How many flies are enough?

[BungMan]

A previous post got me thinking...
Most of us that tie and fish a lot have thousands of flies.

Why?

[vital shok]

I think it’s like money I don’t have enough of that either.The more the better I feel.

[Altaboy]

Tying has become a hobby onto its own. And I have family and friend raiding my boxes

[Lornce]

My rule of thumb has been 4 of each pattern {accounts for losses and giveaways to friends}. I adjust and have seasonal boxes for spring midsummer and fall hatches. Normally I chase hatches and tie for particular streams and rivers. I don't carry flies that don't make sense at that time of year. Don't carry more than 2 boxes, often only one. Depends on how you fish. I am mainly a dry fly guy so a full dry fly box with emergers and dries/spinners. Another for just a few nymphs and streamers. Perhaps 60 to 80 total.

I usually look at my hatch charts and match those with maybe a month's overlap. Everyone is different, a lot of people just carry a selection and use whatever.

As an example here is my late fall Trico and BWO snout hunting box in #18 to #20 that is usually sparse.

[thumper]

Fly tying materials = $$
Fly fishing gear = $$$
Fuel/hotel/food + $$$$
Dodging family obligations = $$$$$$

Catching a trout on a fly you tied yourself = Priceless !

[Bigwoodsman]

I have north of 300 flies, in 5 different boxes. Spring, Summer, Fall. Now I am amassing a box for Saltwater and Vancouver Island Rivers. I am of the opinion that you can never have enough flies, rods, lures, fishing stuff.

I never thought about drainage specific fly boxes before, however that has me wondering if I need more?

BW

[Sundog57]

If you tie flies it is not possible to answer this question in a definitive fashion.

The correct answer is: Wow that's a cool looking pattern! I'll have to try that.
This is an evil conspiracy dreamed up by fly box and vest manufacturers.

and PS - if you decide you want to start fishing for Atlantic Salmon, you're pretty much toast.

[pikergolf]

Around 100,000 give or take. Some guys just like to tie.

[Bigwoodsman]

Originally Posted by pikergolf

Around 100,000 give or take. Some guys just like to tie.

100K? Do you tie in your sleep? Do you sell flies?

BW

[pikergolf]

Originally Posted by Bigwoodsman

100K? Do you tie in your sleep? Do you sell flies?

BW

Yes I tie, no I don't sell. It was a joke, but I do find it enjoyable.

[goldscud]

A bag of fly boxes for rivers/streams.
A crate of fly boxes for stillwater

[Jayhad]

1

Sparkle Minnow

[goldscud]

Mr Jayhad you are just getting wise in your old age

[thumper]

There are over 925,000 identified species of insects on this planet, about 100,000 in North America - and they're identifying new species every day. Most would be eaten by a trout.

I haven't even scratched the surface in my fly tying !

[Mr Flyguy]

Originally Posted by thumper

There are over 925,000 identified species of insects on this planet, about 100,000 in North America - and they're identifying new species every day. Most would be eaten by a trout.

I haven't even scratched the surface in my fly tying !

Well, there are about only about 20,000 insects species that have been identified in Alberta so far, so ruling out a whole slew of species that trout would never see means that us fly tiers should be able to cover the spectrum at the vise!

[chinchaga07]

I have 6 boxes for the drift boat carrying streamers, nymphs, dries and terrestrials. I have about 7 personal boxes for wade and walks. Then there my 3 boxes for Pike flies. To top it off I also have a commercial fly bin that I have approximately 1000 flies.

Tying is addictive. i doubt I will fish every pattern I have tied but it is fun to try and replicate flies from some of the well know tiers.

[Pikebreath]

When I was a kid, Dad would say, "Go dig some worms , we are going fishing!"

I would admire each worm I found from the garden patch and try to imagine the fish it might catch as I put it in the worm bucket! Ohhhh,,,, the anticipation wonder and excitement of a young lad going fishing!!!

Many years later, I took up fly tying in 1984 and still get that same feeling of a 12 year old kid finding a big juicy worm every time I take a fly off my tying bench!

Yes,,, fly tying is addictive!!!!

[pikergolf]

Originally Posted by Pikebreath

When I was a kid, Dad would say, "Go dig some worms , we are going fishing!"

I would admire each worm I found from the garden patch and try to imagine the fish it might catch as I put it in the worm bucket! Ohhhh,,,, the anticipation wonder and excitement of a young lad going fishing!!!

