Hobby Lobby Is Your Friend

[ozzy1038 0]

For those just getting started in this fun hobby a good place to source quite a good variety of materials is Hobby Lobby or any craft store. Hobby Lobby tends to have better prices than some IMO. Everything from foam, to beads, to hackle, to herl, to you name it can be purchased there for a fraction of what you might pay at a fly shop. After all the more you save, the more you can buy.

[Mickalo 0]

only been to the one in Council Bluffs once and picked up a bunch of craft foam. don't have any in my neck of the woods here in N.W., IA. Our local walmart has some nice crafts and fabrics. usually can finds some good tying materials there too.

 

MIke

[DevinKaradeema 0]

ok i will agree on a few points great price and quality rabbit furs and ostrich and peacock swords/hurl, thats it though their saddles and other feathers are poor quality and for hackles cape or saddle you would be much better off to pay the 50 for a full or halve then to buy 50 worth of the stuff they have there

 

as for the bead good price but i have not found and counter sunk beads

 

oh and when they have it in stock i have found tiny solder good enough for midges it is super fine

and they have dyes many many colors of dyes

[Robert M 0]

Also a good place to get a decent quality daylight spectrum light and pantone pens.

[sage8wt 0]

I usually just go there to look at chicks - didn't even realize you could pick up materials.

Anyone find any materials at Target? Lots of chicks at Target, LOTS of chicks at Target.

[notenuftoys 0]

My wife teases me because I've been to Hobby Lobby more in the past few months than she has in the past few years. And I'm usually the only guy in there! Storage containers are mainly what I've shopped for.

[perchjerker 0]

Any fly tier worth his/her salt should know to also make it a habit of loitering in the fabric shops. It is in the ribbon section where one often finds holographic mylar tubing being offered for sale. Makes great bodies for any number of both fresh- and saltwater flies, including the tails. The various sized and colored plastic bead chain that is used for eyes on dragon fly, and other nymphs, is found here and is, or used to be, known as 'pearls-by-the -yard'; organza for 'figure-eight' spent mayfly wings is to be found here also. So what if you get funny looks when you walk in? (GREAT chicks are to also be found in the fabric shops!)

 

Remember; NONE of the synthetic tying materials we use were originally manufactured for the fly tying materials industry. They were discovered by some fly tier who was brave enough to frequent such places and prescient enough to realize the application of some of what was seen to fly tying.

 

The items previously listed, both by others and above, only begin to scratch the surface of what is to be found in these stores.

 

perchjerker

[ozzy1038 0]

Sometimes I have felt like a shoplifter in these places because I will wander around aimlessly for an hour or more looking for things that may work for what I am wanting to do. I know if I saw myself wandering around and going through the aisles multiple times without much in my basket, or nothing in my basket I would suspect something. I scored some swiss straw last time and some really cool metallic zig zag type tinsel in the halloween section that was copper, bronze, and gold. All three colors in the bag. I think this will be great for streamers and even ribbing. I also got a bag of UV mylar strips in pearl and green that are about 12" long that are wide enough to use for scud backs, wing cases, and will be great for tails on streamers. All were cheap, the markers are what did me in on this last trip.

[perchjerker 0]

To broaden the horizon, and the spectrum, a little on the subject, don't over look Michael"s, Joann's Crafts and Fabric, Wal-Mart, Hancock's Fabrics, etc. and your neighborhood drug store. For the foam bass bug enthusiast, Fun Foam is available at the first three locations, and Flip-Flops, often in multicolored layers, can be obtained at your local drug store, and occasionally at give-away prices on Close-Out, as they are typically a "seasonal" item. Kreinik's threads are available at the craft stores. One of my favorites are the nylon threads used for 'plastic mesh' needle work. This material, when 'furled' makes GREAT extended bodies for grasshopper patterns! The array of plastic stretch laces that are available, complete with glitter already built in, for minnow bodies is endless. Swiss straw (synthetic Raffia) is to be found in the dried flower section, and is often found in several different useful colors. Holographic and glitter-type mylar strips in various widths are often found during the Holiday season as Christmas trees decorating material; as are other potentially useful ribbons, etc. I could go on ad infinitum et ad nauseum, but you should get the idea by now, that anyone who overlooks 'shopping' for tying materials in these stores is missing out on some great finds.

 

As a final note, there is a well known Texas Hill Country river guide, fly tier, and now 'author' ,who gives a great, and hilarious, program on "Fly Tying in the Craft Store". His presentation is well worth the price of admission!

 

Cheers,

perchjerker

 

PS: ozzy 1083, been there and done that.......numerous times!!

[Mickalo 0]

one other place to add is if you have any local thrift stores. We have one that opened up about 3mos ago by one of the local churches. I just happen to stumble on a box full of wool yarn skeins, about 10 full skeins, of 100% wool .... couldn't pass that up. Enough for a life time

 

Mike

[paoutdoorsministry 0]

one other place to add is if you have any local thrift stores. We have one that opened up about 3mos ago by one of the local churches. I just happen to stumble on a box full of wool yarn skeins, about 10 full skeins, of 100% wool .... couldn't pass that up. Enough for a life time

 

Mike

 

I found a daylight brand desk light at my local goodwill.................$4.99 out the door!! Awesome deal on a $100.00+ light.