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sniksoh

are there any careers in fly tying

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There are careers in tying but to be honest if you are looking for that alone to give you a decent living wage then think VERY carefully.

Work out how many flies you have to tie a day every day to make that wage. Its frightening :blink: :blink: :headbang: :headbang:

I thought about it once may years ago. Now I am happy tying for a few so suppliment my tying and fishing costs.

 

Best of luck

 

Mike........................... B)

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I have tyed for a shop or two in my time, if it was all about the money i wouldnt have tyed a single fly. It would be very, very difficult to make any real money tying flies alone, but there are other paths tying an fishing can go...

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I tie commercially I do not do it for the money. If I did I would have died last year! I guess you can only live a few weeks with out food and beer!!!!! :lol: I do it pay for supplies fishing and trips with my wife to exotic places like Disney this fall with our kids :blink: !!!! The only way I think you could make a living out of it would be to move to Indonesia and tie for one of the big companies and make 5 dollars a day!! Oh Wait that is what I make tying flies here OH heck never mind :hyst: Is there a school for tying yes and you are looking at it!!! :headbang: this site has more info and quick help that nay other. Most sites are full of know it all A holes some how this site has flown under the radar and has very few aholes. (sage8wt etc..:devil: ) Stick around ask questions and read I guarantee that you will be a better tyier in a year !! As a incentive we get good deals from J stockard all of the time and they rock!!!! :headbang: :hyst:

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About tha only way to make a living at tying anymore is to tie flies for the clients you guide during the day. The margin is just to low to make itr feasible to make a comfortable living at it.

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I was asked this spring to teach for a continuing adult ED program. I am flattered, it was all by chance. It is just fun to say I might be getting pay to tie. Unfortunely there was low sign up. Hopefully the class will fly in the fall.

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10000 flies a year X 1.50$ Average price = 15,000$ income - one third if you are lucky in materials + 10000 a year in profit. My 3 kids and wife might be pissed If I take that route in my career. BUT& if I get the 3 kids to tie for me make it 60,000 flies a year that is 90 G a year minus a third and hey I can do 60 G a year just to crack the whip on my labor er kids er tie some flies!!!! :devil: :devil:

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So, Day5, you are getting $1.50 per fly? Doesn't the shop you tie for doesn't take a profit or do they get like .50 on a $2 fly?

 

Cheers,

Michael

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I never see flies in a shop priced below $1.99 around here... and the bigger and better patterns are often more than that.

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Tying flies as a career is no longer a consideration. I talked many years ago to a pro tyer. He was tying flies for several major east coast fly shops. He tyed 8 to 10 hours a day and 6 days a week. He made less than 20,000 dollars a year before taxes!!! I wanted to be a pro tyer years ago, I would make more money and work less hours at Mc Donalds. BillC.

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Years ago (too many to mention) I tied flies and sold them on Ebay and actually made a profit, but even that market is gone now - flooded with imports. With only large chain fly shops around my home waters, I'm now reduced to tying just for myself and my buddies. Although there is no money in it for me anymore, it is now more fun than it was when I tied for $'s.

 

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So to answer the original question...If you consider indentured servitude a "career", yes there are careers in fly tying. :D . I tried custom/commercial tying a few years ago. I managed to swap for a very nice custom rod (Which I could have bought the blank and materials for for the cost of the flytying materials and made the rod myself in a fraction of the time spent tying...but c'est la vie-yuck! patooey-French-I hate it when that happens!) and make enough sales to accumulate a huge inventory of materials.... and make no money tying some headbanging patterns for anal retentive clients. Now I tie wooly buggers and Lefty's decievers and a few bendback bucktails formyself and friends and go fishing-life is better this way.

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sure there's money to be made in being a professional tier.

 

buy a factory in india or indonesia. hire 500 or so children and pay them $5 a day.

now sell your flies to american retailers for a nice mark up.

 

wallah - you've just made your money. :devil:

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Good Day,

 

This question seems to pop up every so often. And thus far I must say that most of the comments are on target. Money can be made, but as a single source of income it can be difficult. But there are those out there who have successfully turned tying/fly fishing into a very good life. These people number very very few. And, they tend to be considered top in the field and or may also have written a book, filmed a DVD, or get paid to display their talents at various fly shows. (An example: Lefty Kreh get paid handsomely to be at a show. I have heard estimates up to and above $1.500 per day from the show organizers.)

 

Most people that I know that have started on the path of "professional tying" usually do not make it more than a year. Usually due to many reasons including time involved per dollar earned, pressure of filling orders, killing the passion for the hobby, etc.

 

I like to tie. And I don't mind selling flies either. However, I do not want to be in a position where I wake up one morning bemoaning the fact that I HAVE to tie flies in order to fill an order. I have a select clientelle and I charge a premium that my clients are willing to pay for the quality of the final product, the creativity or effectiveness of the design and the high quality materials. However, my clients are now wanting for me to develope a website to order from. I have been fighting this for years as again, I do not want to get too bogged down with orders. But I may capitulate. However, I will most likely try to reign in the possible number of customers via a pasword for the site or such. Some may say "Why are you making it so difficult for people to buy your product?" Simple answer, would you rather be tying because you have to or out fishing?

 

Steelie

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