Freddo

Hi Portlyjoe - What's meant by "Really Dude?!" please?? I only meant to compliment Switch10 and hope something wasn't said or interpreded wrong... If I had that setup today, I'd be done setting up! Crap, next time i'd better read the thread more carefully. I thought that was your set up. no harm done on your part at all! i didnt take the time to read . My bad. @ switch: im jealous. So sorry to make anyone offended. None here and thanks for following up! I just wanted to be 100% sure there were no hard feelings anywhere - that's all done. I would be happy with Switch10's setup. I may start tinkering over the weekend building parts modular as I go until it all seems to fall into place and then the real deal one day. It's all part of the fun.

Awsome idea. What about my wife's angora sweaters? All kidding aside, do the craft shop offerings state clearly that the material is "rabbit". I imagine that these days it's a requirement but I'm not 100% sure.

Ha! That's so funny to hear about you filling out the order form by hand. Oh -- and what happened if we goofed up the order form? There was no <Backspace> or <Del> keys! That's great top think about!! Reed Tackle was not a terrible drive from where I lived and I had one field trip there with a buddy of mine. My Mom was the champ to drive us out there. I live on the Internet for my 9-5 job so it's natural for me to research and collect information and ideas online (I can break Evernote's back in one night)! While this is great stuff and as you stated, I'm not against it at all, I enjoy the good old-fashioned (did I type that) paper catalogs. My Bass Pro beast just arrived. Not enough fly tying in the pages but I fish other baits too. Ok - do you remember the ads on the back of magazines for "101 Fishing Items" for $9.99 or something along those lines? I saved and saved until I had the ten bucks and remember back to the day the box arrived. Talk about a fishing junkie! All great fun. The fishing part is fun too!

I enjoy a paper catalog hands down. Sitting in a comfy chair, pen in hand, index card for notes and ideas (plus items to consider for purchase). Portability is key too! Maybe just me but I've always loved getting catalogs in the mail. This may date me but I was getting "Reeds Tackle" catalogs when I started tying as a kid before giving it up. I'm back into it again but Reed Tackle is long gone. That was the only place I knew back then to get materials. The Internet is great for research but I'd take paper any day!

Hi Portlyjoe - What's meant by "Really Dude?!" please?? I only meant to compliment Switch10 and hope something wasn't said or interpreded wrong... If I had that setup today, I'd be done setting up!

I have a Regal Medallion and the stem is 3/8" (.375"). If your design needs to be flexible, how about using a "V" in the design instead if a through hole? Just a thought?

Thanks for the follow up picture Switch10, simple and functional - it's what works!!. What you have there is probably more than most tiers would need for a tying bench. Now I need to get started here. I only wish I had a small area to dedicate for this purpose (none at the moment). @FlaFly: <<And Freddo... that jewelry case could also be a good materials storage case. Really nice.>> Thank you sir. That jewelry case for my wife was well needed for her collection. I may build something one day for myself but that case detail is more than I'd want for keeping materials tidy. I like what I see out there where a lion's share of Plano ProLatch StowAway Utility Boxes are used and set into a case and labeled (very simple and well organized). If I go for the detail I put into my wife's jewelry case, it'll be on the tying station itself or for a traveling tying case (should I ever need one). However, I like wood way more than plastic so what I'm typing are first thoughts -- what "happens" may be a totally different story. I would love to find an old library card catalog cabinetf or cheap. Those would be great for storing items and I miss using them to find books. I'll keep looking at the images of other tier's benches for ideas. I'm sure working the way I do will dictate what I need and like Switch10, if I end up with a few extra bobbin holes - that would be fine. I'd rather have extra holes poking me in the eye than having to look for one I don't have! Tight lines guys!

Stunning work my fellow woodworker and fly tier. I was in this database looking for ideas to setup a tying station/bench and took a trip to your http://mytroutfly.blogspot.com/2012/11/custom-fly-tying-bench.html. Being new "again" to fly tying (yep - starting over after 40 years of not tying) the process of collecting tools and materials has just begun. I'm thinking of starting with some less expensive plywood to get started on a tying station and work with it to get toward a particular design. After using it for a while, I'm sure I'll have a laundry list of enhancements to make. That'll be the point at which I'll use some of the great wood I've collected that's sitting in my shop begging to be milled and used. I'm excited about building something I'll get to enjoy myself; especially for fly tying! I have two questions if you don't mind: (1) Is the small divided cups holding glues made from mahogany? I've got some small pieces still laying around here after building my wife this jewelry case: http://lumberjocks.com/projects/94815 and want to use some for my tying station. I'm just a hobbyist gone serious and love "detail". The contrasting species colors look sweet! (2) I see a magnetic strip along your rear tool rack. Did you get that online or find some locally somewhere? Well - thanks for posting your pictures here and in your blog - it's' very impressive and inspiring!

