What Do You Do With Your Surplus Flies? / Confessions
I've been tying roughly 20 flies a week now for about 1.5 years, to the point where I can't possibly use them all and I'm running out of room in my fly boxes (I even had to buy a few more, despite already bringing about 10 on each trip). I used to tie in my teens and early twenties, then gave up for 30 years, and resumed two years ago with a vengeance. My kids are teenagers now and don't seem to have much interest in me (or fly fishing), so I have more time.
Below are some ways I've tried to dealing with the surplus, but I wanted to hear what others do:
- Cull flies based on expected productivity (bigger #'s of known producers, smaller #'s of experimental flies). Put surplus in a big "Bugger Box" type fly box. My Bugger Box is still pretty empty.
- Don't cull any flies, just use more boxes, and try to bring only "some" of the boxes on each trip. I have failed 100% at this approach. I just bring more boxes with me.
- Where there is an excess of one fly that is drab, put half of them back on the vise and add a hot spot. Then put them back in the fly box. I've done this but haven't used the "new" flies.
- Reject some flies, trim off the matieral with a razor blade, and re-use the hook/bead for a new pattern. I think I've done this only once because it's painful to destroy one of my creations.
- Stop tying. Can't be done.
- Give flies away. This is somewhat promising, but I mostly fish on my own.
- Lose more flies on the river by getting snagged more often. Not a bad idea, but I hate tying on new tippets and new flies.
Now some confessions:
- I'm at the point where I think about fly tying more than I think about actually fishing.
- I go to bed early and come in early to the office just to look at fly-tying stuff online before anyone else gets here (like I am right now)
- Fishing has almost become a secondary hobby to justify my fly tying.
- Some days I force myself to fish instead of sit at the bench.
- When I fish, it's a mere laboratory to test my flies.
- I'd rather tie flies than talk to anyone in my family, read a book, watch a movie or pretty much anything else when I'm home
- My home is in a state of disrepair because I'm always "going to tie just a few more flies" on the weekends
- I bought two expensive vises instead of just one inexpensive one which probably would have been just as good
- I inherited a few thousand dollars of materials in the fall, but still spend $50-$100/week on new materials
- I have more flies than I could possibly use, yet I keep tying, so clearly I have a problem
Confessions About Fly Tying
:D :D All of the stories of both posts hit home with me. Ive been tying flies since the 50's and still have many tied during the 60's. Probably have more materials/hooks, etc., than many fly shops. I've not tied for the last two years due to family/personal health issues but am planning on resuming tying soon.
Maybe plan on donating some or all flies to a club or school that supports classes in fly fishing/tying....