Gift-giving season is upon us. When done right, it is a very special opportunity. Strip away the stress and the commercialism and the price tags. What are you left with? A chance to find something that will make somebody smile. If that person is a fly fisher, flies may very well do the trick.
Flies are everywhere. Flies are inexpensive. Flies are fun. Flies are necessary.
Even if the person you’re buying for has thousands upon thousands of flies already in their possession, a few more aren’t going to hurt. In fact, their next favorite pattern might be something they have never owned before… but it is something that you’ll give them.
Could the flies you tie turn out to be stinkers? Maybe. Could the knowledgeable and helpful shop employee pick out some flies that aren’t the most useful? Possibly. Are they going to be irredeemable? No. Not one bit.
And here’s a few reasons why:
You’re making a connection. Under ideal circumstances people don’t just throw gifts at each other, shred open the wrapping, and say a cursory “thank you.” Hopefully, you can talk. Why did you pick out the flies yo did? Are they flies you like? Are they flies that the shop employee recommended? What else did he say about them? Talk. Discuss. Slow down and connect over some fake bugs.
Very few flies are truly useless. I’ve caught selective, spooky, finnicky spring creek trout on some seriously ugly and weird flies. Panfish bump each other out of the way to consume the monstrosities my kids and I tie. Fish can be picky, but they aren’t smart enough to know they shouldn’t be eating something because it is “the wrong fly for them.”
Ask for a report. Attaching certain strings to gifts is okay. Politely requesting that you get a picture or a phone call after they’ve successfully used your gifted flies is a good way to keep the giving going. Maybe you’ll just get together and they’ll lament how hopeless they were with your flies tied on… or maybe they’ll have the best day of fishing in their life. There is only one way to find out.
So head to the fly shop. Get behind the vise. It could be three – it could be three dozen. Give one to the angling acquaintance or give some to the ones you love the most. Put them in a nice package or drop them in a Ziploc baggie. Scale it up with a new fly box or use them to add a little flair to another gift’s label. Use them for conversation now, or plan on that conversation for down the line and after fishing. Flies are necessary, but flies are also fun.
If you’re an angler, and someone in your life might need a few tips and tricks on shopping for you, check out this article. It is all about how they can walk into a fly shop and walk out with something that you’ll appreciate.