What do you do with surplus flies?

[rockworm 0]

I enjoy the challenge of tying flies. So I try to tye at least a few every day. I am not especially prolific, but neither do I get many opportunities to use my flies. I find I make three kinds of flies:

 

Grade "C". Embarassingly poorly tyed. (Bad proportions; Not symmetrical; Head too big......etc.)

 

Grade "B". Not as poor as "C" but not as good as "A".

 

Grade "A". Geez, did I really make that purty little thing?.

 

I ruthlessly trash my Grade "C" flies. However, I do my best to analyze the failure and try not to repeat it.

For the past couple of years I have been donating my Grade "B" (and some of my Grade "A") flies to Casting for Recovery, a non-profit organization helping victims of breast cancer. As I said, I don't tye that many flies. And if I had fishing buddies I'm pretty sure I would have traded my surplus flies for beer. I was just wondering what the rest of you do with your "seconds".

[riffleriversteelheadslayer 0]

everything goes into my fly boxes unless it is really bad then it gets razored the ones that are kind of bad but still fishable get given to logs trees fish and people on the river fishing

[smokinprice 0]

I actually give mine to two of my fishing buddies who arent as fortunate as me.

[tidewaterfly 0]

I rarely tie grade B or C flies any more, but I do have a lot of flies in my boxes. When I clean house, I usually donate them to a worthy cause or to others who don't tie.

[Hillbillyredear 0]

Everything is fishable and goes into my boxes.

[Fred H. 0]

I enjoy giving flies away so much to the point my fly boxes constantly need refilling.

Fred

[shezli 0]

I give away mos of the flies i tie. if i need something to fish it just takes a bit to get set up again.

s

[DHise 0]

I use the rejects (guide trips and personal use) and sell and donate the good ones.

[smallieFanatic 0]

Usually I cut up the flies I'm not satisfied with, but occasionally I give them away.

[FishyboY 0]

give em away.... i have so many flies i have nothing to do with......

[Futzer 0]

I keep a quart sized wide mouthed jar in the corner of the bench, I toss my mistakes in there and then about once a year I bag them up and take them along on a fishing trip. You can always find a young person looking into a box with about 6 store bought flies in it, and I give them the bag. I think it is good fishing Karma. Once in Montana, I was having a post day beer at the Happy Hour bar on Hebgen and met a retired gentleman. In our discussion of the day it became apparent he was living S.S. check to check. I happened to have about 500 bugs in the bag that time and I gave it to him. He was so happy and appreciative that most of the bar teared up. I’ll never forget that trip.

 

Cheers, Futzer.

 

[Brian Brown75 0]

I like to put a few of my flies aside so in 20 years i can look back i kind of put my surplus flies on a big ole patch of styro foam

[spinner 0]

I store my flies unless I find one I really don't like then I will shave it

[Fred H. 0]

I keep a quart sized wide mouthed jar in the corner of the bench, I toss my mistakes in there and then about once a year I bag them up and take them along on a fishing trip. You can always find a young person looking into a box with about 6 store bought flies in it, and I give them the bag. I think it is good fishing Karma. Once in Montana, I was having a post day beer at the Happy Hour bar on Hebgen and met a retired gentleman. In our discussion of the day it became apparent he was living S.S. check to check. I happened to have about 500 bugs in the bag that time and I gave it to him. He was so happy and appreciative that most of the bar teared up. I’ll never forget that trip.

 

Cheers, Futzer.

Great story Jeff.

[tye2fly 0]

futzer, i have to say we need more people like you in the world.