zip 0 Report post Posted February 9, 2021 Hey y'all! Been a while since I've posted. Finish my second degree and started a job as an accountant. Survived the plague of the 21st century while I was at it! Anyway, I started production tying for side money and realized that I was spending a ton of money on the materials needed for 10 dozen of a single fly. Long story short, I have started dying my own materials. Doing a lot of rabbit, Aussie possum, squirrel, and beaver. Now, Im a purist when it comes to traditional fly patterns so I dont blend in any synthetic fiber- newer stuff is a different story! Are there any of you folks out there who enjoy this or has the world gone synthetic? Also, when I get more animals sheared, degreased, dyed, and dried, I'll put some up for grabs- no charge. The only thing I ask is that you post some pics of the fish you catch! All the best! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Philly 0 Report post Posted February 9, 2021 I use a lot of synthetic materials since I mainly tie warm water flies these days. I have a couple of boxes of dubbing using various furs I mixed up when I was tying more trout flies. Even that has some synthetic materials mixed in for flash. When I tying nymphs these days. I use various feathers wrapped similar tying a PT nymphs. I'll either use peacock herl or sometimes dubbing for the thorax. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cphubert 0 Report post Posted February 9, 2021 zip, glad to see you active and survived the plague, congratulations on the degree and accounting position. Haven't dyed things in a while myself and preferer natural but the world seems to be going more synthetic. Just a quick question are you doing your own form 720 and setup independent or with a shop? I was considering starting again just wondering what the startup expenses looked like in 2020/2021. Other than the excise and sales taxes unsure if I want to get into a lot of paperwork for a limited part time gig. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikechell 0 Report post Posted February 9, 2021 ZIP !!! Welcome back !!! Sounds like life is looking up for you. I got my work shop built, and am having fun myself, getting into some wood working. Not that I'm quitting the fly fishing or fly tying game ... I'm a synthetic guy with my flies. Durable and ugly ... for fishing. No need for pretty, natural materials in my world. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stabgnid 0 Report post Posted February 9, 2021 Man I sure could use some different colored pieces of squirrel tail when you ever get any extras... Thanks, Steve-stabgnid Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chugbug27 0 Report post Posted February 9, 2021 Congrats on your degree and new situation zip. I also like fur, but am liking it more and more for undyed coloring... Australian possum (tans, grays, oranges), hare mask (tans and browns, with and without guard hair), fitch (fine light yellow), muskrat (fine gray), American possum (half clear half dark gray), and bison (coarse brown). I do use synthetics sometimes, also dye my own sometimes. Anyone know of a natural olive underfur? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zip 0 Report post Posted February 9, 2021 2 hours ago, cphubert said: zip, glad to see you active and survived the plague, congratulations on the degree and accounting position. Haven't dyed things in a while myself and preferer natural but the world seems to be going more synthetic. Just a quick question are you doing your own form 720 and setup independent or with a shop? I was considering starting again just wondering what the startup expenses looked like in 2020/2021. Other than the excise and sales taxes unsure if I want to get into a lot of paperwork for a limited part time gig. I actually work for a military college so I am unfamiliar with what cost would be as far as start-up expenses are concerned. Personally, I would argue that this type of job isnt worth part time. Too much paperwork to have lying around for minimal hours. 13 minutes ago, mikechell said: ZIP !!! Welcome back !!! Sounds like life is looking up for you. I got my work shop built, and am having fun myself, getting into some wood working. Not that I'm quitting the fly fishing or fly tying game ... I'm a synthetic guy with my flies. Durable and ugly ... for fishing. No need for pretty, natural materials in my world. Mike its good to see ya! I too have set up a shop but no real aspirations to go hardcore with it. Mostly just for household projects and what-not. 13 minutes ago, stabgnid said: Man I sure could use some different colored pieces of squirrel tail when you ever get any extras... Thanks, Steve-stabgnid When I come across some I will certainly let you know! A lot of the hides I handle are grade 2 so tails are pretty mangled with a great body