On-line Fly Shops... or buying flies on-line

[Woolly Bugger]

If you buy flies on-line where do you go and what do you think about the quality, selection, service and price....


I've been guilty of buying flies from blueflycafe.com I think that they have a great selction the quality is good and the service and price are outstanding.

[FT]

I never have ordered flies online. I thnk some of brick and morter shops are missing out by not offering quality discounts.

[phishfool_98]

I bought from Blue Fly a couple of times never had a problem untill, the last time which was a few weeks ago. I ordered about 35 bucks or so from them. Waited a week to get the shipment, it never came. Called Blue Fly they put a trace on it and the US Postal Service couldn't find it. So Blue Fly overnighted my order to me so that I could have it for my trip. Good customer service if you ask me. It wasn't their fault but they still made it right. I normally tie my own but if I don't have time to tie I will order from Blue Fly from now on.


phish

[adamtn]

i started using bluefly on a recommendation from woolly. I have been very satisfied withe the quality of their flies and speed of shipping. it usually takes about a week from order to mailbox for me. They even put some flies they normally bag into cups for me because I'd had problems with some of me nymphs and soft hackles being smashed in the mail. i used  Big Y fly co, and thought their flies really sucked. they would fall apart after catching only a couple of stockers. and their woolly buggers were really bad. the body diameter varied greatly a couple of them were super skinny and they also used really cheap bendy hooks on them.

[jamie]

I got  some humpys from Blue Fly and they were good looking flies and I got them pretty fast. I have also bought some of Cabela's 9.99 a dozen selection and they were also decent flies.

[troutphisher]

That's a pretty good deal on the PMD, and they look like quality flies.

[ethomas]

I can't stand to tie the small dries (anything smaller than an 18), so I order them online.  Bluefly is the best I've used by far, although I did get some good emergers from Sierra Outdoor close-out last Spring.

ET

[phishfool_98]

thats my deal as well. i tie because it is fun. Its not fun for me to tie tiny flies so i purchase them.


phish

[teachrtec]

We sort of co-op together myself and several students about every three weeks. We place an order with Blue Fly Cafe usually between $30 to $75. I have never had a bad experience with them. They usually put a sticker and a couple of freebee flies in. If they are out of stock on a pattern they ship it as soon as they get it in. Most times they put a little gift worth a lot more than the fly (nipper, fly dry, or line dressing). That makes me a loyal customer right quick :) I believe I read they were tied USA.

The flies hold up for me and the kids pretty well. I would recommend them

[Al]

NC Wildlife Commission buys flies for the Lake Rim Hatchery  (Now Pechmann Fishing Education Center) Fly Fishing Clinics from Blue Fly Café. Always arrive in a timely fashion along with a handful of "freebies" - Can't beat the price.

[boondoggle]

I've never tied anything samll.  For me small is any hook size that is not a single digit...preferably a single digit followed by a / and a 0.  So Bluefly has been my go to source for trouty trout fish flies.

[wvyou]

blueflycafe is amazing...can't thank WB enough for that tip.

My only question would be their GRHE...look significantly different from those I've bought in other shops.  I've yet to catch a fish on one of them.

Their BHFBPT are super...catch most of my fish on them.  They have great stimulators too.

[walt]

Harry Mason, aside from being an excellent fisher, photographer, and tier, has a real nice collection of flies at his website.... tutorials, pics and an online shop. Harry is a good urn.

http://www.troutflies.com/

I've always heard good things about bluecafeflies, so that should be a good source.

Also, my major supplier, Roger Caylor, is developing a website to sell his flies. Some of ya'll have met Roger at the shows.... he is listed as a vendor for the upcoming Charlotte show and I think he usually has a show special price of a buck each. His March Brown parachute is a guaranteed fish catchin' machine on our local wild streams and the orange wulff is devlish with the brookies.... he's also a good urn....

wally

[flyman]

I tye 98% of my own flies and I buy local flies from the brick and mortar shops when I travel. I don't see how US local tyers can compete any more   79 cent tungsten bead head nymphs, I almost pay that for the hook and bead alone. I've also noticed more and more fly shops are carrying flies tied off shore    No wonder at these prices. I have never seen any of Blue Cafe's flies so I can't comment on their quality.

[Rod Champion]

U.S. Tyers cannot compete with $3 a dozen flies.. We can't. I have found most of the African tied flies are OK for a while. Then they go to pieces. The best foreighn tyers, I think, are Rainy's and Umpqua , and Targus. But they are not $3 a dozen to wholesalers . Twice that or more. But the hooks and the quality is there. But if you break off a lot, then endurance of flies is not an issue. You get what you pay for.