Martyn White | Thursday, 30 June 2022
A guy asked me to tie him some pike flies last week. In the end he baulked at the price (not because he couldn't afford it either), but rather than saying no tried to engage me in discussion about how much a fly should cost. I didn't really engage, I never do, but it isn't an unusual occurence, I thought it might be worth writing about. I mean what is a fly worth?
Obviously a lot depends on the materials and hooks used. For large pike flies this can quickly add up, it is less noticeable with trout flies maybe, but still has to be considered. A BWO emerger has a lot less in it than say a Dunkeld sparkler with jungle cock. I think a lot of people who only buy flies don't realise actually how expensive materials can be, which is part of the issue. Then there's the custom factor, a lot of the flies being bought directly from fly tyers just aren't available from shops, possibly because even the likes of Fulling Mill would have to charge considerably more for them than they do for the current range.Most importantly there's the tyers time, my first response when people start quibbling is "how much would you expect to be paid for an hour's work?" It usually gives them some kind of pause.I don't think £15-£40 is unreasonable for a well tied pike fly, especially as I'm lucky to get through 2 an hour. Not to mention the time spent ordereing and sorting materials.
Of course there are cheap flies available, but they're tied in developing countries by people earning low, low wages using inferior materials and hooks and you just have to take what's available, there's no asking for different weights of the same crab with the number of grams written on the belly between coats of resin so you can always see it. It's good that a cheaper option exists, there are plenty of people who can't spend a fiver per dry fly to get exactly what they want. There are however a lot of folk who can pay it, but just think they shouldn't have to: I get a surprising number of peple asking for the Seychelles fly list off the Alphonse website who ask for a "deal" - most people going there don't bat an eyelid but there are enough who do that it's noticeable, a twelve grand trip and they're trying to save on flies. It'd be better to buy cheaper gloves and sunshirts.
To give an example here's a fly from the guy's pike request
2 partrtidge universal predator X
1 stainless shank for the articulation
GSP thread
6 ties of bucktail
6 sadlle hackles (maybe 25 dry flies worth)
30ish strands of magnum flashabou
6-8 inches of polar chenile
around 1/10 of a packet of predator dub
2 x 10mm 3D eyes
UV resin
Each stage is superglued to protect against the teeth
This is about a 60 minute tie.I make the shank to size and add a return so it can't pull out and there's no problems with fatigue like you get with wire. I go to the fly shop and sort through bucktails and saddles, I often dye them to custom colours too. But I haven;t included that in the time. If I sold that for £10 (the guy suggest 5-7) what would the hourly rate be? Not enough is the answer. I'd rather tie the fly and give it to a kid for free than sell it to someone taking me for a mug.
Ultimately it all comes down to what we're willing to pay for things, but transactions go both ways. It's not my main income or anythying like it, but the guys tying full time have to eat too.