How Many Members Tie Their Own Flies

[Wildfisher]

It would  be interesting to get some idea,  so please vote ? it?s completely anonymous. If you buy the odd fly now and then still vote "always"

[silverbutcher]

I have voted always.
Started learning to tie last winter, and although my flies won't win any competitions for being well tied, I used them almost exclusively last season (apart from some dries on the river early on). I reckon I caught just as well with my own than I did previously with shop bought flies. My second biggest river broonie ever, and biggest loch broonie came to my own flies.

Billy

[Clan Ford]

I never think about buying flies, somehow it just seems wrong when I can tie my own.  However, I'm happy to use flies tied by other anglers, like in the fly swaps.  Had some good success on them too.

Norm

[Clan Chief]

I voted "always" As I always do. but for some reason that I can't explain I will occasionaly buy a fly that catches my eye from my local tackle shop and try to copy it.I know I will never use it as I only fish with my own flies. It would just seem wrong for me to use a fly I didn't tie myself. Strange folk us fishermen

[shanksi]

Been fly tying for about 18 months now altho still might buy occasional fly.  Some great websites now with SBS's and also videos on youtube.  Great help to struggling beginners.

shanksi

[Runarsson]

Guilty for often enough to say 'always'. I get many flies in swaps, but I would never fish any of them. Replicate perhaps... but I wouldn't risk to put my friend's signature in a tree.

I can buy the odd fly here and there too, also to replicate. These are mostly bought in two. One is saved for studying while tying and the other is cut open at the tie-off point and undressed with a pen and a notepad beside me. This is both to see in which order the materials fall off (tie-in order in reverse) and to see what the things you CAN'T see on the finished fly actually looks like (underbody, size and shape of concealed weight etc etc).

But I can't remember the last fly I bought to actually use for fishing...

/Nick

[Part-time]

I voted 'very seldom'. I probably tie about 50% but not enough for the 'always' category. Hope to tie more and am certainly getting plenty of inspiration from the various threads on this site.

John

[Crawhin]

Have barely bought a fly since starting fly tying at age 12 or 13. Used to tie for the local tackle shop for pocket money as a kid. They'd give me the materials for a particular pattern and I'd knock out 50 whickham's fancies or 100 invictas for (I think) 3p a shot. Helped to bugger my eye sight and left me with a deep and lasting abhorrance of tying large numbers of any single pattern at a sitting (the fly swap was purgatory  ).
These days it just doesn't feel right not having something of your own tying on the end of the line somehow. That said, BA did once mislay my tackle bag with all my flies in it on a trip north once (don't you just love them  :x ). I had to go out and buy a small box and couple of dozen shop jobbies until the bag turned up. It was really quite unsatisfying and didn't do the fishing any good not to have the same confidence in your flees.

Ian   

[zeolite]

I am a sometimes.
I haven't bought a trout fly in years but i still buy the occasional salmon tube.

Claret... you must be a wellsite geo with all that time on your hands!

[Pete]

Voted never

I would be seriously pushing my luck with my better half if I started tying my own, though I would really love to.  I get enough grief over the time spent fishing, instead of with the kids or doing DIY :roll:  I am hoping to work on her though once the house is sorted - it would be a great way to fill the winter evenings.  I have had a great deal of success with flies given by or acquired from other forum members and as a few of you have said most of these aren't available commercially anyway.


Pete