Printable View
I'm just getting started and I'm wondering if you'll use cheap materials - that is stuff other than what you find in the fly tying section of your local tackle shop that coast $$$$$.
Do you use:
- Discarded christmas garland?
- Stuff from craft stores such as Michaels?
- Clippings off the cat rotfl
- Other sources?
Guess my main question is - do these hold up or is it better to just spend money on materials meant for fishing.
You can but they are often cheap and real material will work usually work better. The right tool for the job as it goes.
If money is a concern if you have any hunting buddies you can get deer and squirrel tails and all kinds of feathers from them.
Some of the stuff you have mentioned here has been tried by most all of us. Its a learning thing as far as whether it holds up or lasts or does what we want it to do. I never tried the cat hair but I did have a dog that occasionally developed some short spots. Those troll dolls with the wacko wild hair seem to come home with me when I find them for a dime or so at garage sales. I have several bags with Christmas garland in them or different colors. A few years ago I found a mess of feather wraps in a craft store, like the boas women used to wear around the neck, that were about 5 feet long and in a whole array of different fluorescent colors and they were only $.00 a pop so six of those followed me home and I haven't bought marabou or hackle since that day.
Like anything I tend to feel that the more specific to a need that we purchase our materials the better they will serve us. Still, some of these sundry items can become gold mines while others are a bust. Gotta just step out and try the stuff, but be ready for a let-down here or there.
All I can really say about that subject is you get what you pay for! Example: go buy all that pretty marabou at the local craft store and what the color come right out of your work when you put it in the water! Also the materials are just inferior and your jigs will be the same!
If your looking like this then I will tell you right ow, don't get into tying and just buy the jigs you like and even thought that cost $, it's less than you will spend tying! Just go fishing and forget tying!
Now shopping for materials here is another example, if you buy regular neck hackle to tie with it cost less and the feathers are not as good as saltwater neck hackle, but salt water neck hackle cost more and that my friend is because there are less of the nice longer neck hackle in the world to be had! Like everything in the world it comes down to supply and demand!
You know what opinions are like and everyone has one! However this one comes down to what you want and what you need. If you find a deal on feathers that are dyed with color fast dye, then get them if not leave it on the shelf! Some things are fine from craft store and it's just knowing what is okay and what is not! Craft fur I would think fine from where ever you find it!
Nuff said!
Skip
ctom I have used a lot of dog hair mostly from my champagne poodle . I buy a lot of cheap material also from Walmart.
I hear you Skip. I'm not afraid to buy the good stuff but one of my many hobbies and is seeing how I can do things cheaply (but still do them well). I can already see by the time I stock on supplies for tying my own jigs I could have bought a 5 gallon bucket of jigs for the same money :)
One reason I started looking into this seriously is I found some nice hand-tyed 1/64oz jigs clearanced out and my son and I caught some MASSIVE bream on those, these fish wouldn't touch a worm or anything of your "standard" bream baits. I got them cuz they were on clearance but now I'm thinking - wouldn't it be fun to make those myself and save some money? LOL
I'm happy to get this feedback it will save me a lot of time and frustration learning from others!!
I must have gotten lucky since those wraps have done me well with no bleed, fade or matting. I generally fall into your camp with getting the best I can afford though Skip. Buth there are some real bargains out there that work as well as branded or the very expensive stuff so I think people should try things if they want to.
Yes guys should try anything they see that looks good to them, no doubt! Just have had some not so good luck buying marabou for sure and it not being color fast. Just a couple days ago someone showed me a bunch of great looking Oystrich and cheap compared to normal pricing. So I called them to ask and I said what about when it gets wet, the guys said of never get them wet as color will run. So if I see something nice I will check, but if I can't get an answer I leave it alone.
dont get me wrong I am all for cheap! I even once tied a jig from scraps just to show guys one here don't throw anything away that you may be able to use later! Let me see if I can find that.
I think many items you find at craft stores and Walmart will work fine, just be aware not everything is good to use!
Skip
Same advice as the others!! Craft fur from the craft stores is usually no problem (Darice brand) - If you have hunting buddies get the duck feathers and clean em it's not hard and they're better than the ones you get in the store, just not colored. Dyeing is a whole other subject.
post a pic of what you bought and we'll tell you what you'd need without getting stuck with bad stuff. We'll all be happy to corrupt you!!
Fly Tyers Dungeon - Home of Unique Fly Tying Materials
They have a low-price structure, and they only sell their own products. And the products are of good quality. Just because something costs a lot doesn't mean it's good.