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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.
I consider myself Still a puppy when it come to tying jigs But I have not seen very much as cheap things from craft stores for tying jigs beside craft fur .. I try and stay with the stuff made for jig & fly tying I look for deals online and I don't mind waiting awhile on something to see if I can find it cheaper Or go on sale.. Please if you have a local fly shop buy what you can from them !!!
You can use what ever looks good to you
Attachment 220699
I used yarn and embroidery floss on these
main thing is don't hang em up and break em off all the time....then it gets expensive LOL
Quote:
Originally Posted by theygotaeat
Fly tyers us yarn a lot and nothing wrong with yarn at all!
You are also right, use what ever you like, but personally I always check to see if the dye was color fast or not and if not I don't buy!
However any of you can buy what ever you want to tie with, just know not everything is good for tying! I can say that and know it's a fact!
Main thing is have fun and probably if your budget is that tight, maybe tying is not for you at this time. For sure a lot cheaper to just buy some jigs you like!
This is a hobby after all is said and done unless you have some ideas of trying to make a living doing this and then I know your crazy, LOL! So many things easier to make money at than this!
Skip
Lots of good pointers here, but I agree with the having fun most of all. In all aspects of fishing and hunting I tell people to buy and use the best they can afford without going in debt. I also think that the masses in tying or plastic injection are shopping to keep cost down a little which is fine. I wouldn't suggest that anyone drop a hobby because they might lean towards the use of less expensive products or those intended for some other use but certainly usable for tying. Many of these people are artists in their own right and create flies and plastics that quite simply cannot be bought in stores or they create these baits for very, very specific uses unique to that particular angler.
I say go for whatever trips your trigger as long as what you do is done safely and within your means and you enjoy doing it. In reality a person's lack of creativity is bound only by his own lack of imagination. I know when I make my plastics I often use items intended for use in auto industry as well as candle making, card making and sewing that quite frankly make the bait what it is because the industry supporting plastic making doesn't offer it. There's no right or wrong as long as the fun and safety exist and the person can catch fish with it. Some things, like color-fastness, come from use and experience and we learn from that. I know I have bought a world of misery a time or two but I have also gotten some unreal results on the positive side.
One pack of 3$ marabou will make a lot of jigs. The most expensive think is the jigs. It's really not that expensive if you don't go crazy buying everything you see. I've found the things that catch fish for me and I just stick with those. I make my own jigs that saves me the most money. I usually have less than 0.25 in a jig. It is a little expensive getting started but it's not that bad after that. But like skip said if you are worried about money you can buy them cheaper.
I was just saying that if you like the way it looks you will fish it with confidence
It goes unsaid that Skip is an artist at the vice and most of us aspire to tie on his level
I am not the issue and no one suggested that anyone not take a hobby on if they want. Guess you don't catch intent from the typed word on boards like this, but I didn't intend on writing a book to clarify my meanings either and probably will not reply to this thread again as it's usefulness is over covered now. My intent just to clarify myself to Ctom, if someone doesn't have enough money that their bills are going to hurt because they are going to spend $100 then they should do it at least right now. That is my opinion and not up to speculation or what anyone else thinks as it's mine. If you feel different, that is wonderful, but I don't have anything to say about that because it's your opinion! There are lots of people in this country that are not making ends meet well now and they should not jump into things like this at least until they have the time and money to play!
So CTom try not to take it to a personal level and try to interpret what I mean! If you said your opinion without saying " I wouldn't suggest that anyone drop a hobby because they might lean towards the use of less expensive products or those intended for some other use but certainly usable for tying." then I wouldn't have needed this reply. I did not say or imply that with anything I said! Period!
Skip
LOL this thread went off the rails a bit. My original intent was to discuss materials that you can get cheaper elsewhere but still do the same quality job. To me that's part of the fun of the hobby, looking for stuff to make quality jigs - so your jigs costs 10 cents each versus 50 cents each but are still awesome, and we you go fishing you look at your jig and think MAN I ROCK. You guys are great thanks for all the replies it was very helpful I know to stay away from some things now, like non-color fast stuff wouldn't have thought of that!
This store looks great!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by funbun
I have used many different materials and still have some of them around. I agree with the statement about confidence in what you tie on. Without that they're nothing. As Skip said about colorfastness. I tied a few jigs with some feathers that looked great. cast them once and they looked different, after 5 they were white with a hint of color. I just buy the stuff made for the task and make sure that I'm not just buying to buy. Some stuff is worth buying in bulk to save a little and maybe sharing some along the way. Mostly, being experimental satisfies your creative side, don't fight it.
I didn't mention you at all Skip. Why your attack? And look at the underlined.Quote:
Originally Posted by skiptomylu
I have tried just about EVERYTHING!!! LOL All the things you mention I tried (dog hair instead of cat).
I find myself shopping and looking for material that will draw the fish's attention. Wal Mart is a great place to find things.
I have used the colored fibers from the static dusters (works great!), synthetic hair from Halloween masks (lots of good colors!), Those little plastic stick on eyes that rattle (great for extra attracting), fine glitter for paint, nail polish and other great items that will decorate your jigs...
Try looking next time you go out. You will be amazed at the material you find and think of ways to use it!!!