Sean Swanson looks at cheaper alternatives when it come to tying bass bugs.
Here in Western New York as the seasons change and the waters begin to shake off the anguish of the winter months my mind undoubtedly becomes focused on one thing. Warm summer afternoons walking the banks, chasing some aggressive green back bucket mouths on the fly. For those not in the know; I am talking about throwing some top water bugs for largemouth bass. Who doesn’t love the thrill of a bass slamming a popper on the surface? If that does not get your heart going you may need to find a new interest. Unfortunately along with every successful blow up on the water I have donated to Mother Nature a great collection of bass bugs. This is an unavoidable nuisance in the type of back country ponds and lakes where we find these fish. After all that is where the hogs like to hide and I am willing to make that sacrifice when necessary. The only problem is if you are not tying your own bass flies you could be tossing out a pretty good chunk of change each summer.
I started tying my own flies a few years back and it has, as with all aspects of our fly fishing lifestyle quickly became an obsession. Fly tying is a lot of fun and I love experimenting with materials and designs especially for bass; the uglier the better in this approach. Your options are limitless when using synthetics. I learned pretty quickly that a majority of materials needed to tie up some bass flies can be picked up at alternate locations outside of the fly shop. Don’t get me wrong I strongly believe that all anglers should fully support their local fly shops or any local small business for that matter. It is these shops and the people who work them that keep the heartbeat of our passions strong. That being said it is hard to pass up the fact that some tying materials can be sourced elsewhere for a fraction of the price and in much larger volumes. This also will cut costs on the smaller components allowing you to save for the big ticket items we all love at our local shops.
Allow me to share some tricks and tips I have found to source alternate tying materials. Let us take a trip to a craft or hobby store; around us we have a few different national chains of these styles. These stores specialize in products relevant to activities involved with making things with one’s hands. The majority of the products in a lot of these shops are sewing and arts and crafts related. As a fly tier you can go into one for these stores and see countless products that can be repurposed for fly tying and fishing in general.
Your first big score here in terms of tying bass flies is craft foam. These stores will have a multitude of craft foams in all manner of different colours, styles and sizes. You will be looking for any kind of closed cell foam. You can pick up a pack of about a dozen sheets of assorted colors, 2mm or 3mm for less than a few dollars. This is a great savings; at a fly shop in general a small pack of maybe a dozen pre-shaped bodies might cost you five dollars. This quantity of foam will allow you to tie possibly hundreds of flies. Buying these in bulk not only saves you money but allows you the opportunity to experiment with shapes and colours, all you need is a pair of scissors and an idea. I have used the foams to shape bodies for terrestrials, frogs, turtles, bait fish and mice. The only limit is your imagination and willingness to try.
Craft and hobby stores will also carry an array of different feathers, some natural some dyed, they can be strung or loose. These can be picked up very inexpensively; though use caution these will not be the quality of what you would want for delicate dries or the like. What these are good for as we have been talking about is for bass type flies. These inexpensive feathers are just fine for tying big ugly bugs and popper/slider tails. If you want to really step out of the box try this; these stores will sell feather boas that are probably 3-4 feet of strung marabou. If you’re looking to save money this is a great option for tying tails for bass bugs and even Woolley Buggers and such. Just know these can get messy and again it is not same quality as what one may find in a fly shop specifically cultivated for fly tying; but it does absolutely work.
The local craft and hobby stores by us have materials for jewellery making. In these aisles you can find some interesting materials. There is the obvious, you will see about ten thousand different beads of all different sizes, colours and materials. Think about going through these, you can find beads to use as heads for subsurface streamer flies like beadhead buggers or egg sucking leaches. The price point for purchasing these in this manner cannot be beaten; you will be able to pick up 1,000 beads for a couple dollars again versus a dozen for the same price at a fly shop. Stretch Magic is a product that can be found in this aisle as well, this is a material that is used in making ribbed bodies. This is a great option for adding segmentation creating a very buggy look without adding weight like wire. Speaking of wire for making segmented bodies, craft stores will have many options for cheap. This can also be found with the jewellery making supplies. You will find many options in colour and diameter and finish. Though Stretch Magic and wire may not make it into any of your bass flies it is a great option for expanding your fly tying arsenal on a budget.
While keeping a budget in mind the craft and hobby stores can help you out in other ways. You can pick up some super glue to finish off the head of your flies cheap. This is not as clean as the new UV products or classic head cements but is just as efficient and a fraction of the cost. If you are looking for cheap options for fly boxes or ways to keep organized; you can pick all kinds of little storage containers and slotted bins here. Check out the aisles with all the knitting products you may find a substitute for chenille or other body materials. You may find bead chain that can be cut into pairs for dumbbell eyes.
You really cannot go wrong walking into these places with an open mind, you will be amazed all the options you will come across to help save money not only in specifically tying bass bugs but all your fly tying and fishing in general. You just need to think outside of the box. Every product you find on the wall in the fly shop at one time in history was not used for creating flies until somebody used their imagination and tried it.