Thanks for this link Flytire!! For a newbie, I doubt I'll have any dubbing questions in the near future. That's quite a bit to take in but "well done"! I'd like to have a "complete set" of links like this on all tying topics to round out my education in fly tying! Superb!

HI Portlyjoe - You guessed correct - I'm handy, I consider it a gift, and enjoy tools and working with my hands. Building my fly tying tool kit has been joy in itself and I'm not quite done yet. So - yes - handy... In fact I was just in my shop making a sewing needle bodkin, a tying backdrop base (for a 12"x12" piece of mat board; I "need" contrast to tie), and a bodkin cleaning canister (made from a film canister filled with 0000 steel wool). Now that that's all done I'm here with my coffee and checking posts before I figure what I want to tie tonight (I was at the fly shop today getting some new materials!). Get a split cane rod huh?!? My first Google search and site I opened shows how to build one. Oh my, hand plane work -- oh how I enjoy a sharp handplane more than my many other woodworking tools in my arsenal. They are so "quiet" and satisfying when scary razor sharp. As a kid I had terrible time with an expensive spinning rod (well expensive for me at the time). I loved that rod but the guides were getting scored/grooved from the monofilament running through them so I re-wrapped the rod with ceramic guides. That was a blast updating the rod and fishing with afterward. I'll surely look more into the split cane rods and thank you for your input on that. I still need to learn about what "size" rod I should use to start off with, leaders, tippets, line weights, knots, and all the other stuff that's needed to cast these flies I'm learning to tie to all of those hungry fish that are waiting for me to show up! I feel like a kid again. I find it hard to believe that my passion for fishing took a back seat for years. I suppose there was a reason for that season! So thanks again and please feel free to message me with any particular sites for these split cane rods you think are good resources unless you can do that here. I'd appreciate that and your time to help me out!

Beginner?!?!!? OK... Very nicely done!

Thanks Portlyjoe! When I "restarted" fly tying recently, I bought a kit to make the woolly buggers that came with all of the necessary materials. Now after being ALL OVER the Internet, collecting ideas and pattern recipies, I've got quite a list of "wanna try these ties". Right now I'm playing with materials I have and even made some dubbing from synthetic yarn we had layting around. For $18 bucks I landed a bag of mixed feathers from Whiting and I'm having some fun goofing around with cheapo hooks. I'm focused on panfish flies and there seems to be so many patterns out there that work well. People have their "go-to" patters and I'm simply trying whatever I see that looks like fun to build up my tying skills. I imagine the bluegills will hit just about anything I've tied so far. I'm very curious to see if the flies hold up after taking a few fish. Oh - and then there's the "casting" part too. I don't even own a fly rod yet but with birthday in May, that might change.

This was a major PLUS in my learning gig here - THANKS for posting this! It's been said that a picture is worth a thousand words...well this one's worth ten-thousand!

I've watched a ton of woolly bugger tying videos and there are all types of "calls" on the palmered hackle lengths. If it catches a fish - it's a done deal. I've hearh no more than 1.25 from shank to past the hook gap. I've seen a lot of different lengths in images and videos. *TO ALL* Thanks for your advice and input on the "webbing" and the reference to the video, plus suggestion to go to the water with the flies, I may use the tub since are lake is frozen right now (I'm in NJ).

Thanks artimus001 for the explanation of "webby" for me. I actually did do a small study of feather anatomy last night but nothing "webby" was in the images. However, it's good for tiers to know the layout and parts of feathers. As a kid when I first tied we did not have the Internet like we do today. I didn’t care much either about anything but getting "stuff" to make flies and try them (I hardly fished the flies I tied). But in the past three weeks I've learned more than I thought possible. And yes - it's very nice getting back behind a vise. Now I need some open water to start wetting the flies I tie.