fur. Ill keep an eye out for you! 13 minutes ago, chugbug27 said: Congrats on your degree and new situation zip. I also like fur, but am liking it more and more for undyed coloring... Australian possum (tans, grays, oranges), hare mask (tans and browns, with and without guard hair), fitch (fine light yellow), muskrat (fine gray), American possum (half clear half dark gray), and bison (coarse brown). I do use synthetics sometimes, also dye my own sometimes. Anyone know of a natural olive underfur? I love good natural colors as well. In fact, when I shear a pelt, I always reserve a bag of natural. Not everything needs coloring IMO! I have not seen a natural olive under fur. I do short trim out beaver guard hairs and dye the under fur with no bristles. Might be hard pressed to find otherwise. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JSzymczyk 0 Report post Posted February 9, 2021 26 minutes ago, zip said: I actually work for a military college so I am unfamiliar with what cost would be as far as start-up expenses are concerned. Personally, I would argue that this type of job isnt worth part time. Too much paperwork to have lying around for minimal hours. really none of my business, but here we are.... if you're a federal employee with any sort of public trust position (as an accountant that is pretty much a no-brainer) you don't want to get jammed up with the IRS - the excise and income taxes surrounding sporting goods are enough of a bother to keep most people away from selling anything. I was looking into potentially selling some lures I make and it's just not worth the hassle for a couple dollars here and a couple dollars there. If you're "production tying for side money" then by law, somebody has to be paying the excise tax on the flies. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skeet3t 0 Report post Posted February 9, 2021 I built custom fishing rods for seven years. Had to file 720 on a quarterly basis plus any rod that landed in Tennessee required collecting sales tax. My CPA gave me a sheet on a home business and what I could deduct as utilities, phone, office supplies, etc. Outdoor endeavors are covered by the Wallop-Breaux Act for fishing, etc. Shooting, hunting and related things are covered by the Pittman-Robertson Act. Found my niche for rods but quit as I didn't retire to take on another full time job. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cphubert 0 Report post Posted February 9, 2021 20 minutes ago, JSzymczyk said: somebody has to be paying the excise tax on the flies Correct, if you have a relationship with a shop or other manufacturer they can package for retail and pay the excise tax at retail, you can sell/contract to/with them. Someone is going to pay that tax, I really did not want to open a can of worms. Zip was talking about dying material, not starting a business I was only asking about the current start up if he was independent. No intension of taking this post in a different direction. Next time I'll PM. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zip 0 Report post Posted February 9, 2021 Well this has been entirely overthought. My tying is for a friends shop. The business side of that has been handled. Back to dying... I did this batch of rabbit last night. I shaved a hare's mask into it before it went in the acid. I'll post a pic of what it looks like in fly form! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
niveker 0 Report post Posted February 9, 2021 Holy smokes, I came here to read about dying animal fur, and I'm halfway to a tax accounting degree! LOL! Just kidding, I like how this group gets slightly off track and then rights course. Any old how, I try to use mostly natural material. Some foam flies for bass, rubber legs, some sparkly junk mixed in here and there for trout. As I got more involved in tying, and for the type of flies I tie, I came to the opinion that alot of the newer material isn't really necessary. Looking forward to seeing what you come up with. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zip 0 Report post Posted February 10, 2021 Here are 2 of my dyed rabbit dubbings. Deep crimson and chestnut/gole ochre. Back half is regular dubbed and the front is dubbing loop. Acid dyed with Jacquard. Soaked in Dawn for 4 hours before for degreasing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
niveker 0 Report post Posted February 11, 2021 very nice, especially that chestnut. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zip 0 Report post Posted February 11, 2021 4 hours ago, niveker said: very nice, especially that chestnut. Thank you. I was worried about that one honestly. I dyed it initially in gold ochre then halway through I added a tiny bit of chestnut. I think the guard hairs took the gold while the brown saturated the underfur. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
