Question Re Fishing Flies

[Paladin]

Anybody have a suggestion as to a good mail-order source for fishing flies, moderate prices but acceptable quality?

[Redneck Socialist]

1. LL Bean and Orvis

Don't know if these exactly qualify as "moderate prices" but the quality is good.

http://www.orvis.com/store/shop.aspx?dir_id=1236&shop_id=1447

http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?page=fishing-flies&categoryId=500155&storeId=1&catalogId=1&langId=-1

What'cha fishin' for? (and where?)

[Paladin]

2. Going After Trout In Colorado

S. Platte, Roaring Fork and Frying Pan Rivers to start with; hope to get up to Rocky Mountain National Park while the weather is still good and the roads are passable.

Thanks for the links; I know that Orvis' flies are good; I may wait for their next sale.......

[Redneck Socialist]

3. Sounds like fun

I've fished Montana some. My sister used to live out there and one of my friends went to college there as well. I've some very good memories of fishing in Yellowstone and around Missoula.

I'm sure there are no shortage of fly shops out were you're headed. You could always wait until you're out there and stock up on flies then.

[Paladin]

4. Plenty Of Good Shops In The Denver Area

The guys at Anglers All think the world of me---recently I went in their place and bought pretty much everything I was lacking in the way of trout-fishing gear. Tends to endear you to the sales staff.....

[Jim Warren]

5. Good or cheap? nt

[Paladin]

6. Preferably Both Good AND Cheap

I have a feeling that the vast majority of fishing flies are all turned out in a few big shops in Sri Lanka or someplace like it. They end up selling for $1.95 apiece at the local Orvis shop, and $0.75 apiece on the Internet. Some of those Net outfits are bound to deal in better quality flies than others; I'd just like to know which ones are the best to deal with. I'm just getting started in a serious fashion with fly fishing for trout and I know the mortality rate on my fly collection is going to be high, so price is a factor......

[Sanctified]

7. Have you tried to make them yourself?

My little brother made all of my flies and it was pretty cheap, he is a true fisherman, when we used drive to a fishing spot he would tell me what fly to use based on the bugs on our windshield it was pretty funny. He also made my pole, it's my prized possession truly a work of art.

[Paladin]

9. It's Really Interesting....

...when I mention to someone that I've taken up fly fishing in earnest, 9 times out of 10 the immediate question is, "Do you tie your own flies?" I don't tie them myself as yet, but I figure I'll start, at some point; seems to be part of the deal, and I'm sure it adds to the enjoyment.

By the way, the bugs-on-the-windshield scan is a longstanding and respected part of the whole "match the hatch" review process; that, and turning over stream rocks to see what sort of acquatic critters are hanging around....

[luckyleftyme2]

10. from ll beans

I use a yellow muddler,a Burke's silver minnow,(streamers single hook size 8) I like an adams special, black gnat and grasshopper for drys.
the price is around $2.50 for an average.
for landlock salmon I like the muddler minnow, Burke's silver and gold minnow. give them fast jerks in rapids then flutter(slow back) with current. alternate three jerks to one flutter. brings out the big ones.
these work on red spots,browns,salmon and bass in maine.
depending on the river these fish run from 8" to 30" -a few ounces to several lbs.
I once caught a 27" salmon in the east branch of the penobscot river while wearing snowshoes and standing on four feet of snow. It was the first day of april in 1966!
the fish weighed 5-1/2lbs. and a life time of memories.
their is several people who tie for llbean and if you call and talk to the fishing dept.
they will give you their number! you might have to pay more for the fly,but it will be worth it.
good luck

[Paladin]

11. I'm In The Denver Area

I got my "baptism" in the S. Platte River a few weekends back. The Platte is a legendary trout stream, but it's close-in to the Denver area and consequently it is very heavily fished. I'd heard for a long time that the trout in the S. Platte all have "masters degrees"; they've had so many different flies thrown at them over so many years that catching them is a real challenge. You have to use tiny flies (20X-24X) with very light, very long leaders (6X-7X, 12'-15')and make perfect presentations on the water; "technical fishing" in it's purest form.

I saw literally hundreds of nice trout in the river that day, but I caught only a few small ones. I'm looking forward to getting better at it; I figure if I can catch fish on a regular basis on the Platte, I can probably catch them anywhere.

Thanks for the L.L. Bean tip, by the way......

[beevul]

8. I agree with previous posters. Make them yourself.

My grandfather made all his own flies, and I inherited a large amount of them. I'd be happy to share photos and explain how they're done.

Also, these flies are likely like nothing you have ever seen before, and they were QUITE effective.