What do you do with surplus flies?

[ashley 0]

I try and look after my friends by tying a few extra....plus a few go to any new people on the bank.

[PWB 0]

I have an eight year old son who is obsessed with fish, fishing, and flies. To him ALL of poppa's flies are masterpieces! (even though I know better). He takes all my surplus and even some of my best. I actually have to tie myself some without him knowing that I'm tying if I want some for myself! As a father of older children I know I wont always be the GREATEST at everything like he thinks I am now, so I'll take advantage of it while I can. I gladly give him all the flies I can, plus it gives me an excuse to tie more! If I can keep him into fishing and hunting for life, it will be more than worth it!!! My wife and I adopted our son when he was six and he isn't even considered our adopted son,,,,,,,he is our son. I hope to have a fishing buddy for life now!

[arkle 0]

Mine go to CfR U.K. together with loads of others I collect from various forum swaps in the U.K.

[JimCanuck 0]

I give about half the flys I tye away. To my brother, to my fishing buddies, and to people at the river when I am fly fishing and they ask about it.

 

Fly materials are relatively cheap, the labor is even cheaper then Chinese sweatshop rates. Giving a few away and then finding out the next time you see them that they worked and they caught a fish is what matters.

 

Jim

[bowfin47 0]

Hi guys,

 

Gretchen and I donate our extra flies to fly-fishing organizations who are trying to raise money to keep their group functioning or for conservation/eduction projects. Take care & ...

 

Tight Lines - Gretchen & Al Beatty

www.btsflyfishing.com

 

Any suggestions of organizations for people who could donate extra flies?

 

Think about your local Federation of Fly Fishers (FFF) club or council. I know that the Southern Council (SOC) Conclave has for years given film canisters full of flies to each kid and most adults who participate in the casting games at SOC Conclave. My kids have been happy recipents of theses flies from the SOC. (The SOC Conclave is coming up on Oct. 1st in Mountain Home, Arkansas !! - Whoo Hoo!! - As I have most of the last 25 years, I'll drive the 10 hours necessary to attend and tie! http://www.southerncouncilfff.org/conclave/conclave.php )

 

On Sept. 25, as we have done for over 20 years, my local FFF club, the Red Stick Fly Fishers, will attend our our local celebration of National Hunting and Fishing Day, where we will demo fly tying and teach casting to hundreds of young attendees. Flies will be given to many of those kids who attend and show any interest in our sport.

 

A number of FFF clubs and individual Federators regularly spend their time teaching Fly Fishing Merit Badge clases to Boy Scouts, and most of those instructors would love to have a supply of flies to give to the boys who attend those classes. Contact your local FFF club and see about assisting in teaching these classes and/or donating flies to that club's Merit Badge instruction program.

 

On Oct. 23, the Red Stick Fly Fishers will attend our local BSA Council's 100 year extravaganda, where we will be teaching classes in tying and casting, and hold a hands-on fly fishing class to the Boy Scouts. It would be great to be able to hand some flies to each Scout that attends. (The BSA Fly Fishing Merit Badge requires that each Scout tie a fly, learn to cast, and catch at least two fish with a fly. The Scout must release one of these fish, while the Scout must kill, clean cook, and eat the other. )

 

I currently working with others in the Gulf Coast Council (GCC) to start a program to send flies to each Boy Scout in our region who obtains the BSA Fly Fishing Merit Badge.

 

There are lots of options for you to "pass-on" your love of this sport to others. Just pick one or two and get active.

 

Bowfin47

[TheCream 0]

If it is a bad fly I tied, I'll razor it and re-use the hook most of the time. Most new patterns I start tying, the first attempt almost always has something wrong with it or something I want to do differently.

 

I give a lot of flies away to friends, but always give them good ones, no "rejects." One of my buddies lives near Lake Erie and just started fly fishing for steelhead last year, so since he is my guide when I go up there, I always take him an assortment of flies to help cover my "guide fees."

[Mr. Vegas 0]

only been tying for a couple months and compiled over a thousand or so flies. I am new to vegas so really don't know anyone to share them with. Now that I have been getting better and more importantly faster I'll find a way to share them

[Rp3flyfisher 0]

On a different forum that I am part of (FlyBC.ca) we do a Christmas giveaway every year. I usually collect any flies that I have tied or that I don't use and donate them to the giveaway.

 

This year, I ended up with enough to make 2 gifts of around 250 flies for each (None are rejects, just extras).

 

I love the giveaway, you donate something, once you have, you can now watch the giveaway and pick something up that you like when it is posted by someone else.

Last year I got a Fishpond chestpack, so far this year, I haven't found anything that I want, but I know I will.

 

That is what I do with my surplus flies.

 

Rick