, Thailand, China and, yes, India. Great improvements in the quality of materials and workmanship have contributed to an easing of the traditional aversion fly fishermen had to imported flies. Better fishing shops clearly identify the origins of imported flies, but an awful lot of fishermen undoubtedly buy their flies without knowing or caring who tied them or where.

It takes instruction and years of experience before most people can tie flies of commercial quality. What's more, with bargain flies retailing for less than $1 apiece and very few flies selling for more than $2 apiece (wholesaling for perhaps half that), it's the rare American craftsman who can make a livable wage tying flies - especially when you factor in the cost of materials, such as hooks, thread, feathers and fur. It's more economical to hire low-wage workers in other countries to tie flies and import them.

According to the U.S. Commerce Department's International Trade Administration, the United States last year imported nearly 137 million flies and "artificial baits," which also includes fishing lures. That translates into thousands of jobs shipped overseas. And that's bad for the United States, right? Not really.

At the same time that fly-tying jobs were outsourced to Asia and elsewhere, the American fishing industry blossomed. According to the American Sportfishing Association, anglers today spend $41.5 billion in retails sales and generate $116 billion in overall economic activity annually - making fishing the equivalent of 32nd on the Fortune 500 list of America's largest companies. Nearly 1.07 million Americans find work in fishing-related jobs. The ASA says fishing-related businesses support more than 7,000 jobs in Montana, accounting for over $136 million in wages and a total economic impact of $544 million annually.

Fewer Montanans may be working as commercial fly tiers than a generation ago, but more are working as guides, boat-builders, rod makers, sales clerks, hoteliers, outdoor writers, biologists and such - all jobs that pay more than most people ever could earn tying flies.

What's more, if you were to compare today's average fisherman's fly box with that of his grandfather's, what you'd see is a much larger and more diverse selection of flies in today's box. That and a whole lot more equipment and more expensive tackle in general. Lower-cost imported flies make it affordable to stock up on more flies. Money not spent on flies very likely gets spent on more expensive rods or clothing or services. And all of that generally translates into greater fishing success, greater satisfaction and even greater demand for goods and services.

And now look: Finding it tough to compete with imports on the basis of price, American fly tiers are finding ways to compete on the basis of quality and creativity. Many tiers carve out a niche by specializing in flies especially suited for local waters. Others come up with innovative new designs that catch more fish - or at least capture fishermen's imagination. Walk into any upscale fishing shop in America and you'll find such value-added, locally tied flies selling for a premium.

Meanwhile, halfway around the globe, people are buying food, shelter and clothing with the money they earn tying the run-of-the-mill flies that so many American fishermen use. Their productivity contributes to other economic activity that, as it spreads across the vast array of manufacturing and service jobs we might consider outsourced from the United States, ultimately, leads to the purchase of machines, grain, medicine, computer software, music CDs and myriad other products created by workers in the United States.

They sell us stuff they make cheaper or better, and we sell them stuff that we make cheaper or better. Over time, we all fare better than we would with self-sufficient economies. That's the lure of free trade.