How's the fly tying going out there?

fishstix · #1 11-27-2009, 07:53 PM

For the last few seasons ive been using an old shoe box to hold my fly tying materials. This worked, but soon i had more materials and no more room again. My fly stuff was a mess. My enthusiasm for tying would quickly diminish as it was hard to even get started. There is no real organization if all your tying materials are in a big heap. So I made this tying pillar and love it. I used an 8" styrofoam pillar, and a lazy susan to make it rotate. I have pins holding on the materials and all of my tools either sit on the bottom or hang. I have room for every thing now and can easily get to it. No more fumbling through a cluttered box.
So far this year ive worked on some streamers and a few select dries.

Happy tying!
Fishstix!!

troutpirate · #2 11-27-2009, 09:25 PM

nice setup dude. i need to do some re-organizing as well. my fishing room as an absolute disaster right now.

Kevin C. · #3 11-27-2009, 11:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fishstix

For the last few seasons ive been using an old shoe box to hold my fly tying materials. This worked, but soon i had more materials and no more room again. My fly stuff was a mess. My enthusiasm for tying would quickly diminish as it was hard to even get started. There is no real organization if all your tying materials are in a big heap. So I made this tying pillar and love it. I used an 8" styrofoam pillar, and a lazy susan to make it rotate. I have pins holding on the materials and all of my tools either sit on the bottom or hang. I have room for every thing now and can easily get to it. No more fumbling through a cluttered box.
So far this year ive worked on some streamers and a few select dries.

Happy tying!
Fishstix!!

totally hear ya man I went this route with my tying materials it hangs on the wall directly behind my tying desk I hate rummaging through a box trying to find my materials

however i havent been able to get much tying done yet so far in the off season, feels kinda like I went right from fishin open water to fishin the hard stuff.

tonyflyfish · #4 11-29-2009, 12:15 AM

you guys are way to organized for me! my area would embarass you. LOL
now I am off to Rona for some peg board and styrofoam
t

#5 11-29-2009, 12:21 AM

I have at least about $6000-$7000 worth of just tying stuff, now thats a chore sometimes to organize.

WayneChristie · #6 11-29-2009, 12:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RIVERDRIFTER

I have at least about $6000-$7000 worth of just tying stuff, now thats a chore sometimes to organize.

just curious, but how many good flies could you buy for 7 grand? 2 or 3 lifetimes supply? I know, you probably do it because you like to. Have to do something on those cold winter nights for sure!

#7 11-29-2009, 01:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WayneChristie

just curious, but how many good flies could you buy for 7 grand? 2 or 3 lifetimes supply? I know, you probably do it because you like to. Have to do something on those cold winter nights for sure!

lots of flys I tie you cannot buy anywhere, Some feathers/capes I have are worth hundreds. I also tye exotic flys for salmon & steelhead. I do it because its a passion.

Caper28 · #8 11-29-2009, 08:29 AM

I'm in the same boat as riverdrifter. Hard to organize so much material. I have a big old wooden desk packed full. It's hard to find someone that tyes the flies I use, especialy when alot of my patterns for trout are to match the hatches I fish that I have developed myself over the years. I also like to be able to tye my atlantic salmon patterns a little different from what most people use, sometimes it means the differance between being skunked and hooking up.

It's a passion, just like rod building. I could buy a descent rod for $100-$200, but prefer to spend a little more money and time on building one.

WayneChristie · #9 11-29-2009, 08:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RIVERDRIFTER

lots of flys I tie you cannot buy anywhere, Some feathers/capes I have are worth hundreds. I also tye exotic flys for salmon & steelhead. I do it because its a passion.

That I can understand, Im the same way with sculpting. could probably buy one for less than the time and effort I put into one, but thats not why I do it. Tying flies is an art form too, you should do an album of yours , I bet a fly shop would display or even sell it. Except for the secret ones of course

I remember quite a while ago there was a guy raising exotic birds north of Calgary, (Olds maybe)? that was making a fortune selling capes to flytiers. Wouldnt mind getting into that myself, but I dont think it would be a good idea with foxes living in my yard. Unless you have a fox fur pattern

#10 11-29-2009, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WayneChristie

That I can understand, Im the same way with sculpting. could probably buy one for less than the time and effort I put into one, but thats not why I do it. Tying flies is an art form too, you should do an album of yours , I bet a fly shop would display or even sell it. Except for the secret ones of course

I remember quite a while ago there was a guy raising exotic birds north of Calgary, (Olds maybe)? that was making a fortune selling capes to flytiers. Wouldnt mind getting into that myself, but I dont think it would be a good idea with foxes living in my yard. Unless you have a fox fur pattern

I used to sell commercially, I make shadow boxes and those kinds of things.

Yeah iv actually thought about raising my own birds to, still might do it one day!

fishstix · #11 11-29-2009, 06:25 PM

im also one heck of a yodeller..

tonyflyfish · #12 11-29-2009, 06:55 PM

i can whistle

Justflyfish4eva · #13 11-29-2009, 08:07 PM

My great uncle, which got me interested into flyfishing a number of years ago, has in his basement, old dressers stacked upon dressers, full of tying materials, every fur you could imagine, he has been at it for 50yrs, the amount of cash tied up in all that material, his whole basement is dedicated to tying.

DarkAisling · #14 11-29-2009, 08:32 PM

It's going . . . slowly but surely.

I have a scrapbooking storage tote that holds all of my stuff. It is basically a suitcase, with a few compartments. This seemed like a good idea at the time. Not so much. Can't find anything, though I can get everything into it.

Everthing is spread all over my kitchen table (which is our only table), and has been since Friday night. I'm supposed to clean everything up when I'm done for the evening, but that seems like too much work.

In theory a "fly tying desk" or something like that would be great, but the truth of the matter is that it would wind up in the basement (where my unused sewing room is), and I can't stand being down in the basement: too quiet.