Tying your own flies

[Speyducer]

How many of you tie your own flies, and why?

Mike

[saltsprey]

Originally Posted by Speyducer

How many of you tie your own flies, and why?

Mike

I tie all my own flies to fish with but derive the greatest enjoyment out of sharing the finer specimens with others. Guess I vote for none of the above in the poll.

[Speyducer]

Originally Posted by saltsprey

I tie all my own flies to fish with but derive the greatest enjoyment out of sharing the finer specimens with others. Guess I vote for none of the above in the poll.

I would have thought that you could have voted for the first choice, but clearly, the recipients of your finest flies would have needed another category---->

7. Don't tie flies, but get plenty of good ones from my mates!



Mike

[SpeyHermit]

I tie my own just because........

I like the anticipation of a big steelhead, salmon or trout taking something I created

Because my grandfather skunked me wicked when I was 8 years old fishing with worms and he was using flies

It just makes me feel closer to everything that's in the water

[sinktip]

I tie 99% of what I use and rarely will fish someone else's fly. Two exceptions to this though. The first, my good friend Jeff Johnson's Clear Blue Spey which he ties for the Clearwater. I am so taken with his pattern and how he ties it that I usually bum a few every year from him. The other exception is I keep a selection of flies others have given me on the wall above my bench. Every now and then if they are starting to get weathered, I ill throw them in the box. One beautiful pattern from a buddy on the east coast found its way into my box this fall and resulted in the fish in my avatar. Thanks J!

[GR8LAKES FLYER]

I tie everything that I fish.........however........I will accept donations !!!!

Mike

[flytyer]

I've tied all my own flies for so long (about 40 years now) that using one someone else tied is a long distant memory. I simply like tying flies and then get to go and hook fish on them.

I tie flies for others to usem which is also immensely satisfying, and I often will give others a fly when I meet them out on the river.

[GPearson]

tying salmon and steelhead flies is a great part of the game. I hope everyone does it or at least tries it out. Tying is the only way to get the flies to look and fish the way you want them to.

I do like to fish special flies that buddies have given me as well.

Cheers,
Greg

[M.J.Adams]

I simply love to tie my own flys, I couldn't buy them the way I like them.

[Salmon Chaser]

for the obvious reason,,,,,,saving money of course
I too stopped fishing other peoples flies long ago,, and if i recieve one astream or through the mail,, they go into the collection and not my fly box.
Salmon Chaser

[Tayside]

I do not enjoy tying flies I tie them out of necessity, I will however accept and fish any donations.



Ian

[bulkleyfly]

I'm with Salmon Chaser. I started tying to "save" money but its become more and more of an obsession over the years. Any I get from others go into my collectors box. I have some from Wintershope and Prairie Spey which now reside in one of my wheatleys. I try to give away "original" ties whenever I can but I always hope they'll get used rather than saved.

Jonathan

[chromedome]

Even tho I know the best flies I come in contact with usually look better than mine, and that I'm very slow, and that by the time I buy all this "stuff" I'm not saving any money, I still prefer to tie my own for a lot of reasons some of which have already been stated. I still have the most confidence with my own flies except where I know exactly what materials went into them and where they are also drop dead gorgeous. I get a lot of satisfaction from knowing a fish thought enough of me to take my fly. It seems I have to be constantly trying new ideas and I can't imagine some contracted professional fly tyer putting up with all the crap I subject myself to in trying new fly designs.

[flydology]

Tying is the passion and using them is the reward.

[SpeyH20]

Originally Posted by flydology

Tying is the passion and using them is the reward.

Well said Flydology

The only flies I fish besides my own are ones given to me by my friend Leroy Hyatt, his Bombers and Muddlers are simply the best!

I also have fun giving away a few of my signature flies every year.