What Do You Do WIth Your Surplus Flies? / Confessions

[Mark Knapp 0]

50 minutes ago, flytire said:

were you a member in the late 1980's?

i went on a lot of the yearly trips to the big horn river in montana

i left that chapter when i couldnt get many members to help me with the auctions 👎

i no longer belong to trout unlimited

That seems to be the way with many boards, the upper one, two or three chairmen seem to be stuck to do all the work. I have left all my seats for the same reason. I am still active in just one association, a knife making one and again, I am one of two doing all the work.

[Sandan 0]

1 hour ago, flytire said:

were you a member in the late 1980's?

i went on a lot of the yearly trips to the big horn river in montana

i left that chapter when i couldnt get many members to help me with the auctions 👎

i no longer belong to trout unlimited

No I wasn't. I joined about 7 years ago. I'm up in the air about re-uping

[WJG 0]

16 hours ago, shoebop said:

I am of the opinion that I should not donate my sub-par flies if I would not fish them myself.

Agreed!  Reminds me of an older lady I knew years ago.   She would donate clothing to "United Way" type charity drives, but first cut off the buttons to save for a blouse she might sew for herself.

[niveker 0]

17 hours ago, shoebop said:

I am of the opinion that I should not donate my sub-par flies if I would not fish them myself.

I feel the same way.  If I simply had too many, I'd be happy to donate, but not the crappy ones.  I should take the time to tie some up specifically to donate, especially to a Veterans group, but by the time I'm done tying for myself, friends/family, swaps, plus replacing the ones I give away on the water, I just don't have the time.   

[Poopdeck 0]

I would donate all my flies then because I rarely cut a fly apart no matter how not perfect some may think it to be. When I was ten we would catch brook trout one after the other on nothing more than a piece of yarn and a split shot pinched on a hook. Nothing has really changed over the following 50 years except I don't fish yarn and split shot hooks anymore. This is why I have never bought into the match the hatch or fly proportion with the fervor most seem to. Close enough only counts in horseshoes, hand grenades and fly fishing. That's my motto and I'm sticking to it. 

[DFoster 0]

4 hours ago, Poopdeck said:

I would donate all my flies then because I rarely cut a fly apart no matter how not perfect some may think it to be. When I was ten we would catch brook trout one after the other on nothing more than a piece of yarn and a split shot pinched on a hook. Nothing has really changed over the following 50 years except I don't fish yarn and split shot hooks anymore. This is why I have never bought into the match the hatch or fly proportion with the fervor most seem to. Close enough only counts in horseshoes, hand grenades and fly fishing. That's my motto and I'm sticking to it. 

I remember someone on here said they caught a Rainbow on a bare hook.  I think he said he was fishing a 2 fly set up.  One of the two fallen apart so he cut away the remaining thread/fibers but left the hook on the line and kept fishing with the remaining fly.   The story goes the trout chose the bare hook over the fly. 

[skeet3t 0]

There was a fellow who fished the Hiwassee River here in East Tennessee. His fly was nothing more than a few white calf tail hairs tied to a hook. Caught loads of fish and the farm along the main road was a good source of calf tail. I always thought it imitated the shiners found in the river. Hmmm. might try it.

[Poopdeck 0]

Hmmmmmmmm, even more data backing my theory. I best be careful before big fly comes gunning for me. 

[Iroc_Jeff 0]

I keep mine in a zip lock bag and those are mostly screw ups, test stuff, or flies I do not want to use anymore/found better patterns. Then one day I'll sit and watch TV and take a razor blade and salvage the hooks and start all over.

[utyer 0]

I have been tying for more than 55 years, and through that time I have tied a lot of flies.  I started with just the 12 patterns my mentor said would work in the areas we fished,  By the end of the second summer, I was selling flies to co-workers, other guides, and friends.  I was just able to earn enough to support my supply and material purchases.  Five years in, and I was working in tackle stores, and filling the empty fly bins, and custom orders.  Trust me don't ever tie commercially its not worth it.  I stopped doing that after one summer, but kept tying custom orders, for individuals.  I did that for 25 years, and then went back to school and got a real job. I moved east, and started tying a whole new set of patterns.  I was tying only for myself, friends and family.  

Eight years ago, I moved to Florida and started tying warm water, and saltwater patterns for my own use.  Still tie for friends and family, but not much in the way of custom clients.  This year, I did an inventory of my flies.  I counted BOXES not flies.  I only counted the 2000 Saltwater patterns, and the 1000 Shad flies I have tied since moving to FL.   I know I have 35 boxes here full of flies, and many are bigger (8 by 12,) sizes.  At least one of these is full of swap flies. I keep 20 full boxes ready in Utah for when I go out to fish there, and Idaho.  Between now an May, I will full another box with flies to take out west.  My fishing buddy, has full access to whatever he needs or wants from  those boxes.  He tells me if we need anything, and I bring a new supply.

Yes, I have an addiction," but I can change, if I have to I guess."    

[richmce 0]

 when we had outdoor shows before covid.    i was selling my flies and material and working some club booths. i had plenty of swap flies and extra  slightly off flies. i put up a big sign  FREE FLIES FOR KIDS  . and would let them pick what they liked.  started in the am at one fly each and at the end of show multiple. it did also get people to see my stuff and would attract parents we could talk with about our club  so its a win win .

[flytire 0]

waiting to be stored away

 

plano style box of flies

 

multiple boxes of flies 

 

swap flies

 

salmon and steelhead flies

 

hairwing streamers

[upnorthtier 0]

I barter my flies with fishing shops. I acquired tons of materials and some really nice and expensive gear that otherwise I would not have. its a win win. Of course all family and friends have full fly boxes also and I do give away quite a few flies on the water.

[niveker 0]

32 minutes ago, upnorthtier said:

I barter my flies with fishing shops. 

Thats a great idea.