I used to tie flies. It was a hobby even before I ever went fly fishing. Through forums and local retailers, we held “fly swapsâ€. You’d get a small group of fly tiers to tie several flies of the same pattern, one less than you had people participating, and each tier would send the flies to a single coordinator. This coordinator would in turn divvy up the flies, one to each of the respective tiers, and send them back. Each participant got an assortment, minus what they themselves contributed. If there were six people, for example, each would tie five flies, and get five different ones in return.
Of course shipping was as simple as a padded envelope and a couple stamps. And, there were discussions beforehand on what each participant would contribute, and after a while, when you got to know a crowd and their respective skills, it was quite enjoyable. You came to expect some works of art (if you consider hand tied flies as art).
Anyway, I wonder, if a small groups of reefers do the same thing, perhaps using a local retailer as a collection/distribution point. Anyone know if that goes on here in Knoxville TN? I don’t have any colonies to cut up yet, but when I do I’d sure be interested in joining in if swaps like that happened.
Of course shipping was as simple as a padded envelope and a couple stamps. And, there were discussions beforehand on what each participant would contribute, and after a while, when you got to know a crowd and their respective skills, it was quite enjoyable. You came to expect some works of art (if you consider hand tied flies as art).
Anyway, I wonder, if a small groups of reefers do the same thing, perhaps using a local retailer as a collection/distribution point. Anyone know if that goes on here in Knoxville TN? I don’t have any colonies to cut up yet, but when I do I’d sure be interested in joining in if swaps like that happened.
