Hackle Storage question

[Lance Kekel 0]

This may seem like kind of an oddball question but I'm going to ask. How does eveyone store there hackle? Do you leave them stapled to the cardboard and in the bags, do you pull them off the cardboard and keep them in the bags? or do you take them out all together and store them loose in a bin or drawer? Currently I just leave them on the cards until they come off keeping them in the orginal bag with the card. I've been debating about putting them in a bin without the bags but not so sure that's a good idea. hence the question.

[Guest]

I keep mine on the cards and in the bags, have to protect against bugs they cost too much.

 

Fatman

[Guest]

Same on the cardboard in the bag.

 

 

OSD.

[Steeldrifter 0]

NO cardboard,no bag,but in a sealed container

 

No reason just how i do it!

 

SD

[Guest]

In the bags with the boards in a sealed rubbermaid container.

 

john

 

[Guest]

I'm guessing you're talking about expensive dry fly hackle! I don't tie many dry flies anymore, but when I have needed the hackle I kept them on the card, in the bag, in a sealed container, in the freezer!

 

Other hackle I use is rarely carded, so I just keep it in sealed bags in sealed containers, and most of my containers have moth crystals in them.

[aflytyer 0]

I take them off the card and put them in a zip lock bag with a paper towel floder in half to soak up some of the oil

I also throw some moth balls in. I keep all my material in zip lock bags or glass jars, I have collected from hunters over the years a lot of snow shoe rabbits feet, I keep them in a gallon glass jar (with moth balls) also my rabbit skins

One thing I never do is put new aquired stuff with the old till I am sure it is bug free

[Lance Kekel 0]

Thanks guys, sounds like I'm better of keeping things as is!

[Guest]

i go through hackle so quickly(forever tying and experimenting) that storing is not usually a concern....however, witht he hackles I use sparingly, I like to place them in a paper manilla envelope with a bit of cedar....the paper wicks away any humidity and the cedar keeps the bugs away without the smell of moth balls....just the way I have alwasy done it....but it works nicely...my Grandad and his father used the same method...they ran a small shop out of a merchanctile they owned in Texas...in the summer, they made more from the rods and flies than they did the dry goods....those were the days, I guess!

[Guest]

Want to know what's funny? I have never EVER bought a cape that was on a cardboard sheet. LOL. But I only tie salmon/steelhead flies, and most it's easier to buy the strung hackle/schlappen then a cape. I do have one cape that was given to me that I may use (grizzly cape I can use for silver hiltons), but besides that, the rest I won't be able to use.

 

Overall though. I agree with most that's said. I would always leave in a sealed bag, and if you don't want to put in a bag, put into a sealed container of some sort. Will add, don't mix your materials if you have stuff from a fly shop and stuff you have hunted, or have been given to you by a hunter. Unless you have well treated it. Since you could add bugs from nature into your store bought stuff and "poof" it's all gone.

[Pintsize 0]

 

I use a sealed plastic toolbox similar to the one in this link -

 

http://www.diy.com/bq/product/product.jhtm...Id=&CATID=72291

 

I use it to store all of the bobbins and tools in the top and all the capes / skins etc in the lower compartment. It seems to have an airtight seal also which protects any capes/skins stored in there.

 

An exellent fly tying chest.