How many of you tie your own flies?


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alex30808

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I tied commercially for a little over three years and then one day...I just packed it all up and said quits to it. I tied a few flies occasionally but have not tied anything in over 4 years...until last night. Here's a few flies I finished up last night for one of our members....

FlyFishingTying013.jpg

Camping Caddis Dry Fly Size 14

FlyFishingTying011.jpg

Brown Dredger Size 6

FlyFishingTying010.jpg

Dredger Trio all Size 6

I am waiting on a fox squirrel tail and I'll tie him up a few of these...

FlyFishingTying009.jpg

Crooked Creek Crawfish Size 6
I got a squirrel tail in yesterday but i am waiting on his furs to make his crawfish and a few other flies for him.

Who else ties flies?
 
Used to, but haven't in a long time.

Does tie commercially mean you had your own business tying flies? or did you work for one of the bigger guys? I always wondered who wies the flies sold by Orvis or Umpqua.
 
nothinghead said:
Used to, but haven't in a long time.

Does tie commercially mean you had your own business tying flies? or did you work for one of the bigger guys? I always wondered who wies the flies sold by Orvis or Umpqua.
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Yes...I had my own business Tax ID #, Wholesale accounts for supplies and all. I tied for 17 shops and 27 guides across the U.S. I tended to tie only my personal patterns or the patterns that some of the guides would pitch ideas to me about. I did not tie the common nymphs, dries, streamers and such. I did make them for myself but not for the business as they could get them cheaper else where. The oddest/largest flies I ever tied were some specialty Northern Pike flies they were 4/0 Stainless tandem hooked (one main hook and a trailer hook off the bend of the main) and averaged 14 to 18 inches long! The guy was not using a fly rod, he was using a bait caster! The smallest I ever tied were some midges on #26 and #28 hooks. The smallest hooks I ever had in my hands were #32's that were vintage hooks a buddy and fellow commercial fly tier had!

As far as the "Big Boys" goes...most of their flies are tied over seas in Kenya and China. I had a contact in Kenya who wanted me to contract my personal fly patterns to him. He could tie them for pennies per fly!!! I never did a contract with his company but he did send me some samples and the quality was there and the workmanship was there...but my hands were not. I submitted a few fly patterns to Orvis but they never developed them so I kept tying them for myself.
 
I was up in Livingston, MT a few years ago and stopped in the fly shop. The room was full of women tying all kinds of patterns. They were fast and more dextrous than anyone who ever tried to teach me by a long shot!
 
I quit tying and using the long rod when I moved to the beach-----way too windy on just about any day to be even close to productive. I have got the bug again and am looking into the newer 13-14 foot skagit type rigs. Probably will tie some crabs and black clousers if I do start back up.
 
I do bucktail leadhead jigs for myself, family & friends. Melt lead, mold & paint my own jigs, on to the end result of tying. I use actual Deer tail & Squirrel tail. I think I am too clumsy/my fingers are too big, & my eyesight is getting worse as I get older. So I am not doing it as much as before. Got all the gear for flies, a buddy even gave me one of those magnifying glasses with the alligator clips attached to it. I just haven't tied actual "flies" since I was young. Hope my boys & grandsons will take it up.
Great thread !
:)
 
I try to but not very well. Normally only tie foam poppers anymore never was able to do anything like you show above great job.
 
I used to tie a lot and a variety of fly patterns. These days its just wooly buggers. I buy them little 18 and 20 size cause looking through the magnifier gives me a headache.:2:
 
I tie just about everything I use, mostly simple foam or chenille patterns for the local bluegill and a few Clouser Minnows for the bigger stuff. There's something extremely satisfying about tying your own flies and catching bunches of fish with them. Sort of validates the whole fishing thing.

For trout fishing expeditions I'll just buy what the guide recommends for the local waters.
 
I do for myself. Really enjoy it when I can make myself sit still long enough to tie some.
 
I tie for my Dad and I. He swears by the brown hackle. I usually have no real set patterns but tie things in all the earthy tones. Adams, and various hackles with green, brown bodies with thin tinsel wrap.
 
Have done some in the past, mostly poppers and streamers. Would like to get back into it as I am considering trying some salt water fly fishing after watching 36"+ stripped bass feeding on hatching insects last fall.
 
Not as much as I used to. Tied most any pattern in my heyday n would walk past any fly n see how I would tie it. Harvested my own materials (furs n feathers) n kept a local tying club supplied with all the stuff I could gather around here.
 
I tie mostly for saltwater so streamers (deceivers, clousers, etc.), shrimps, and small leadhead jigs though I do tie some scuds, and sakasa kebari flies for Tenkara fishing.
 
I've tied mostly wooly buggers and foam grasshopper patterns, haven't done any in about a year though, few pics:

Streamer I had tied:
BigLongEar.JPG


Foam Hopper I had tied:
SpottedBassUltraLight2.JPG


RioGrandeUltraLight.JPG


Rio2.JPG


Man, I need to go fly-fishing again soon, it's been awhile (spent my time outdoors lately doing mostly dayhikes and bait fishing).
 
I tie my own but they certainly don't look like yours. My "best friend" recommended I glue on some googly eyes on my #16 Adams and use it to scare crows.

Caught these dudes on a black foam spider thingy I tie...

20110611_p07.jpg


These too - same fly (mostly - also some little Wooly Buggers) different day...
20110531_img_0237.jpg
 
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borumas said:
I've tied mostly wooly buggers and foam grasshopper patterns, haven't done any in about a year though, few pics:

Streamer I had tied:
BigLongEar.JPG


Foam Hopper I had tied:
SpottedBassUltraLight2.JPG


RioGrandeUltraLight.JPG


Rio2.JPG


Man, I need to go fly-fishing again soon, it's been awhile (spent my time outdoors lately doing mostly dayhikes and bait fishing).
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I've got to know...WHAT KIND OF FISH IS THAT IN THE LAST PHOTO!!!??? LOL
 
I tie everything I fish with

P.S. I know its not my post but I think that fish is called a rio grande cichlid, but I could be wrong they aren't in my part of the state.
 
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rb2,
I almost asked if it was a Cichlid. I had some once in an aquarium...NO WHERE near that big though!!! Mine averaged 2-3 inches long!!!! LOL
 
I attempt but no where near that nice
 
alex30808 said:
I've got to know...WHAT KIND OF FISH IS THAT IN THE LAST PHOTO!!!??? LOL
Click to expand...

Hehe, yeah, people freak out seeing those fish. They are native to the Rio Grande river basin, Rio Grande Chichlid is the correct name I believe. I've heard those buggers are invasive into Louisiana now, they put up a nice fight though but are not that great to eat in my opinion.

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/species/cichlid/

Pretty cool fish though, they look more grey in the water but out of it you can see the pretty colors on them.
 
I don't...I ZIP it! (just kidding) I have never tied a fly, but I admire those of you who do. I dont think I would have the patience.
 
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