Why do you tie?

[Driftless Dan]

I cannot say I have a passion for fly tying. However, i bought an embarrassingly large amount of tying material earlier in life waiting for retirement, which came this spring. I tie, therefore, partially out of guilt for spending the $$.

The main reason I tie is that many of the flies I use while fly fishing (which I DO have a passion for) are 1) of a limited variety, 2) they're simple and 3) I lose a lot. So, I tend to tie up bunches of Pink Squirrels, GRHE's, PT nymphs, woolley buggers, hopper and other foam patterns like hippie stompers. I can't justify spending money on those types of flies. I will buy other dries when I need to.

My goal this winter is to slightly expand my repertoire by adding some Walt's Worms (including the "Sexy" variant), some green weenies, and some classic wet flies; I've tried spruce flies since I was a teenager, when I spent a lot of time on the Nehalem/North Nehalem fishing for cutthroat.

 

[Buzzy]

I don't really enjoy tying in itself. I tie what works locally to fish. Some of my fishing buddies tie very detailed, realist type patterns that fish mistake for actual prey. Mine are more of an impressionist style, that fish attack out of insult and disgust.

I'm more into the impressionistic style of tying for a couple of reasons; I don't think realistic ties are more effective than the stuff I throw on a hook and I'm not a good enough tyer to tie realistic patterns. Why do I tie? It's fun. It's still rewarding to catch fish on something I've tied. Sometimes in my experimenting with materials and different style hooks I come up with a fly that (sometimes) works well for me.

 

[DarrellP]

It is a skill that I have developed. I enjoy catching fish on a fly I tied much more than someone else's fly. I love the materials. I enjoy swaps.

 

[Mike Cline]

For me there are several factors in play.

1. I learned the art of fly tying from some pretty talented tyers 60 years ago. That skill alone has opened up all manner of fly tying opportunities for cold-water, warm-water and saltwater flies.
2. Two, on a per fly basis, if you fish or tie a lot, the cost per fly is significantly less than shop flies. Antidotally I was recently in a fly shop in Key West, a small baitfish pattern that could easily be tied in ten minutes with maybe $1.00-1.50 in material was priced at $10. I could probably tie up 6 of them in an hour. $60 versus $6-9.00 is a no brainer.
3. Creativity and innovation opportunities are essentially endless once you have an extensive inventory of materials. More variety in your fly boxes leads to more fish in the net.
4. Finally, I really enjoy sharing flies with folks I meet on the river, fly shops guys and my TU chapter. I donate over 30 dozen flies every season to TU and probably give away at least 10 dozen flies over the course of a year.

 

[Stonedfish]

I started tying when I couldn’t find what I wanted at fly shops. They were either out of the patterns I wanted or just didn’t carry them.
I find it relaxing while watching games on tv, listening to tunes and while having an adult pop or two…..
It’s also fun to meet someone out on the water and give them some flies you tied then watch them have success with them.
SF

 

[Wadin' Boot]

Someone gave me an LLbean tying kit one Chirstmas. I tied a few flies and amazingly enough caught some fish. Then tied some more for a different type of fish and managed to catch those too.

I found the expense of the stuff to tie flies was kinda dumb for me. So at a yard sale one day I picked up a tin of old cotton threads of all kinds of colors for $2. Kind of like you would expect for a now departed great aunt to have just lying around. In that tin is a lifetime of thread for me.

I did some work where one of the perks was a bag full of fancy feathers from their chicken coop. That bag seems endless.
One day my wife's glass bead necklace came apart and a ton of glass beads were getting thrown, so I salvaged them and have been experimenting with those.

I pay for hooks, for tungsten beads, simi seal, sparkle, not much else. Except if I really want to fish dries, dries I buy.

I don't particularly love it, tying flies that is, but it is pretty fun to have a new stack of six or so variants to test on an outing you know is going to be fun.

I dread the dead of winter fly sorting, clean up, toss the crap flies, consider tying some I don't have enough of. I need to Marie Kondo that shit better, marginal flies that get included in next season's game almost never perform well....

 

[mcswny]

It’s also fun to meet someone out on the water and give them some flies you tied then watch them have success with them.

This!

