Favorite and/or cheapest supplier for materials

[michos 0]

Im assuming that its generally cheaper to buy materials online than at places like Cabelas or Orvis. If so, what are the best sites to buy from? I'll be tying a lot of poppers and woolly buggers so popper heads, shimmer, saddle hackle, chenille, etc.

 

Thanks!

[Goose77 0]

Hey Michos, welcome to the site. I use Feathercraft, Bearsden, Whitetail fly and JS Stockard quite a bit. You can shop online, but don't be shy about calling the people at these spots too...they are friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. I've also had good luck with Saltwaterflies. Good luck and cheers, Ed

[mikechell 0]

You have to check out

http://www.flytyersdungeon.com/

 

He's taking orders for his Christmas boxes. $25.00 gets you about a years supply of a ton of different materials, eyes, dubbing, etc.

[islander727 0]

Whoever offers free shipping!

 

I've used Cabela's since the early nineties and have had only one problem with them.

 

Ole Florida fly shop is a good one.

[Goose77 0]

Oh yeah...I just read on another thread that you're looking for a vise. You're gonna be tying bass flies. The hooks are gonna be fairly big by most standards...2/0 and 3/0 are pretty common. You wanna do poppers. This may require strong thread, so you might pull pretty hard at times. The jaws on that vise need to be able to handle that. And a clamp base or heavy pedestal should be at least considered [i use a clamp most of the time]. Good luck, man. Cheers, Ed

[carpflyguy 0]

I get hooks, beads, etc from eBay. Same if I just want to get one specific type of chenille or something similar. Although for hooks, I usually get bulk packages at trade shows.

[Gene L 0]

As for popper heads, I haven't found a great difference in prices. Just make sure what size you want to get. This being a fly tying forum, I understand the desire to tie cool looking poppers. Hard body purchased poppers look great and are easy to tie and great to learn on, plus they work and last a long time. A dozen will last a season for me. That being said, I like to tie flip-flop poppers that lack any grace but are cheap and work really well. You can cut them to the appropriate size, too.

 

For poppers and Wooley Buggers, about any feathers will do, the cheaper ones will work fine. Chenille may be able to be bought at a fabric store, I haven't tried, but it's cheap at a fly shop so I don't try.

 

For a modest amount, you can get everything necessary to tie effective poppers and Wooley Buggers for an low expenditure. Rubber legs add a bit of motion and I use them, but not religiously. I do tie a wrap of saddle at the back of the popper, however.

 

You get a heck of a lot of legs for not much money. Maribou is also cheap; I use black on WBs almost exclusively. Eyes? i don't use them unless I want a really good-looking popper and want to show off, I don't think they add much. Same with paint, I paint my hard-bodied poppers because it gives me confidence, but some do not and leave them in the white and catch a lot of fish. A coat of 30 minute epoxy on a hopper body protects the paint.

 

Size of your pre-formed popper heads is important for your rod size. I've caught some big bass on poppers with a 5 wt line, but a 5wt won't cast a very big popper. I was just lucky, I guess. Had to work hard to cast the flip-flop popper. Pond fishing.

[michos 0]

Thanks for all of the great info! As for thread, I assume that thread for fly tying is the same as general sewing thread, right?

[Adam Saarinen 0]

Buy veevus thread!

[Gene L 0]

Thanks for all of the great info! As for thread, I assume that thread for fly tying is the same as general sewing thread, right?

 

No. Sewing thread as someone poinited out in another thread is bonded, meaning all strands are bonded together, making it thicker than fly tying thread. Veevus is excellent fly tying thread, very strong for the diameter. Thread is relatively cheap and isn't a place to save money.

[flytire 0]

Im assuming that its generally cheaper to buy materials online than at places like Cabelas or Orvis.

 

If so, what are the best sites to buy from? I'll be tying a lot of poppers and woolly buggers so popper heads, shimmer, saddle hackle, chenille, etc.

 

Thanks!

 

one way that can be cheaper is if the shipping is free otherwise i think the prices are relatively the same. material prices are pretty much the same from one online retailer to the next online retailler

 

there is no one "mother of all fly tying materials" retailer on the internet. its up to YOU to find the deals that are out there

 

some retailers have a newsletter or mailings that advertises monthly sales. it can pay to sign up for their mailings

 

so here are some online retailers. bookmark them

 

jstockard

 

hook and hackle

 

feather craft

 

cabelas

 

orvis

 

the fly shop

 

bears den

 

bear lodge angler

 

etyer

 

caddis fly shop

 

whitetail fly tying supplies

 

dan baileys

 

fish west

 

charlies fly box

 

fly tyers dungeon

 

etc etc etc

 

here is some info on fly tying thread

 

http://mvff.tripod.com/Reference/Denier.pdf

 

http://globalflyfisher.com/tiebetter/tying-thread/table.php

 

http://frontrangeanglers.com/choosing-the-right-fly-tying-thread/

 

http://www.eflytyer.com/materials/thread.html

 

http://www.content-angler.com/thread.html

 

i believe uni fly tying thread is a "bonded" thread

[mikechell 0]

I use:

Flip flop foam for my popper heads.

Sewing thread.

Dusters from Dollar Tree.

Super Glue and nail polishes from Dollar Tree.

Congo Hair, rubber legs and eyes from Fly Tiers Dungeon.

Raccoon tail hair from road kill.

Bead chain eyes from Ace Hardware.

Craft foam and threads and beads from Michael's.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Adam Saarinen 0]

Bead chain eyes are cheaper when borrowed from a public toilet!

[Dave G. 0]

Ebay can work if you know what you are looking for, sometimes you find a deal. Bears Den is 40 miles from my house and may just be the best stocked shop withing 200 miles, so if I'm going to travel someplace to pick up what ever I just go there. They also ship. They have more in stock on their shelves by far than Bass Pro has in their fly fishing dept for instance. And as you get closer to Cape Cod you find less stocked fly materials and more hardware type shops ( spinning/bait casting). I do use Cabela's online too though and a little bit with Amazon.

[michos 0]

 

Raccoon tail hair from road kill.

 

 

Haha. Love it. Much to my wifes dismay, our freezer is already stocked with roadkill fox, squirrel and beaver hide along with plenty of deer. So at least the hair portion of my kit is well covered. Ill keep my eyes open for unfortunate raccoons on the way to work.

 

Ive got a flock of chickens in my backyard. Anyone collect their own feathers?

 

Also, I live 15 minutes from a Cabelas but have just been assuming that the price for their materials was higher than most online outlets. Am I wrong? are they reasonably priced in store?