Orvis Fly Tying Gear?

[Fly Fishing Idaho 0]

I've never purchased any Orvis Fly tying products, and I'm wondering about the price to quality ratio. I've heard that Orvis makes the best fly gear on the market and I don't have any protests. I also know that they make some of the most expensive gear also. I like the way the stuff looks on the website but I need to hear it from people I belive (not that I don't belive th website).

[utyer 0]

Orvis fly tying materials, hooks and tools are more often than not made by someone else. The products that Orvis sells in fly tying are much the same as you can find elsewhere. I have used many of their hooks, and never had any complaints. At one time my local shop was full of Orvis gear, and they closed all of it out when they downsized. I was able to get hooks for 88 cents a pack, and other materials at similar savings. Never had any problems with them.

 

I have fished with several Orvis rods over the years, and they cast the fly line, and catch fish just fine. If you look at their selection of vises, you will see that they are all products made by someone else. Same hold true for the tools. If the price is higher, its just for the name Orvis on the package. If the price is similar to what you see elsewhere, it will be just as good a value.

[Johnwvan 0]

I thought they were the industry standard for years but as Utyer says their tools and materials are made by someone else.

You are paying for the name. I just received their antron dubbing, ginger. I have their caddis lifestyle selection

in antron and the ginger ran out. I got orange, same color orange as in the caddis selection but the bag it came in

said ginger. It was sent back today. They also don't seem to have the large selection they use too. The main store in Vt.

looks more like an upscale sports clothing and expensive knick knack shop, not the fly shop I remember from 20 years ago.

Change is good. Really?---John

[perchjerker 0]

To add to utyers comments, if you stop and think about it, what kind of operation would be required by any company, be it Orvis or Sears, to have the capability to or produce everything they sell? To have such capability is clearly out of the question. Therefore, they turn to the 'top-of-the-line' producers and manufacturers to provide their merchandise, and have the provider put the store name or label on it; e,g., Bosch makes Craftsman routers for Sears.

 

There are only a handful of large processors/producers of fly tying materials in the US who have the capacity to supply such places as Cabellas, Orvis, PBS, etc., and in most, if not all, cases, each of these companies dyes their own materials. Anyone who has a wife, girlfriend, ,significant other, etc., who knits will tell you that they are extremely cranky about getting skeins of knitting yarn that came from the SAME dye lot when they need more than one skein to complete a project. This info is printed on the label of every skein. Among this group, it is both well, and widely known that the color from the same factory will vary from dye batch to dye batch. This clearly conveys that one purveyors color may definitely differ from that of another for any given color.

 

Thus, it is easy to see that any dyed product from Orvis (or any other such source) bought even a year ago can vary in color from what they have today. This is compounded if they have switched suppliers in the interim.

 

The factory rep for a top-of-the-line graphite rod manufacturer told me some years ago that the 'new kid on the block' fly shop in an upscale shopping center in Houston,Texas would not last simply because they flat refused to stock anything in the way of sports wear or high end gifts (= knick knacks). If it was not essential to fly fishing, they would not stock it. Sure enough, they lasted about 2 years. It is this 'stuff' that keeps a shop afloat according to him.

[Peterjay 0]

Just to add my $0.02 worth: like Frank says, Orvis, like most outfits, buys their tying materials from a few big distributors. I've found over the years that they sell top-quality stuff, but most of it can be found elsewhere at much lower prices. There are a number of other online retailers who can be trusted to supply quality materials at reasonable prices.

 

I've owned (and still own) a number of Orvis rods and reels, and have found them to be top-notch. There have been few problems, and the ones I've had have been taken care of quickly with no questions asked. They even re-gripped a rod for me (I'd broken the tip) without being asked and at no charge. They occasionally have some outrageous sales, (free reels with new rods) so it wouldn't hurt to get on their mailing list and keep an eye on their website.

