THIS IS THE HOME OF WAPSI FLY!
Wapsi Fly, of Mountain Home, Arkansas, is the largest fly tying materials wholesale supplier on the planet. The Wapsi factory is more than 50,000 square feet, and the company has more than 50 employees. Every year, Waspi processes thousands of deer, squirrel, elk, rabbit, and other skins. They also spool many thousands of miles of wire, floss, tinsel, and thread.
In addition to finding Wapsi-labeled materials in your local fly shop, the company also packages materials under the labels of many other fly tying companies. It is said that it is almost impossible to tie a fly without using at least one material that has come through the doors at Wapsi Fly.
Just how big is Wapsi Fly? Owner Tom Schmuecker tells a story that puts it into perspective.
“I was visiting another fly tying company, and they had a table with a big table cloth draped over it,” he said. “It was obvious they didn’t want me to see what was under that table; it was a big secret. Eventually, they lifted the cloth, and it was full of kitchen blenders for blending dubbing. Heck, my dubbing blender weighs two tons!”
Wapsi Fly hasn’t forgotten the needs of individual tiers. They have a great website full of excellent instructional videos and information. Check it out at www.wapsifly.com
