This is not my original writing but I borrowed/stole it from a Canadian/English
Fly Forum. I don't remember which one (old age) but I am trying to give credit
to them as this is a fantastic list to follow.
deserttrout
OBTW: Anyone interested in'winging it'?
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Fly swap guideline for tyers and swapmasters: 1. A dozen tyers is about the
perfect size. 2. A swap should be proposed by someone willing to act as the
Swapmaster. 3. The Swapmaster should keep track of all tyers who commit to
participating and when 12 are signed up, 'close' the swap to new participants.
4. The Swapmaster should then post a list of who's in, what they've committed
to tie, and what the deadline is. 5. Swaps are supposed to be fun, so deadlines
should be realistic -- at least a month away from the time the swap is closed
in most cases. 6. Flies should be mailed in large, rigid envelopes. The perfect
way to ship flies into the Swapmaster is to put them in a plastic, inexpensive
flybox with the tyer's username and real name printed on it. Include a return
envelope in the package, with your return address on it, and the same amount of
postage as was required to ship your flies to the swapmaster. (shipping fly
boxes is a great idea, mainly because it insures that no hooks will poke
through the paper envelopes and impale some poor postal worker, be sure to
write your name on the box though!) 7. Make sure the return envelope is big
enough to accomodate large flies! It's a shame for the swapmaster to have cram
other tyers' work into a small envelope. Some flies are quite long, have
delicate tails, and need lots of room. 8. It's a nice gesture to include some
information about the pattern you've tied, a receipe, etc. 9. Some tyers put
each fly into its own plastic sleeve. 10. Include an extra fly for the
swapmaster as a courtesy, not mandatory, but a nice touch. 11. Try to make the
deadline. 12. Put your screen name on the outside of the envelope when you ship
it to the swapmaster. 13. Make an effort to show off your best work. Don't
rush. Tying a dozen of the same pattern can be tedious, so don't do it all at
once unless you're really determined or an efficient tyer. Try to tie something
unique. Swaps are a great way to receive patterns you might never consider.
That's not to say that a Deceiver/Clouser/common pattern isn't appreciated.
14. Place a 'toe tag' on each fly with your name and the name of the fly.For
the Swapmaster 1. Keep the swap informed by posting a thread weekly with the
subject line 'SWAP [whatever title] Update.' Spell out who's in, what they are
tying, and any news. 2. Post a reminder weekly before the deadline. 3. Post a
list of what flies you've received as they arrive. 4. Keep the flies in their
original envelopes in a safe place. I would recommend not opening any envelopes
until they have all arrived. 5. When all the flies have arrived, find a big
open space -- like a clear kitchen or dining room table and put down 12 pieces
of 8.5x11 paper. 6. Write each tyers name and real name on the bottom of each
piece of paper. 7. Open the envelopes and carefully put each tyers contribution
on their sheet of paper. 8. Keep the return envelopes in a stack. 9. Distribute
the flies, one set at a time, between the 12 sheets of paper. 10. When they are
all distributed. Carefully collect the flies and place them in the receipient's
fly box, sheet of foam, cardboard or whatever. Place that in the return
envelope. DO NOT SEAL YET. 11. When all the return envelopes (11, the 12th
being you, the swapmaster) are filled, check to see if there are any flies
remaining to be sorted. If not, and if you think everything is good to go: seal
the envelopes. 12. Take the bundle to the post office, mail it, and post a
message saying the swap is in the mail. A photo of the set with a key to who
tied what is a nice touch.Fishermen like to play with their equipment
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