Favorite and/or cheapest supplier for materials

[NoSlack 0]

Maybe good day to start shopping at Canadian fly shops that will ship your item. Dollar is trading at 71.72 cents USD.....

[Freddo 0]

Ok, so I got screwed. It ain't the first time and, I'm sure it won't be the last. I mainly wanted to try the Sili-Skin that Kimo used for wings on his ant. The thread was mainly to get the price up to avoid the $5 postage.

 

Hey Roland - Before you go completely nuts like I did early on acquiring materials, think about how many flies one thread spool will tie. Divide if you will, the qty. of flies you will yield by said spool by the difference in cost between vendors. You may have saved the S&H charge but maybe your not as bad off as you should feel. This isn't a dig at you of course; just sharing the point "I've" come to in all this. I just wish there was a one stop shopping fly shop but there isn't that I know of. I saw a long list of vendors here in this thread and I've already used a few. It's a game of put and take I find. Please don't let a few cents here and there take the joy out of the experience of tying and fishing (that is unless your vocation is "a purchasing agent" and if that's the case I can understand).

[Roland58 0]

 

Ok, so I got screwed. It ain't the first time and, I'm sure it won't be the last. I mainly wanted to try the Sili-Skin that Kimo used for wings on his ant. The thread was mainly to get the price up to avoid the $5 postage.

 

Hey Roland - Before you go completely nuts like I did early on acquiring materials, think about how many flies one thread spool will tie. Divide if you will, the qty. of flies you will yield by said spool by the difference in cost between vendors. You may have saved the S&H charge but maybe your not as bad off as you should feel. This isn't a dig at you of course; just sharing the point "I've" come to in all this. I just wish there was a one stop shopping fly shop but there isn't that I know of. I saw a long list of vendors here in this thread and I've already used a few. It's a game of put and take I find. Please don't let a few cents here and there take the joy out of the experience of tying and fishing (that is unless your vocation is "a purchasing agent" and if that's the case I can understand).

 

No fly shops in my area, even have to go south a ways to find salt water related gear. So I spent a buck too much for thread, like you said, as old as I am, it will last a lifetime! I have just about everything I need now, especially in the way of materials. I still need a decent vise, but, hopefully there will be enough "Santa" money to cover that. If not, I could always sell another gun and have plenty to cover the one I want. My Super AA is a piece of crap. It will hold a hook, but, that is about it.

 

No worries on the little bit I may have spent extra making a dent in my enthusiasm for tying and fishing. I'll be spending quite a bit of time tying this winter, until next spring and then I'll hit 'em hard!!

[flytire 0]

I ordered three spools of Uni 8/0 thread, 200 yds., for $3.80 per spool and one sheet of opalescent Sili-Skin for $1.50, so, Flytire, how does that compare to your shops? Did I get ripped or a good deal?

 

all based solely on the price of materials

 

UNI 8/0 200 yard spool = $2.57 per spool

 

http://store.hookhack.com/Uni-8_0-Waxed/products/323/

 

kimo used swiss straw laminated to pearlescent sheeting not opalescant sili skin. reread his post #126 @ http://www.flytyingforum.com/index.php?showtopic=82458&page=9

 

pearlescant sheeting

 

2 sheets = .95 cents

 

http://www.jsflyfishing.com/hareline-pearlescent-sheets

 

swiss straw

 

$1.75 per card

 

http://shop.flyfishsd.com/products/hareline-dubbin-swiss-straw?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=googlepla&gclid=CjwKEAiA-s6zBRDWudDL2Iic4QQSJAA4Od3XZyOTfNdemxIT3Q8o1LOpu5Gp_Kls2uL8cPx4Bes9qRoCN97w_wcB

 

you could stay with one shop (jstockard)

 

thread

 

http://www.jsflyfishing.com/uni-8-0-uni-thread-waxed-midge $2.85 x 3 = $8.55

 

pearlescant sheeting

 

2 sheets = .95 cents

 

http://www.jsflyfishing.com/hareline-pearlescent-sheets

 

swiss straw

 

$1.95 per card

 

http://www.jsflyfishing.com/hareline-swiss-straw?child=SM-700490-COPP

 

8.55 + .95 + 1.95 = $11.45

 

but you paid (without swiss straw)

 

11.40 (thread) = 1.5 (1 sheet) = $12.90

 

so "Did I get ripped or a good deal?"

