Portable Tying Kit - what do you do?

[Snowmass Angler 0]

Every time I go anywhere I always bring TOO MUCH STUFF. I end up bringing enough to tie every and any fly from classic salmon to basic trout flies. My problem is I never know what I will be in the mood to tie - so I bring the whole lot. It sucks actually, it takes forever to pack and 98% doesn't get used, then there's unpacking.

What I want to know is how does one go about bringing it back a little? Does anyone take just a few hackles instead of the whole neck? How and in what do you pack your materials? Pictures anyone?

I need change.

Best

Scott

[Stippled Popper 0]

Consider which flies you need the most and/or have the fewest tied. Only bring the materials you need for that pattern or those few patterns.

 

This will at least simplify your decision to whether or not to tie... which should be easy enough.

 

[smallieFanatic 0]

I have tried also, and lets just say I never works out. I always end up losing stuff, not bringing the right things, and making poor, mishapen flies for the lack of a suitable station. I have stopped trying to bring a portable kit, and instead just tie a ton of flies for whatever.

 

 

 

 

Jan

[utyer 0]

Through the years, I have spend a lot of time tying while on the road. I have never packed up the whole stash, but I used to take a soft sided case about 12 by 14 by 8. This case had smaller bags inside to store different things, and a hook case with 21 pouches for hooks. Now I can take my travel kit in less than half that space. My case now is 6 by 9 by 3. In this I pack essentials for tying most common patterns that I may find. I have learned long ago that one doesn't need hackles at all. A comparadun will match the duns and spinners of most hatches just fine. The only hackles I pack are a half partridge neck and a couple of hen necks. I have my hooks in a pill dispenser. It has 28 compartments for sizes 12 to 20 in 4 hook styles each size. The last 8 compartments have three styles of size 22 hooks and one stlye of 24, 26, 28, 30 and 32. I have a couple of smaller 6 pack cases for larger hooks and beads. The materials I put in the case are pretty basic: assorted nymph dubbing (a sparkle and fur blend,) ultra fine dry fly dubbing, and copper and silver wire for ribbing, peacock herl, pheasant tail, turkey tail, cdc, assorted turkey biots, goose wing quill section for gray herl bodies, and several patches of light and dark elk, moose, and deer hair. That kit will let me tie up pretty much any nymph, emerger, or dry fly for most any situation. If I think I will need to be tying up flies for lake fishing, I will pack crystal chenille, leach yarn, or brushed mohair yarns.

 

My fly inventory is in excess of 3000 flies. I usually pack about half of these with me. Last time I took a trip, I took 20 different boxes of flies. They took up more room in my fishing bag than the tying kit. I don't ever need that many flies on any given trip, but I end up giving flies to my brother, and his family. I never know what they will need. Having plenty of flies with me is better than staying up tying every night when I am on a trip. I used to do a lot of that, not any more. When I meet up with fishing friends, and extended family on vacations, I am usually the fly connection. When I get back home, I start tying all over again.

 

I can't remember a time in the last 40 years when I didn't take some kind of tying kit along, fortunately, they have gotten smaller and smaller.

[Worstcaster 0]

All I use is a portable kit. Everything is stuffed into a gym bag. Makes it hard to find stuff easily, but I do most of my tying at work, so the portable is a must. Never tried to size it down because I never know what I will be in the mood to tie.

[marc fauvet 0]

hi,

 

i've found that ziploc bags are best for a travel kit.

 

i put each kind of material grouped together in individual bags.

all dubbing in one bag, all furs in another, hook boxes in another, varnish and wax or other things that might leak in another, tools, etc, etc.

tools get wrapped up in a cloth first so they don't poke through. the cloth is used to wipe chocolate from my fingers so it doesn't get on the flies.

 

- no need for labels as you see right through the bag and don't waste any time finding what you're looking for either.

 

- materials stay dry and bug free (if you remember to close the bags, that is... )

 

- they cost very little and can always be re-used for something else later.

 

- the heavy duty kind with a zipper-like clasp is best. they're easier to open and close.

 

- the bags go flat and take up very little space compared to boxes. this enables to bring more materials in the same amount of space than it would with boxes.

 

- these bags weigh next to nothing. reduces overall kit weight for airplane travel and valuable luggage space.

