Natural materials, are they past it?

I have been pondering lately if there is still a need for natural materials in Saltwater/Pike flies..

There is such a vast range of synthetic materials out there to choose from,making dressing a complete fly in synthetics not only easy but effective and affordable!

I personally love natural materials and the action they have in the water,but a fly dressed mainly with naturals is usually alot heavier to cast requiring a stiffer action rod. A fly dressed in synthetics will shed the water on the back cast allowing you to get away with a lighter rod and have more fun with the fish!

If you tie a few flies then cost also becomes an issue. A decent quality saddle will cost you the best part of £20.00 and thats just one material and one colour! Add some bucktail,deer hair,icelandic sheep,and a few others and before you know it £50.00 has gone! You will get a fair few flies out of one saddle but what if you want 2 or 3 colours??

Now not all synthetics are cheap, but the ones mainly used are very affordable allowing you to have a vast range of colours in your kit at little cost.

But.......In my opinion there is just no substitute for a Pike/Saltwater fly dressed in naturals.They just look so damn good both in and out the water and are a pleasure to tie. I just love them!!!!

New colour synthetic hackle!

I am very fortunate to have a contact who sends me materials to try whenever he gets them and this new material he sent me has got me very excited!!!

This material is basically a synthetic type hackle that comes in some lovely colours including the UV black I have been sent.

Now,the synthetic hackle isnt new but I have always found the colours very limited. This material will be coming in a huge variety including the special UV types that I like so much!!

This material makes my life so much easier as its now possible to wind a uniform large head/collar onto a fly without having to faff around with dubbing loops!

3-D fly, lure eyes, are they too expensive?

I tie alot of flies and found the cost of the 3-D eyes was just too much! After all, you can go into a craft store and buy 100 googly eyes for 0.99p! so why are holographic lure eyes so expensive? I mean £2.55 for 20! Thats outrageous.

After much research I found a reliable supplier (harder than you think) and several emails later we agreed on a minimum order quantity of 5,000 per colour and size. Now, I use alot of different size eyes and the huge variety of colours available where too much to resist so I made my first order for 55,000 eyes!! This cost a small fortune and my wife was not very happy....

On the posative side I really dont need that many eyes so I kept 5,000 for myself and decided to sell the rest on ebay and to friends and family at good prices that anyone can afford. (£1.99 for 50,depending on size and colour).

What I found was that not only does size increase the cost but shape and colour also. Most fly tying/lure making retailers sell the basic silver or red 2 colour eyes which are the cheapest to make and import. If you start adding 3 colours into the eyes or using a pearlescent or glitter background the costs start to increase but still nowhere near enough to warrant the retail prices.

Do we really need all these fancy coloured eyes?

I personally think the eyes are a vital part of the fly,they give the fish a target point and also add realism. If you are trying to immitate a baitfish then adding the eyes is as important as the overall shape and balance. Dont forget if you have confidence in the fly you have tied you will fish it better!

So,back to my original question,are they too expensive?

I am fortunate to be friends with a few people who work in fishing tackle retail so I know how much they pay from their supplier, and believe me the fishing tackle store is not making much money! The bulk of the cost is charged by the suppliers,they are the ones making the money but they are also the ones who have to import,package and distribute them.

I personally think the suppliers are being too greedy, I realise they have to make money but there is plenty of room to either cut the cost or add more product for the same price especially as most of them are only offering basic 2 colour eyes.

My advice is this, If you only want the basic 2 colour eyes or maybe you only want a few then support your local tackle shops. If you want a greater variety or want a larger quantity then shop around,there are some good deals to be had...:o)