What Do You Do With Your Surplus Flies? / Confessions

[Troutsource]

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Stop tying. Can't be done.
6. Give flies away. This is somewhat promising, but I mostly fish on my own.
7. 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

[Zepher]

So many of your confessions hit home for me. I have a file cabinet drawer stuffed with full fly boxes I will never use. But this summer, the extended family plan is to spend some time in Mammoth. 5 family members have approached me to start them on the path of fly fishing. Ages are 4,7, 2 at 17, 50. I'm feeling elation and overwhelmed. But anyway, new homes for the fly boxes.

I have a younger friend who tries to fish everyday. So he calls me up in the dead of winter, wanting to fish the Bridgeport area, you know, the (-) degree place. After I declined the invitation, he calls a mutual friend and says, "Old men don't want to fish. They just want to sit around and talk about it."

[Darian]

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....

[Sonoman]

I hear you. I tell myself I will.not.buy.another.fly.box over and over until I almost believe it. I have too many bugs to keep track of now. In some of the heavily fished water the fish move on and I am left with dozens of past "hot flies" that don't produce like they once did. One upside of tying is I can tie my 16-22s on x-heavy wire hooks...I got tired of hooks straightening out.

Like you, I started in my early teens, stopped for awhile, and now I am back into it. Fortunately, my tying is more seasonal than yours; I typically tie in the winter when the wood stove is hot and the family is watching TV. The anticipation ahead of a trip is irresistible to me and I worry I'll run out of the hot bug to I tie a dozen at a time. My four 20-something sons all fish and they manage to stick a lot of flies on the bottom and the far bank. I am also helping them build up their own fly boxes but that is a temporary solution because they will soon fill up as well. I also donate bugs to the Boy Scouts and the local fly fishing club's youth outings.

[John Sv]

I give flies to Project Healing Waters. Don't have a contact at the Bay Area Chapter so sending some to a friend with contacts in a PA chapter. Also I tie for pals and mail them away. Lastly, I sloooooowwww down and either tie more technical flies and/or try to go for quality. I can tie a parachute adams pretty quickly but sometimes I take a half hour and really try to nail it.
BTW I don't nail it; nowhere near a pro fly tier and it seems like people are appreciative to get the flies I tied. So if that is a concern don't let that scare you off.

All that said, too many flies still.

[Mr T]

Wow- and here I was too ashamed to say it out loud.

Recently met up with a buddy who I used to fish with a lot after a multi year layoff.

We went fishing and he opened up his box- not much changed over close to 20 years. I opened mine and he just laughed at me.

Tying flies is often my escape since it takes less time than fishing- sad as it is to say, I still don't get the tie on the water I want.

Love the idea of healing waters- just sent an email to them offering surplus!

[Mr T]

I give flies to Project Healing Waters. Don't have a contact at the Bay Area Chapter so sending some to a friend with contacts in a PA chapter. Also I tie for pals and mail them away. Lastly, I sloooooowwww down and either tie more technical flies and/or try to go for quality. I can tie a parachute adams pretty quickly but sometimes I take a half hour and really try to nail it.
BTW I don't nail it; nowhere near a pro fly tier and it seems like people are appreciative to get the flies I tied. So if that is a concern don't let that scare you off.

All that said, too many flies still.

John I took your suggestion and reached out, got hold of the fresno chapter leader and will be sending a few hundred flies this week.

Great idea- thanks for that!

[Woodman]

My dad was involved in Healing Waters in So Cal. I think he tied 17,000 flies for them over a number of years, before he hung up his bobbin at age 90.