Tying on the road

[Troutman 0]

After reading another post about somebody (BDH), who shall remain annonumis (BDH), buying flies it made me think. How many of you take tying gear on the road with you? Personally I do if it's a multi day trip and it has come in very handy on many occasions. I have tied at the picnic table at the camp ground and in motel rooms at night. I usually take my plano box that has all my tools and my vise along with my thread and dubbing. I take a second small rubbermade box with some hackle in a few standard colors.

 

So how many take tying gear and how many will just simply buy from a shop in the area?

 

Jim

[Guest]

Both. Last June we had a thunderstorm roll through while "up North". Spent the afternoon at the campsite tying.

 

I also don't mind going into a shop and buying some local favorites. Seems to help get the fishing info flowing.

 

Mike

 

[J Desjardins 0]

Both. Last winter I got stuck in a hotel room durring a blizzard on a business trip and it would have been boring if I didn't have a tying kit with me.

[Guest]

BDH is not: Anonymous, nonnumuss, annonumis, amonomonomis, shrouded in camouflage OR very difficult to pick out on a moonless night! He SHOULD be ratted out for his indiscretion!!!

 

In re: your question - I think any one of us would do the same thing, in an area we've not fished before, to have something to take home to copy, mentally tear apart and redesign, or just admire. Is there any one of us who's money doesn't 'burn a hole' in our pockets, itching to be spent on 'stuff' we can't justify buying or have no immediate use for? I don't think so.

 

The thing that keeps me from spending money on flies in a foreign shop I'm visiting is the exorbitant cost - absent the fact any of us thinks we can do a better job, or "gee, why didn't I see that in my head - I'll have to go home and make some of those." On those occasions, to me anyway, I'd want to have my vise and tools, and probably buy materials (used in the pattern) I DIDN'T have with me. The last few times I've gone anywhere to fish I've lugged my tieing stuff with me - doesn't mean I've tied up ten dozen of the 'fly du jour', but the act of tieing is more rewarding than going out and spending money on stuff I already have and am just too lazy to dig out and use.

 

I'll spend like a drunken sailor (and HAVE BEEN BOTH! drunk and a sailor and spent plenty!!! ) if the mood suits me, but I'll draw a line when it comes to shelling out for stuff that's a ripoff.

 

My minimum travel kit is three pieces: a full PLANO GUIDE hard case; two FLAMBEAU TACKLE STATION soft bags, converted to traveling materials cases. I can't stand wanting something at my disposal and not having it - the stupid reason for that is, I might decide to make something out of my mind's eye that goes totally against an accepted idea. Last time I visited friends on Cape Cod, I sat and tied a big-ass mackerel fly about nine or ten inches long that only remotely resembled accepted mackerel patterns, and several other things that weren't bait du jour, to occupy my time, to give to my host, etc.

 

BDH-

[Dble Haul 0]

If it's a trip that will encompass more than just a few days, I bring my kit bag and traveler vise with the hooks and materials to make any patterns that need replacing after some fishing. This can be done nearly anywhere, but a hotel room or friend's abode in fine for me.

 

If it's just an overnighter, I'll tie up what I believe to be enough ahead of time and just concentrate on fishing.

 

Needing to replace flies comes with the territory, whether it's nymphs lost to the bottom or attractor patterns lost to or ruined by pike or bluefish. Comes with the territory, and I don't mind. And I am willing to by a fly or two from local shops, because they are usually quite free with their fishing info and I like to return favors.

[Lance Kekel 0]

If I'm at an area away from home that I've never fished I'll buy a couple of the local flavors to bolster what I carry but normally I'll tie. In fact I carry enough junk with me that when we bought our pop-up camper a couple years ago my wifes thoughts went to the amount of tying stuff I bring and the need for a camper with a larger storage area!

[Guest]

Buying a fly on the road that you might not be familiar with is a good thing to do just so you can reference it for future trips but when your an admin of a fly tying website and buy a CLOUSER that is a different story completely. Of course I will not mention that person by name(BDH)

 

We all brought our tying stuff with us for the PA trip and we all ended up needing a few extras and it came in handy.

[SDHflyfisher 0]

as many have said both because of local patterns which i may not know how to tie

[Guest]

I was taught a valuable lesson on the White last Summer. After trying most everything I brought, there was one pattern that really did a number. I had about 6 of them and 3 of us fishing. Needless to say we started loosing them and had the fish tear them up. Luckily, the last one came home with me for some duplication, but in essence we could have used another dozen. When you're scared to trow them into fishy cover, you may as well quit fishing.

 

For our little weekend trips, the vise stays home. There simply isn't enough time to tie. (Besides I get enough ribbing from my buddies about bringing the kitchen sink) For extended trips, I will pack it along with an assortment of hackle, , beads, floss, thread and hooks.

 

As for buying local bugs, I'm guilty as well. Like Mike mentioned, spending a few bucks while milking the locals isn't a bad thing.

[Jayhawk Jeff 0]

I'll do both. I will buy some of the locally recommended patterns, maybe some materials that I can't get locally, once in a while a book, hat or cool t-shirt. Buying stuff will get you more info than not, IMHO and I frankly don't feel right pumping the shop folks for info without patronizing the place. One good thing to buy if they have it is a river map and let them mark it up. As for taking gear on the road, it just rounds out the experience, sitting at the picnic table at camp or in the cabin and having a beer and tying a few.

[Steeldrifter 0]

Most the time i will tie my own well in advance of the trip but still take my tying stuff just to pass time in the evenings at the cabin/motel.

 

The only time i usally buy something is if i staop at the shop on the way to the river and hear that they are taking something that i forgot/didnt know about.

 

 

SD

[Guest]

I set up my old art box, which is really a wood briefcase, as a portable tying station, which I took along to the shore this past summer. I can fit enough materials in it to make a good day of it. I plan to carry it more often.

[ashley 0]

A couple of times I've bought on the road but I always have my travel kit with me.An orvis tying bag with what I think I need for that trip.Its been used at a camp site table in Cape cod,a bar in a hotel(to lazy to take drink to my room),outside my cabin in Solvina,bla,bla,bla

Its saved to many trips

Never leave it be hind

 

Ashley

[force feeder 0]

I just had the best mobil tying trip any way istill had to buy 4 flys at noon but i wasnt told steeldrifter had them and Iwas going back to river .any way what I wanted to tell you guys was I found the perfect tying box for $12.95 it was a tool box but it had 2boxson top of out side perfect for yuor thred it was at walmart

[Guest]

I bring a travel vise with me on every trip, but that doesn't mean I won't buy some flies at a local shop. It's the etiquette of fly fishing that you buy some flies or tippet or something and they give you some information. Fair trade as far as I'm concerned, it's cheaper than a guide. I'll copy the flies if I don't have something similar in my box and if I have the right materials with me.