[VFB] Professional Fly tying (was How do you support...)

[Tom Davenport]

A few of you mentioned that you tie professionally.  I am curious:  How 
many flies do you tie in an hour?  I realize some flies are quicker to 
tie than others, so let's say you are tying a typical four or five step 
pattern like an  Adams, or a Hare's Ear.  Assuming you can get  50 to 
75 cents per fly, you would have to tie 30 or more to make a decent 
hourly wage.  Is that possible?  Or do you just do it for the extra 
cash you can make to support your hobby?

I really don't know anything about production fly tying, but I have 
always assumed that most commercial flies are tied by nimble fingered 
women in offshore locations where they will work for much less than a 
state side worker.

I know several local fly shops encourage their employee's to tie during 
slack time, but most of their flies are purchased from a wholesaler. A 
local supplier (Round Rocks) located in Logan hires college students 
who tie hourly for minimum wage.

For myself, if I can pump out a dozen in an hour I feel like I my 
fingers are on fire!