How long do flies last you?

[The Brim Reaper]

I'm not a fly fisherman, but I was just browsing the fly fishing section of the Bass Pro website out of curiosity. As I was observing the different flies, I began to wonder just how durable they are. How many fish do you catch before a fly is no good anymore?

[deathb4disco]

I'm not a fly fisherman, but I was just browsing the fly fishing section of the Bass Pro website out of curiosity. As I was observing the different flies, I began to wonder just how durable they are. How many fish do you catch before a fly is no good anymore?

I've never counted "fish per fly", but it depends. Some flies, like bead head nymphs, are very tough and will last through a lot of fish. Others, like delicate dry flies, won't last quite as long.

It also depends on the fish. Toothy species can be really hard on flies.

[dvuks]

I tend to lose beadheads before they get tore up, thats why I tie my own.

[Scoot]

All my bream fishing is with a jitter bee. A bead head type jig, I can catch between 75 to 100 bream on one jitter bee, It is still good to fish with. I also make my own popping bug. They are not as durable as the jitter bee but you can do real well with them. This is a hobby for me. I make all my own baits for fly fishing. I enjoy the fact that I fool a fish and I take my time in making it. It is just plain fun. I also learned every thing from this forum. I am very sorry, but welcome to the forum. Hope you will be able to answer questions later on....Ken

[The Brim Reaper]

All my bream fishing is with a jitter bee. A bead head type jig, I can catch between 75 to 100 bream on one jitter bee, It is still good to fish with. I also make my own popping bug. They are not as durable as the jitter bee but you can do real well with them. This is a hobby for me. I make all my own baits for fly fishing. I enjoy the fact that I fool a fish and I take my time in making it. It is just plain fun. I also learned every thing from this forum. I am very sorry, but welcome to the forum. Hope you will be able to answer questions later on....Ken

Thank you, Scoot. That's a lot of fish to catch on just one fly. I wish I could catch that many on a single nightcrawler. XD

[Scoot]

I catch that many because it is a private pond that is owned by my brother-in-law. He told me to catch as many as I can, it is over populated. That is also where I test the indurance of the flies and baits I make. That is why I catch that many on a single jitterbee.

[Flyrod Man]

It depends on the tyer. Some stay together and some don't. What I do after receiving flies is go over the thread with head cement. Also some fish are hard on flies, Bluegills are one, Crappies OK. N/Pike always bite them off. Bass so-so. A flyfisherman never stops buying flies. I proably have easily 300-400. The expensive flies are the more tech/type used for salmon and steelhead or pike fishing and saltwater types, they can cost from 3-7 dollars a piece. These flies last longer than panfish flies.

[hogan]

Alot depends on what kind of fish that I am fishing for. Fishing for trout that don't last as long as fishing for panfish. Trout are toothy fish. It also depends on the aggresiveness of the fish. It also depends on the guy tying the flies. Had a fishing buddy years ago and his hare's ear nymphs would only last for about a half dozen fish.
He was a much better fisherman than tier.

[DroptineJoe]

When buying flies online I've found that the better quality flies generally are the more expensive flies and last alot longer than cheaper flies.