 

- the whole lot goes in some kind of bag or box so it's all together and available when it's time to tie.

 

hope this helps.

 

cheers,

marc

 

 

[mkoloch 0]

hi,

 

i've found that ziploc bags are best for a travel kit.

 

i put each kind of material grouped together in individual bags.

all dubbing in one bag, all furs in another, hook boxes in another, varnish and wax or other things that might leak in another, tools, etc, etc.

tools get wrapped up in a cloth first so they don't poke through. the cloth is used to wipe chocolate from my fingers so it doesn't get on the flies.

 

- no need for labels as you see right through the bag and don't waste any time finding what you're looking for either.

 

- materials stay dry and bug free (if you remember to close the bags, that is... )

 

- they cost very little and can always be re-used for something else later.

 

- the heavy duty kind with a zipper-like clasp is best. they're easier to open and close.

 

- the bags go flat and take up very little space compared to boxes. this enables to bring more materials in the same amount of space than it would with boxes.

 

- these bags weigh next to nothing. reduces overall kit weight for airplane travel and valuable luggage space.

 

- the whole lot goes in some kind of bag or box so it's all together and available when it's time to tie.

 

hope this helps.

 

cheers,

marc

 

 

I use the same system...I should own stock in ziplock with all the stink'n bags I have. When traveling by car (non-flying) I typically load up some materials and put them in a see through plastic tub. I will even make bags for specific flies. If I am low on BWO or don't have a size I think I might need, I'll pack a bag with all the materials need for that fly, plus the hook sizes I will (or guess) being tying. If that makes any sense!!

[marc fauvet 0]

If I am low on BWO or don't have a size I think I might need, I'll pack a bag with all the materials need for that fly, plus the hook sizes I will (or guess) being tying.

 

great idea ! nice to see someone even more a*** than me

 

i'll use that for tying classes too. no fuss no muss.

 

cheers,

marc

 

[JSzymczyk 0]

but I do most of my tying at work,

 

dude, any openings there? I need a job like that.

[DaddyO 0]

My daily fly tying station is a portable station that was built by John B. Walther. (I'll provide a picture of the station and his contact information if you want it.) It has all the compartments that I need for hooks, threads, materials, etc... I also use the zip lock bags to organize things in the compartments and I use the round pill organizers that screw together to organize my hooks and bead heads. Additionally, I have a rubbermaid brief case that I use for extra material.

[ibian 0]

I usally know what I'll be fishing so I pack enough to tie more of what I lose. I take as much as I can fit in a 20X12X8 clear tupperware container with everything seperated in ziplock bags. Once I had the head cement leak everywhere and i'd hate to think of the loss if I didn't us zip lock bags.

[Worstcaster 0]

but I do most of my tying at work,

 

dude, any openings there? I need a job like that.

 

I'm a paramedic, not hard to find someone hiring.

[Moscow 0]

Hi Scott,

 

I use the "zip-loc" method too. I picked up a used Renzetti Traveller with a base and either divided my materials or bought a duplicate to put into a travel bag. The soft-sided travel bag I picked up at "Walmart for <$10. I found it in the travel/suitcase section. It's suppose to be for cosmetics and is very similar to this one, only it's tan. For hackles I have a 9x13" Plano box with length-wise dividers and plucked several off each cape/saddle to put in the compartments. For tools I have a student's roll-up dissection case with pockets. For the materials I use one gal zips. One for furs, one for feathers, and one for synthetics. The bag opens up and one side I can store the vise and tools, the other holds the plano box, and gallon zips. The outside pocket holds a smaller zip of threads, wire and tinsel plus a dozen dubbing packs (everyone has a billion duplicates of these, yes?). It's pretty compact and all the stuff stays in the bag ready to go when I camp or tie with others. If I forgot something I try to make a note of it and add that to the bag for future trips.

 

Tim

 

Every time I go anywhere I always bring TOO MUCH STUFF. ... <snip>

What I want to know is how does one go about bringing it back a little? Does anyone take just a few hackles instead of the whole neck? How and in what do you pack your materials? Pictures anyone?

I need change.

Best

Scott

 

[Moscow 0]

Here's a pic of my travel fly tying kit. Sorry about the glare on the zip locs

 

Tim