[tidewaterfly 0]

Just to add my $0.02 worth: like Frank says, Orvis, like most outfits, buys their tying materials from a few big distributors. I've found over the years that they sell top-quality stuff, but most of it can be found elsewhere at much lower prices. There are a number of other online retailers who can be trusted to supply quality materials at reasonable prices.

 

I've owned (and still own) a number of Orvis rods and reels, and have found them to be top-notch. There have been few problems, and the ones I've had have been taken care of quickly with no questions asked. They even re-gripped a rod for me (I'd broken the tip) without being asked and at no charge. They occasionally have some outrageous sales, (free reels with new rods) so it wouldn't hurt to get on their mailing list and keep an eye on their website.

 

Peter has posted my experience with Orvis exactly. I haven't bought any tying materials from them in many, many years. There are other suppliers with the same materials & the prices are better. However, I have purchased Orvis labeled materials from Ebay sellers, and the quality is very good. I've also signed up for their email notifications, and recently placed a small order for some saltwater flies that are currently on sale. (Like I needed more flies! ) Their flies are very good quality & the prices were awesome (70% off). They have some tying items on sale now too, but the only thing they have on sale that I might use is EZ Body, and frankly their sale price is no better than some suppliers regular prices for that item. When browsing anything Orvis has, you do need to know what others charge for similar items.

[ditz2 0]

What I have bought from Orvis has always been top notch. 40 years ago their bamboo rods were to die for but sadly they were out of my price range being a mere working man. IMHO Orvis caters to gentlemen anglers, not fishermen.

[Fly Fishing Idaho 0]

Ok Thanks. To add to it, I'm asuming orvis makes their own rods, right?

[Peterjay 0]

The last I knew, they were still building their rods at their own factory in Vermont. BTW: Ditz, the fact that Orvis is still willing to sell me an occasional rod is proof that not all their customers are gentlemen. Or maybe it's just a case of mistaken Identity

[MfishP 0]

I have some of their gear and it is of very good quality.I used to buy some of their fly tying items, but the one place i used to go purchase items from got away from the fishing business.

[ditz2 0]

Peterjay....No offense ment on the gentleman angler comment. If I could have justified an Orvis bamboo in 1970 I would have owned it or them. I slobbered over thier fliers with desire. I just found it difficult to buy a $400 rod when the $40 glass rods worked so well for me and my girls thanked me for it. At least I hope they thanked me for it.

[Peterjay 0]

Ditz, I hear you - I stuck with my old fiberglass rods until the last one finally broke. If the rest of them hadn't been stolen, I'd probably still have one or two. I'm a firm believer that a good fisherman can make do with whatever gear he happens to own. It's a little tougher in salt water because of the harsher conditions and powerful fish, but on a trout stream, an old rod and a Medalist reel were all I ever needed to make me happy.

[lykos33 0]

The last I knew, they were still building their rods at their own factory in Vermont. BTW: Ditz, the fact that Orvis is still willing to sell me an occasional rod is proof that not all their customers are gentlemen. Or maybe it's just a case of mistaken Identity

 

 

...no comment....

Murray

[Peterjay 0]

The last I knew, they were still building their rods at their own factory in Vermont. BTW: Ditz, the fact that Orvis is still willing to sell me an occasional rod is proof that not all their customers are gentlemen. Or maybe it's just a case of mistaken Identity

 

 

...no comment....

Murray

 

That's OK Murray, I can take a few insults. (I've certainly had enough practice LOL)

[TheCream 0]

My only nearby shop (still 45 minutes away) is an Orvis dealer. Naturally, I use some of their stuff. I haven't noticed their prices being any different from other brands online for the most part. My vise is an HMH Spartan Orvis Edition. It was the same price as a standard Spartan, only with a green base, and I got to support the local shop by buying it there. I have been using the Orvis G thread to spin bass bugs with great results. I use some of the Orvis hooks, they are pretty high quality chemically sharpened hooks. Price-wise, they seem pretty much on par with TMC/Gamakatsu/Daiichi hooks. I have no complaints about the Orvis tying materials/supplies I have used.