 

i'll let you do the math

[Roland58 0]

Hey Flytire,

Well, I screwed up again. I said, "Opalescent Sili-Skin", but, I actually purchased Pearlescent sheeting. I haven't measured it, but, it appears to be the same size. Yeah, even with my limited math skills I could immediately see about a $1.50 difference. However, when I factor in what my time is worth (based on what I was earning prior to retirement), I came out ahead by not going to a bunch of different sites to compare prices. I know I would have spent no less than 5 to 15 minutes doing so. When I get down to having to dumpster dive for dinner or buy cat food, that is when I'll worry about $1.50. Of course, you would never know, because, I would have no internet or computer. But, I could still have some panfish!!

 

I just had the Sili-skin on my mind from looking at how some guy had made a "Gummi minnow" on Youtube. I want to give those a try someday.....so much to learn, so much to do. At least, I have people like you to keep me straight. (Gummi minnow may not be correct, so don't hold me to it)

[OLD BUD 0]

Blue Quill Anglers in Evergreen,Co FREE shipping on orders over $5.00.100 brass beads $5.00.25% off on Dai-riki hooks.Also regular selection of brand name supplies.Great people Pat Dorsey part owner

[Adam Saarinen 0]

I've never bought anything online, don't now how & don't want to! I always have a look in the half price bins in the fly shops! But i realize some people live in the wilderness & don't have that option!

[NoSlack 0]

Blue Quill Anglers in Evergreen,Co FREE shipping on orders over $5.00.100 brass beads $5.00.25% off on Dai-riki hooks.Also regular selection of brand name supplies.Great people Pat Dorsey part owner

Check out canadian llama for good prices on tungsten and brass beads.....

 

Even better with the low canadian dollar.

[mikechell 0]

I've never bought anything online, don't now how & don't want to! I always have a look in the half price bins in the fly shops! But i realize some people live in the wilderness & don't have that option!

Adam ... you don't have to live in "the wilderness" to need the internet for purchases. I've been to many cities that don't have any fly shops, any where.

[Roland58 0]

 

I've never bought anything online, don't now how & don't want to! I always have a look in the half price bins in the fly shops! But i realize some people live in the wilderness & don't have that option!

 

Adam ... you don't have to live in "the wilderness" to need the internet for purchases. I've been to many cities that don't have any fly shops, any where.

Yeah, mine would be one of those cities. The closest thing to a "fly shop" would be a BBQ joint.......they are usually full of flies!

[retrocarp 0]

No fly shops here either

[josephcsylvia 0]

i have been using J Stockard alot lately, free shipping often ant points base on every dollar you spend and every time you review an item. Just got in a good size order of a bunch of goodies!!

 

[rstaight 0]

Don't over look the big box stores like WalMart and Hobby Lobby for tying materials. They may not be the quality of the fly tying specific materials but will due in a pinch.

 

Once I needed some black chenille. The nearest fly shop is now an hour away and since I was near one of the local hobby and craft stores I thought I would take a look. Back in the knitting section they had some really nice chenille, a skein for less than $8.00. A skein is 100yds (300ft) and the card that you buy for fly tying is about $1.75 and only 3ft. It's been awhile since I purchased chenille so the price is only a guess.

 

In the craft section of WalMart you can get a bag of "craft" feathers that is a mix of guniea and partridge for about $1.50. At Micheals they have dyed turkey flats, marabou, pheasant tail and peacock.

 

There are some materials you will have purchase at a fly shop or order. Just saying don't blow off the big box stores for materials.

[Philly 0]

Well, it's snowing outside, for the first time this winter, but too warm to really accumulate. I may have missed it but if you're tying poppers or other flies that use silicon or rubber legs. Avoid the sili legs sold in fly shops and on-line shops, Check out either Jann's Netcraft or Barlow's. Barlow's has the better selection and both let you mix and match colors if you buy a minimum of 5 packs. I also order a lot of my bass fly hooks from them. Straight shanked worm hooks, jig hooks, drop shot hooks and aberdeen style hooks.

[Chris_NH 0]

I've been pretty impressed with the Fly Tyer's Dungeon for dubbin, water silk and the like. Gets here pretty fast and shipping and product prices seem very reasonable compared to other places I've checked out.