How do you organize your stuff?

[Steeldrifter 0]

flydog your not alone, mine usually gets way to messed up every other month. Only reason it looks that clean right now is because I just spent 2 days redoing it last week I cleaned it up and re-organized everything and added that light thats mounted on the wall to the bench. Got that light at the hardware for about $5...couldnt pass that up

 

 

Tim- I like that bag that has the straps for holding your tools while traveling. Is that an actual fly tying bag or is that like one of those electrician bags? way cool idea.

[Chase Creek 0]

I'm lucky enough to have a room dedicated to tying, so I don't really have to hide (or put away) everything after a tying session.

I use a computer desk with one shelf on top. Using my woodworking skills :hyst: I made another shelf at half the height of the one already on the desk. On the top shelf I have 2 of those plastic drawer organizers you can pick up anywhere. These have 30 small drawers on top, then 3 bigger drawers, then one long drawer on the bottom.

 

I put hooks, by type (wet, dry, streamer) in vertical rows, putting largest size in the top drawer, and going smaller each drawer down in the same vertical row. These small drawers also house small items like bug bodies, yarn, rubber legs, etc.

 

The 3 larger drawers below these hold cards of poly yarn, chennile, leech yarn, etc.

 

The one long drawer at the bottom holds strung peacock herl, misc stuff and so on.

 

I keep loose partridge feathers in a cigar box, thread stuff on a wall mounted thread rack from Wally World,

beads and eyes are in plastic containers like tic tac boxes (Wally World again). I keep dubbing that I use often in those coin holders collectors use, quartr size.

 

Capes, squirrel tails, etc are kept in zip loc bags hanging from a cork board. I found some push pins with a built in hook at an office supply place. These work great.

 

EVERYTHING is labeled. Still looks like a mess. :dunno:

[bentflyrod 0]

Tim- I like that bag that has the straps for holding your tools while traveling. Is that an actual fly tying bag or is that like one of those electrician bags? way cool idea.

 

I picked them up at joanne fabric! I believe they some sort of craft case. I liked them because they are hardsided. Nothing gets crushed. I found them on the clearance rack. Orig. price was 50 bucks. I paid $10.00 for them.

 

BFR

[Steeldrifter 0]

Get out'a here I wouldnt have thought they would have that at a fabric store I dont know of a joanne store around here anymore but I'll take a look in the phonebook and see. Thanks

[day5 0]

storage??? Hmm I guess in heaps and piles. some here some there :hyst:

[Nick N 0]

I also use the hanging files, always have, most likely always will. I keep furs and hairs in one box, and feathers in another. I do not keep my good hackle capes in the files though, they go in a special drawer on my desk. I also have drawers for big stuff, like pheasant skins and such. I also have small drawers for hooks, beads, eyes...and a thread rack.

Tip: Staple a folded paper towel to the back of your capes and saddles. This prevents natural oils from seeping into feathers.

 

 

This is my bench right after I cleaned it.

[Sturgeon_Catcher 0]

I have been working on organizing my materials for 25 years. That's when I moved to oregon and started gathering materials. Watched for businesses clearing out their fly tying departments. Did it at 3 locations. On one occasion bought almost 200 rolls of thread for 10 cents a piece.

 

I tried tupperwares but couldn't see what was in them. Out would come the fly tying material and a major search and destroy operation as well as a memory jog to find what I was looking for. Finally came upon the idea of the file folders.

 

All material other than threads or chenile and such are isolated in zip loc bags. When I wish to tie something - I merely pull the 3 or 4 or whatever no of file folders I require. I then select material and prepare it for tying. File folders are put away and tying can begin.

 

Do most of my tying in the motor home now as I have no tying area. Our house is 14' by 24' not hardly any room for anything. I keep all of my tools in a larger container and unload it when I tie and then all goes away. FYI after my trip am into the second filing cabinet. I have a very great deal of materials and can find anything in seconds. As Nate says "look under O for Ocelot."

 

Later

Fred

[madkasel 0]

That's a superb looking set up, Nick N!!

 

And I believe I forgot to give credit to sturgeon catcher for telling me to use files to organize. They're awesoem!

[pacres 0]

I get lots of storage at ikea. I also have a large drawer for my capes and saddles and fur gets stored in a seperate box.

 

Most of these boxes have feathers, some fur, flash, hooks etc.

 

[flyfishingtaz 0]

ok steeldrifter....Im JEALOUS!! :wallbash: I mean all I got is a beat up old sewing table my girlfriend gave me when she got a new sewing machine, cause she was tired of seeing all my flytying stuff strewn across the couch and dining room table. But I gotta admit, you have an awesome set up there. You sure you dont have a store set up with all those supplies you have there?? lol

So for now im crammed in the corner with my new table, my old sewing table turned tying bench, and a few dozen zip lock bags of materials, and tools trying to think of things to tie up. Oh well, even if I cant think of anything to tie, It's better in here then in the front room with her and her mother who came to visit. Well, gonna hide behind my vise now, and hope she cant find me.

Burn them spools everyone. Spring will be here soon, and we need all the flies we can crank out this winter. Great ties and so long.

[flyfishingtaz 0]

oh and pacres.....LOVE IT! thats a hell of a set up ya have there.

[pacres 0]

Spring will be here soon, and we need all the flies we can crank out this winter.

 

OMG.. it's still summer lol You have to wait until January before you can start the shack nasties talk. lol

 

oh and pacres.....LOVE IT! thats a hell of a set up ya have there.

 

Ya, that's what it looks like clean. It looks a lot different now, since I reverted back to sorting in piles.

[Funnel30 0]

nice setup everyone, i like the idea with the containers and folders. I think I might just get a two level filing cabinet for the house and then pick up one of those containers if I ever decide to bring anything on the road. Or do anyone have any other suggestions as to what the best way to travel with fly tying stuff is, for just a trip?

Nick where did you get that thread rack from? I like it.

 

I can't believe how much stuff some of you guys have, I've just started so there's not much right now which is good because it keeps it clean. Hopefully by next summer I will have the peg boards on the wall and a world to myself. Thanks for the ideas too.

 

[fly time 0]

Nice stuff ya guys got going there!!! :headbang: :headbang: :headbang:

[Nick N 0]

The thread rack is from Joanns, but i have seen them at wall mart and sewing shops too.

 

I recently got another file box, and a new vise. It seems that i tie flys for more hours in my bed room than I spend sleeping! The floor is covered in feather fluff, hair clippings, and its really bad when I start spinning deer hair I use a wine bottle for my peacock feathers, and a cup for turkey quills. The bottle is on the floor, so the feathers are the perfect hight to cut herl right off.

 

Pacres: Do i see a picture station? That set up looks great...untill you get back to tying!