Hi FlaFly - I guess I need to study feather anatomy to understand what very webby is. Well I was busy tonight. First I built a bobbin threader (my guitarist buddy gave me a spent guitar string to use), Then I tied my first ever woolly bugger. I'm ready for the critiquing - don't be shy (I think). Here's images:

I mentioned to my 19 year old I was going to "tie a woolly bugger" tonight. He was utterly clueless as to what I was talking about, laughed a bit, and then asked curiously, "What are you going to do tonight?" It was priceless! He wants to use that phrase around his friends now - just because (well he's 19). I'll get one tied hopefully and it's off to the races. QUESTION: What is a "very webby" hackle (the "saddle" designation I know after watching four feather informational tutorial videos a couple of nights ago)? Thanks all!

I caved -- so much for my budget. I ended up purchasing the Regal Medallion vise and hopefully tonight I tie for the first time after a stopping 40 years ago (give or take a few).

Hey All - Thanks for all the support. I was at a great fly shop today and may go with a Regal . Yes pricey but sweet, no adjustments, and built like a tank that'll last me and my kid's lifetime. I'm heading out now to another store that should have a few vises to get my hands on. This is a big decision to lay out a lump of cash - I do not want to wish I'd bought something else. I appreciate all your input and DO BELIEVE you are all enjoying your vises. Some people have even shared the points they do not like about the ones they bought. This is a great place to share information so thank you. Any Regal owners that want to share likes/dislikes about their vise?

I really lke that frog!!!! Well that sounds like a great way to go. Once the weather breaks, the ice melts, and I have some new flies and a fly rod (or come up with a spinning rod method), I'll be up early and trying it all. I'll need to learn the behaviors of panfish better too. I've caught more fish through the ice this winter than I ever have per trip out so studying up on the subject using the Internet has paid off. I'm sure this forum and guys like you will make this a whole lot more fun! Also - What is a "noodle" of dubbing? Thanks!

Hey Guys - This will be a fun and fantastic adventure. I've got a shop and can cobble together some tools (like FlaFly's copper punch). I enjoy tinkering and while following existing patterns may be great, once I get going it's great to know there are no holds barred. @mikechell - So tying an "original" you can call your own seems to be something you seek after.... How on earth can you make something up and then come to find "someone" has done it already? There must be millions of fly images all over the Internet. To be honest, if I tie something and it catches a fish - I'm good! I do hope that you get one or a hundred flies designed that you can name and call your own though! Nothing is stopping you!! Over the weekend I'll try very hard to get to that fly shop that's sort of local (if 20+ minutes door-to-door is considered local). Tight lines guys!

Thanks for all the info FlaFly. I'll start looking for patterns of those you mentioned! Yes - I tied a lot of wets. Mostly because I like the way they look and back then didn't really have much to go on except a book or two. With the web these days, there's so much information at hand. I'll be checking out the www.flyanglersonline.com site too - thanks again for all of your support!

Thanks FlaFly and Mikechell: Those are great looking. Did you guys come up with these or did you follow patterns? I don't recall catching many fish at all on the bunch I tied as a kid (see images [i HOPE THEY APPEAR]). But seeing your work has me excited to think of fooling those fish into my frying pan! Just tying them will be enjoyable, but get fish to take them has got be a real joy!

Hi and thanks! I have a question for you being an Advanced Member and maybe you'll know... When I try to view "Browse by Material" and then click on a material or a color (e.g., Color > Olive) I get blank pages for most. Is this a work in progress or a bad browser setting. I typicallt use Firefox and tried with Chrome and had same behavior. I'm good with computers so if there's a setting I need or "something" all techy, I'm in. Any ideas? Also - what's your favorite patterns for sunfish and bass? Thanks in advance!

Thanks Fisherboy0301: I was looking at the Anvil Atlas Fly Tying Vise that have a few more features. Do the jaws of your lock the hooks in good and tight? I do want to be able to get to the bottom of the fly while tying. I'm not sure that I really "need" the true rotary thing or not yet. There's a shop near here. Yep - in the good old North NJ mountains! I'm gonna see if I can get my hands on a few to check out and see what these shop guys have to say about the different ones they carry. Their website shows a lot of different vises. I'm still saving up my pennies and as soon as there's enough of them to use, I will buy a vise. I'm happy to have plenty of time to shop and make an educated purchase. Thanks for letting me know about your vise - i appreciate it. @mikechell - Thank you too - I've had my eyes on the Peak too...