Many years later, I took up fly tying in 1984 and still get that same feeling of a 12 year old kid finding a big juicy worm every time I take a fly off my tying bench!

Yes,,, fly tying is addictive!!!!

I like that analogy.

[walker1]

How many.... Good question. IMO we usually have/carry more than we need but you can see from the replies people have preferences.
I tie. Some years more than others. I used to aim to get on the vice during winter months and goal was to tie 500. With 2 sons fishing and my 18 year old putting a lot of dayzzzzzzz in the boxes get raided!!!!!
I fish steamers, nymphs, and dries. I have my bulk boxes of these and fill my 6 boxes as need be.
I would estimate I have 3500 -4000 . Could be more but not less.
It is a hobby as noted. Now that I own a drifter, I have the boxes reorganized again.

[Woodmonkey]

This isn't really a true perspective of how many flies one needs as I have only fished primarily one body of stillwater for the past several years.

The tying bench has seen very little activity with the exception of a couple patterns.

3 or 4 Leech patterns/color, a few chironomid patterns, boatman and backswimmers.

With very little free time the last three years, tying wasn't a priority and as time spent on the water also declined it seemed easier to stick with using just a couple patterns when I did have opportunity to get out.

Hard to say if I caught more or less fish by simplifying things but that may also have to do with my ability as a fisherman.

There have been many days leaving the water I've wondered if using only one fly would have been more productive than changing every 15 minutes as well as sitting in one spot rather than moving all over the place.

I do get my exercise rowing all over the lake though!


In the past it wasn't uncommon to have six or seven full boxes of flies in different sizes.


We'll see what happens this year.

[Bushrat]

Tied like a crazy man years ago, thousands of flies, yet rarely used 95% of them, always falling back on the handful of old reliable favorites for 95% of my fishing. Great hobby though.

[Mr Flyguy]

I've got a huge variety of chironomids ready to go. When I hit a hot hatch this May I'm going to start with the tried and true patterns and then switch to the variations, at least that's what I tell myself!

[Cain32mag]

Originally Posted by BungMan

A previous post got me thinking...
Most of us that tie and fish a lot have thousands of flies.

Why?

You can't have enough

[Bjay]

I did a count a few years back and came up with 60 boxes of flies. I have been adding to that every year.. PLus I tie for my buddy. My river boxes hold a 50 to 150 flies to a box. My lake boxes, 100 to 150 flies to a box. I also have boxes for pike and bull tout fies, salmon flies and flies for Walleys.
That's 65 years of collecting. If it hadn't been for new materials amd patterns I would have quit tying a long time ago as I have enough flies to last at least 3 life times.
Yup, I tied 4 more rolled muddlers tonight. Just because. (One of my go to flies.)
Last count I had about 160 spools of thread,floss,wire etc. and a couple 100 boxes of hooks. If you tie long enough you become a collector of fly tying stuff.
Bjay

[trigger7mm]

There’s no such thing as too many flies.

[flydude]

I just cleaned out my garage and miraculously have now doubled the amount I realized had

[Hoopi]

True Storey: I had a buddy who used only 1 fly....a mosquito pattern, a dry fly.

At the start of the day, it was a Dry Fly.

By mid-day (because he was still using the same fly)...the mosquito pattern was flogged and it was now a Wet Fly!.

By the end of the day, it was so beaten up; it was a nymph.

He outfished me 3 to 1! He always outfishes everyone because he is so persistent and tireless from not carrying all the gear.

His motto was... it's not the pattern that counts as much as how you fish it.

Hoopi

[32-40win]

I go on tying binges, accumulating various new materials, one of every colour of course, even though I've hardly touched the last batch. Years ago it was hair flies, chenille flies, dubbing and feathers, then salt water stuff from hair and "hairs" and synthetics and a few dozen mylars and flash combos, epoxied, tube flies, lot of bait fish like clousers, decievers, half and halfs. Then came chronies of various forms, bass poppers, more bait fish with newer materials. Then came the various jig hook versions and balanced flies and a plethora of english, czech and other nationalities of flies. No idea of how many versions of woolly buggers and leeches I have, more than a few anyway. Various off breed stuff like blobs and mops and some other crazy creations from various nefarious materials on all different types of hooks.
I have enough materials and hooks to last quite a few more years, more flies than I'm ever likely to finish trying out on the water.
But, every once in a while, I get in the mood......