Tying Materials / Supplies

[Pastor Ron 0]

For many of my 40 years of tying I sold bulk to various shops.... as with many things it had it's good points as well as it's bad points. One of the good points is that I got all my supplies extremely cheap and when the shops would give me materials for a specific order I got to keep the excess. Since I am not currently tying bulk for any shops I am back to buying materials...... holy cow have things gone up! I can't seem to locate a decent supplier within an hours drive.

 

Where does everyone get their materials? Reputable and reliable online dealers?

 

 

I used to hunt a lot also and that kept me stocked in rabbit, squirrel, pheasant, grouse, and deer hair.... but I don't hunt much anymore.

[Scud 0]

Look at the top of the page. J stockard is great if you don't have anyone local. Feather-craft, hook N hackle, and The fly shop ,are a few others I go through.

 

Jermey

[creekfishin 0]

i was going to post the same thing . i buy 90% of my stuff at stockard. but guess what they dont have what i need and i was going to ask the same question .

[Mickalo 0]

You can't go wrong with J.Stockard excellent service and products. Hook and Hackle another one. Allot of material can also be found at many local craft and hobbie shops. I found a few very good sellers on Ebay is a good source also. I have been using a couple of excellent sellers for over a year now to pick up on great bargins.

 

There are many others online that are just as good, these are just a few. There are no fly shops in my area so I have to do all my purchasing on line.

 

Mike

[kennyx 0]

ebay ebay ebay.

if your timing is right, you could snatch up some good quality materials for a super low price.

there are people who swear not to shop @ ebay ever again. BUT I personally have had no problems after buying more than 90 items (i have 90+ feedbacks).. try typing in FLY TYING or FLY KIT or FLY LOT..... stuff like that. might find something useful

[flykid 0]

Add another for J. Stockard. Probably the best there is for just general anything you need. Then what they don't have can be picked up somewhere else online. I do like eBay too and other various sites can tie up loose ends. Feathersmc.com is also great for the more obscure or hard to find items.

[lykos33 0]

Here's another good supplier....http://www.flytyersdungeon.com/

sometimes he may be slow getting your product to you, but when he does you will be astounded at the value...and no, I am not affiliated with him

[Arkansas Mike 0]

Though I buy the majority of my materials from either J. Stockard or FeathersMC,

I've recently made two orders (items that Stockard or FMC didn't carry or was out-of-stock

at the moment) from Stone River Outfitters and have been very pleased with their products and service.

 

 

Mike

[maddog48 0]

Feather-Craft has a good selection, too.

 

 

Mike

[Chase Creek 0]

J. Stockard. Also try Whitetail flytiers (Chris Helm). If you can't find it anywhere, he's got it. Great source for deer hair info.

[JSzymczyk 0]

+1 for JStockard. I get most of my supplies from there. Best customer service I have ever encountered, super-fast shipping, and very fair prices.

 

I have not been thrilled with FeatherCraft.

 

Bass Pro Shop in Harrisburg has an OK fly shop. They have some stuff which is hard to find, but they are lacking a lot of other things, IMO.

 

Cabela's in Hamburg has a great Fly Shop.

 

I know those are more than an hour away for you.

[Mickalo 0]

some tips when buying online. As many of the tyers here has ready access to a local "Brick & Motar" fly shop and can see exactly what they are getting. In my area there are no fly shops, so I rely on purchasing online. These are just a few points to look for:

 

1) Always look for their Shipping rates and return policies to be displayed on their web site.

 

2) Look for payment methods accepted on their web site.

 

3) Look for contact information, including a physical mailing address, phone number and contact form.

 

4) Try contacting the seller with a simple general question about their products to see if how well they respond to your request. Helps determine their customer support.

 

5) Check out feedback on fly tying websites like here on FTF. This can be one of your best resources to find a good reputable online fly tying resource..

 

6) How well their products are laid out with accurate detail description of their products as you can't actual see or touch the item.

 

7) Beware of the so called "Free Shipping" claims .... the shipping is not free! Their product pricing is higher to cover shipping costs in most cases, or it takes forever for them to ship your order.

 

These are a few points to look for when buying online.

 

Hope this maybe helpful to people who normally don't purchase online for their materials.

 

Mike

[Njardar 0]

My personal preference is to support a stand-alone store over a big box store. I deal with Kingfisher in Missoula Montana, they also have a good website, paypal payment, free shipping and one of the owners will answer any questions. I have not had a chance to try J. Stockard's yet, but I look forward to the opportunity.

[JSzymczyk 0]

Before my recent move, I lived for 4 years where there were no fly shops, in fact no fly fishermen really. JStockard is a sponsor of this site, so I decided to order some stuff from them and ask a few questions. James and everyone else there has far exceeded my expectations. A very few times I have had a small problem with an order, and they have taken care of it INSTANTLY. At times the issue was with the manufacturer of the material, not even with JStockard, and they ensured it was made right. Very fair prices, VERY fair shipping costs, excellent service, they are the best. Now that I live near several "brick and mortar" fly shops, I've gone and had a look at almost all of them, ready to buy stuff. In one well known local shop, the people working didn't even acknowledge my presence (or that of my son and wife, except to check out the girl looking at sunglasses...) until I walked over to the rack of $700-$1200 Hardy rods. A simple "Can I help you find something?" would have gone a long way. I won't spend a penny there. Sorry. Others have been decent, but not overly impressive. I will buy materials at local shops when I need to or just want to, but by and large JStockard has earned my business. Look, I'd REALLY LIKE to support the local businesses, but when I go in and they just don't care, what am I supposed to do? I work hard for every penny I spend, and I don't mind spending where I'm treated well; but if the staff consider me just another moron not worth their time, they can pound sand.

[Mickalo 0]

I have to agree with JSzymczyk on this. the closest fly shop for me is Cabela's which is about 145 miles from me. I went there to find a 3wt rod and waited over 25 minutes before I found a salesperson.

 

So I rely pretty much solely on online fly shops for most of my material needs. J.Stockard has been one of the best online sellers I've come across. James is always willing to go that extra mile! Last year I placed an order which included a pair of 4" serrated scissors. The order came in but no scissors. Called J.S and they shipped another pair that same day .... no questions asked! That blew me over.

 

So when you can find a company like that online these days, stick with'em There are other sellers that are just about as good I'm sure. Just my 2cents worth.

 

Mike