Me tying one of my first flies at our kitchen counter
When we started She Ties Flies, it was never about chasing paychecks—it was about sharing a passion. A love for the art of fly tying, the beauty in the details, and the inner peace that comes from wrapping thread on hook. A little over a year later, we’ve been lucky enough to build a community that appreciates these same things. But if you’ve ever wondered how much social media pays creators like us… let’s just say it’s not enough to cover expenses. Not even close.
Despite having videos with hundreds of thousands (and sometimes millions) of views, platforms like Instagram and TikTok don’t compensate creators in a meaningful way—especially for educational or relaxing content like ours. We see no income from these sources, despite a respectable follower count and high engagement on each. We do earn a small amount from YouTube, but we intentionally skip mid-roll ads to preserve the peaceful experience that makes our long-form videos so special. As a result, our earnings there are modest at best. And while we’re grateful for the small commissions from affiliate links, they don’t come close to covering the costs of materials, camera gear, equipment maintenance, or the hours spent creating each week.
Alex captured me nerding out before bed on Jan 22, 2024
The truth is, we spend more money each month on feathers, hooks, gear upkeep, and editing tool subscriptions than we earn from all platforms combined. And that doesn’t even account for the 40+ hours a week we dedicate to filming, tying, photographing, editing, uploading, and responding to your kind messages. This is a full-time passion project powered almost entirely by love for the craft—and by you.
That’s why your support means the world to us. Whether it’s a kind message, a like and a share, a donation through Buy Me A Coffee, buying merch, or participating in our upcoming fly auctions—it all helps us keep the vise turning. Every little bit goes directly back into this channel and helps ensure we can keep creating the relaxing, visually rich content that so many of you tell us has become part of your weekly ritual.
We’re not here to get rich—we’re here to make something meaningful. And with your help, we’re just getting started. We’ve got some exciting things on the horizon, and we couldn’t be more grateful to have you with us on this journey.
From the bottom of our hearts—thank you for your support, your encouragement, and for being part of this community we’ve built together.