 

[Norm Frechette]

i have a 40+ year collection of tying materials that i will probably never use up before i die

i would like to be a good salmon and steelhead fly tyer and practice everyday

i'm retired so theres not much else to do. too damn cold to watch the grass grow and watch paint dry. i'd count my money but that wouldnt take very long

 

[RCF]

I have gone through the same phases as many of you have. Made the same mistakes, bought too much materials, tied up so many that I will never use 10% of them. I traded flies for rods, reels, and even reduced costs of lodging on some of my trips.

So now I have entered my final phase (I think):
I usually now only tie when on fishing trips in the warm mid-afternoons when fishing/bite has slowed down. Just enough so I can fish the remainder of the day.
I see some flies I have tied and it helps me reminisce about some wonderful fish I caught earlier in my life.
It reminds of when sitting down at the big round table at Rock Creek Merc and tying with Doug and other locals.
My sizeable stash allows me to give away materials, and provide instruction if they want them, for new tyers or those that are not as fortunate as I have been.
I have given away flies anonymously to fly swaps so that there are a wider variety as well as a surprise.
I truly enjoy giving away flies streamside/lakeside to help others have a better chance to catch more.

Probably time to add to the "Pay-It-Forward" thread too...

 

[clarkman]

Yeah, there's a reason I periodically give away my big streamers. I tie far more than I'll ever need. It just may help someone else to get into fishing big ass streamers for big ass fish...saving them $15-$30 a pop in the process.

 

[Buzzy]

I started tying when I couldn’t find what I wanted at fly shops. They were either out of the patterns I wanted or just didn’t carry them.

Actually, I didn't think about this part of the tying process - I tie some weird stuff from time to time, pretty much guaranteed the fly shop won't have these odd things:

Will they catch fish? Maybe. Sometimes no doubt, sometimes without a doubt NOT.

 

[LakeGuy]

Buzzy nailed it,I’m not that artistic I tie the best I can,I try to improve with everyone I tie.I do catch fish so I’m content with what I throw at the fish.And I do enjoy it.

 

[mickey rat]

As I've always been an artistic person and committed to some amount of detail. It's been a great outlet of pursuit of both. A lot of it began from not being able to find commercially tied flies and soon I realized how poorly made a lot the available ones were. I'm also sending stuff to my son in CO who's on a tight budget and has a difficult time justifying spending $3 for a #24 RS2 on 6x.

 

[SurfnFish]

I tie for the same reason I enjoy projects of any kind...any time spent creating, regardless of the outcome (my flies tend to induce spontaneous fish migration), is time well spent

 

[onefish]

1-I am picky about what I tie on the end of my line and store bought flies don't make the grade.(cheap hooks)
2-If there is a hot fly the store/resort runs out so you can't get any until they are no longer hot anyways
3-When you tie your own you can always come up with something close to "the fly of the day/week"
4-Sometimes your experimental creations end up being "the fly of the day/week"
5-I enjoy having others have success with a fly you have given them.
6-It is interesting to swap your "fly of the day" with a buddies "fly of the day" and do some tying for the next day.
7-Learning is a good thing no matter how old you are.

 

[mcswny]

Yeah, there's a reason I periodically give away my big streamers. I tie far more than I'll ever need. It just may help someone else to get into fishing big ass streamers for big ass fish...saving them $15-$30 a pop in the process.

This has actually been the only time I fished flies other than my own since I’ve committed to tying all dries nymphs and streamers 3 years ago. And I will say, I enjoyed it. Very different than anonymous store bought flies.

 

[FinLuver]

That is the one "color" of hackle that I don't own.

I don't understand why they cost so much. Barred dark ginger, or mixing grizzly and ginger look identical to me...

I have several Cree capes and saddles…the I paid for one…$65.00

Quality deals are out there is ya look (consistently)…

 

[FinLuver]

4-Sometimes your experimental creations end up being "the fly of the day/week"

My thin blue line, I have a box of 21 patterns (of my own creation) that constantly shine.

 

[Tom Butler]

4-Sometimes your experimental creations end up being "the fly of the day/week"

My thin blue line, I have a box of 21 patterns (of my own creation) that constantly shine.

I'm down to two. After much experimentation I figure one of these will take fish if they are around. Every other new flies effectiveness is compared to these.

 

[Otter]

I tie for my sanity. I tie because it's part of the journey of fly fishing. I tie because I love fish and the brief but unforgettable meeting it creates. I tie because fly fishing is a huge part of my life and my so called identity. I tie to completely immerse my mind in what is right in front of me, to try to create something beautiful in a fading world. I tie because I need to.

Thanks! You just saved me from trying to articulate my reasons.