Dry Fly Tying
By
Eugene Macri

Dry Fly Tying can be come very expensive as anyone who gets into fly tying can attest to. The expensive hackles necessary to tie many of the standard patterns are not only costly but sometimes hard to find. Well what's a fly fisherman to do? Here's a strategy to get the most bang for your buck whether you are just getting into fly fishing or a seasoned pro.

Because around 85% of flies sold today are imported the prices have dropped significantly in the recent years they actually are better deal than just tying your own unless you are tying in great quantities. Many of the flies are tied well enough to catch even the most selective trout. Here are recommendations on how to save the money and get a good selection.

Buy your standard hackled patterns. You can find these patterns for less that $1.25 a piece and some places even lower. Find a company or a dealer that has these prices for decent flies. When you figure the cost of hackles and most genetic necks will cost you at least $50.00 and you still have to tie the flies it's not really worth it unless you have a lot of money and a lot time. So dry fly patterns like Adams, Blue-Winged Olives, March Browns, Bivisibles etc. buy. You'll have a few hundred dollars invested just in the necks.

Tie your own No-Hackle versions of these flies if you want. They are easy to tie and the material: rabbit fur for the body, and antron for the wings and some tailing material don't cost much money for the variety you'll need.

Also, buy most of your deer hair patterns too. Such as Goddard Caddis and Humpys etc. They really aren't worth the time to tie. Tie your own spinner patterns and emerger patterns. They are easy to tie and also cheap to tie. Get a buddy or two and buy the flies in quantity (dozen lots). You can then drop the prices even more. For few hundred bucks total you can have a good selection of dry flies and you can spend your time tying the other patterns that you need. This is the best economic strategy I have found for dry fly tying and I hope it works for you.