Fly tiers in the United States

[DarrellP 0]

I try to answer medical questions similar to this as part of my job. If you could find the answer to a small segment of the population, you could extrapolate to the general public.

[flytire 0]

Perhaps the folks at Fly Tyer magazine can provide a fairly accurate guesstimate. [email protected]

 

send them an email and ask the question

[redietz 0]

I suspect that there are people who have a pretty good idea, like the folks at Wapsi or Umpqua, for example, but who are unlikely to share their market research. It's not an unknowable number.

[Greg Stine 0]

I just sent [email protected] my question. Ill post their response when and if I get it.

[chugbug27 0]

Here's a survey conducted annually for the American Fly Fishing Trade Association. It doesn't estimate the number of fly tyers, but it has some interesting info that could be used to extrapolate a guess or two.

 

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.affta.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/2017-AFFTA-Fly-Fishing-Retailer-Survey-Report.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwiKt7L-uuvhAhUJY6wKHQRKBi4QFjAAegQIBhAB&usg=AOvVaw1-SBaJWDg_JUJdYkL6wb_O

 

It reports that the average fly shop (responding to the survey) grosses about $725,000 a year, about 8.3% of which is on fly tying materials. (Side note: 17.4% is on flies.)

 

The total spent on the fly fishing industry each year is $1.077 billion, but roughly 80% of a fly shop's gross is on tackle (fly rods, hooks, fly tying materials, etc) and auxiliary equipment (waders, clothing), which represents $399 million of that national annual gross sales figure.

 

I postulate that would mean roughly $400 million is spent each year on 80% of what a fly shop sells, so the types of things a fly shop sells would translate to roughly $500 million of the national gdp. 8.3% of that would be roughly $41,500,000 spent annually on fly tying materials. (Side note: Roughly $87 million spent each year on flies.)

 

It's hard to translate those dollars into the number of fly tyers.

 

The report says there are 5.85 million people who fly fish in any given year, but that many fish less than once a year, so the number of people fly fishing at least once in five years is roughly double the annual figure.

 

I have to assume there's a similar thing that goes on with fly tying, that is, that there are roughly twice the number of fly tyers in any five year period as a one year period, so that in five years half of the people spending $200 million on fly tying materials are not tying with any meaningful regularity, and half are fishing with their own flies at least once a year. So $100 million in five years for the gamut of annually accountable fly tyers, or $20 million a year. At $100 a year spent on average (a guess) that would be 200,000 tyers who fish their own flies at least once a year.

 

That's my own best guess, based on a guess of an average expenditure of $100 a year for the average tyer fishing their own flies at least once a year. 200,000 people who fish their own flies at least once a year.

[Greg Stine 0]

 

This is the response from Wapsi.

 

Hi Greg,

 

Thanks for your email. I hesitate to answer your question because there is a lot of debate as to just how many fly fishermen there are and the % of them that tie flies. I've read multiple studies that state there are as few as 1.5 million active fly fishermen to as many as 6.5 million. If I were to guess I'd say the actual number of fly tyers that fish 3 or more times a year is probably somewhere in between those numbers. If I were to guess I'd probably say somewhere in the neighborhood of 3.5 million active fly fishers in the USA. That is only a guess. Organizations such as AAFTA and Southwick Associates would be better resources in regards to determining these numbers -- this is something they keep track of for the fishing industry.

 

As far as the % of fly fishermen that tie flies -- that is even more difficult to pin down. I've read demographic numbers ranging from 18-35% depending upon the study.

 

I'm sorry I can't be of more help. Perhaps some "digging" online will yield some demographic studies on fly fishing and fly tying that would better answer your questions.

 

All the Best,

 

Pat Neuner

 

Pat Neuner

Product Development / International Sales Manager

Wapsi Fly, Inc.

27 CR 458

Mountain Home, AR 72653

870-425-9500

[email protected]

[Mike West 0]

236,304,456

Prove me wrong.

😜

[flytire 0]

prove youre right

[Mike West 0]

prove youre right

This is America. I don’t have prove I’m right or wrong or innocent...that’s on you to prove differently.

 

[mvendon 0]

According to an issue of Fly Rod and Reel dated March/April 2000, they estimated that at that time there were 300,000 folks worldwide that tied flies, and 75,000 of those that lived in the US. It was about an exhibit that was happening at the time at the Catskill Fly Fishing Center & Museum titled Flies of the year 2000.

 

Regards,

Mark

[flytire 0]

 

prove youre right

This is America. I don’t have prove I’m right or wrong or innocent...that’s on you to prove differently.

 

 

fake news

[mikechell 0]

Here's some related, interesting information.

It's from 2018, since that year is completed.

 

https://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/subpages/LicenseInfo/Natl%20Fishing%20License%20Report%202018.pdf

[Mark Knapp 0]

I got an idea, lets all count off, and at the end, we'll know how many there are. I'll start. ONE

[Noahguide 0]

Sounds like someone was in the military, Two!

[Flicted 0]

Three