What do you do with your swap flys

[Fish For Life 0]

Im curious as to what people do with the flys they receive in swaps. Ive heard of some people not fishing with them and just keeping them. Do many of you guys do that or do you like to actually use them? Just curious and all.

Thanks

[Fisherboy0301 0]

Both. Depends on what type. I get some I wouldn't use where I fish, and some that are way too beautiful to fish.

[feathers5 0]

I fish what works in my waters and watch the rest pile up.

[josephcsylvia 0]

Both depends on the fly, if its really complicated and nice looking probably never see water however is a great model for me to tie off of.

[flytire 0]

i put them in a container and sort them out later

 

the good ones get fished, the bad ones get stripped down to bare hook

[Dubs 0]

Fish with the ones I think would suit my fishing best, try to remember exactly what they were after I lose them. Tie up something close from memory and promise myself to take pics and notes before I lose them.

 

Repeat.

 

I try as many as I can here or there reguardless if I think they will be hot but don't always get to them all.

 

I'll just send flytire some plain hooks, well he might not like those either... razor blades maybe...

[mikechell 0]

I just put all of the flies from the Halloween Swap and the two smallest mice in a display. When it's done (and the larger mice are framed also, I'll post pictures.

Since those are the only two I'll be in, I'm going to keep them.

[psychoprince 0]

I do a bit of both. Some flies are just so nice I cannot bear to part with them, others I just know will catch me some fish so I use them. Usually after I have had them for about 6 months I take the ones I am saving for display, and add them to my display collections, and put the ones I am going to fish in the box.

[djtrout 0]

I have more than I'll ever fish. If they meet my need, they go into an operational flybox. Otherwise, they go into jars that are roughly categorized (nymph, "little guys", streamers, etc.). They make cool displays. I'd say maybe 15-25% will be in one of my on-stream boxes.

My personal hangup is that I like to fish my own flies. When I use a guide, I always ask that I be allowed to use my own flies unless I don't have what we need to fish, even then I correspond in advance and try to get the guide to let me tie some up of what he wants to use. Some guides allow it, some feel jinxed unless they use theirs, or maybe they are just particular about their patterns. So, I've been trying to tie on more of the swap flies this year. I have some especially nice bass and panfish flies that I will absolutely use; trout less so (exception there - some of you swappers are tiny fly magicians - those little guys (sub 20's) I will definitely use.

I'll be casting more swap trout dry flies this year.

I will say this, when an impromptu opportunity comes up on short notice, any preparation shortfall I have won't be in the flies dept. I am armed and dangerous!

I love the art of tying. The swap is a forum to enjoy that art. Perhaps fishability is just second to that appreciation.

[flytire 0]

I'll just send flytire some plain hooks, well he might not like those either... razor blades maybe...

 

 

ya i probably wouldnt

[mybadhabit 0]

I do both, a friend and I sat down one night and went thru almost all my swap flies and flattened the barbs on all of them and sorted them into categories: small, nymph, streamer, panfish and so on. It took three of us just around 3 to 4 hours to do them all, and I've only been swapping for about 4 years and racked up over 700 flies. I couldn't believe there were that many, and I had already fished and lost some. Some will go into display boxes(when I figure out just how to do them), others will be fished and some(very few) will be stripped down. Then there are those that came to me in display boxes and will stay that way(Evolution Swap Flies).

 

Unless I move to trout country, many will never get fished, I just don't have the waters to use about 25% of the flies that I have collected over the time I've swapped, and I'm perfectly fine with keeping them preserved to just enjoy looking at or trying to copy.

 

Blane

[fishingbobnelson 0]

I fish some, keep some to use to tie the pattern, and I donate quite a few to Casting for Recovery, Reel Recovery and Project Healing Waters. Also my family members raid my stash often.

[Li'lDave 0]

I like to fish them whenever I can.

 

A fly from the first swap I participated in (a grey riffle?)... beautiful grey dry with a double post.... accounted for my first (and so far only) brown trout on fly.

 

Because I live over 2000km from my nearest trout stream I don't fish these fellas too often.

 

I think the first swap I hosted was woolly buggers... those guys have been fished for local fresh water species like sooty grunter and jungle perch.

 

and I take a number of the salty ties out whenever I visit the flats.....

 

pj beckets chamois shrimp have accounted for one or two fish....

 

then they tend to get retired.....

[djtrout 0]

Li'l Dave's post reminded me that I enjoy entering swaps to tie flies I don't usually fish. I enjoy tying up something I don't usually do, which means of course I probably won't fish the ones I get, myself, but they are good give aways and maybe for things like the Santa swap.

I did commercial tying for a few years and tied a lot of salt water flies, but I never fish salt water. I think I would enjoy trying my hand at some bonefish/flats patterns (may the future recipients forgive me).

[RickZieger 0]

I fish them, but if they work I keep them so I can tie a copy.

 

Rick