Fly tying station suggestions ?

[Fishhound]

[black][size 3]Hey Folks,

I am looking for some suggestions for improving my fly tying station. [/size][/black]
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[black][size 3]I've seen those commercially available ones - like at Sportsman's, but I don't want to spend that kind of money for something that I can probably do myself. So, I thought I would ask you pro fly tiers what you have done, or seen others do to organize your stuff to be more efficient. Did you build your own fly tying station ?[/size][/black]
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[black][size 3]I kind of came up with my own system, but, it does seem a bit cumbersome at times. [/size][/black]
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[black][size 3]So, as I was getting ready for my traditional winter fly tying, I thought that maybe I would just ask to find out what you folks have figured out to make the whole process a little more efficient.

Here are a few photos of what I am doing currently. [/size][/black]

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[black][size 3]I know you good tiers out there have already figured out how to do it the "right/easy" way. So, if you could share some of those tips and techniques with us, it would be great. Any suggestions would be appreciated.[/size][/black]
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[black][size 3]Thank you in advance.[/size][/black]
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[Scruffy_Fly]

I am not a pro fly tier by any stretch of the imagination. But I can see your main problem is that the desk is way to organized.

I keep my stuff in a variety of Tackle Logic, Plano, and Rubber Maid plastic boxes. I do this because they are convenient to close up and positively retain what is in the boxes. Besides being in a container that is not going to spill. I have them in these containers so that I can quickly gather them up and go over to friends houses for "Male Bonding" sessions where we tie flies together.

I have a long thin tackle box with adjustable compartments that I keep threads in. I have another long thin box with beads, cones, and hooks in (I keep all the hooks in little plastic bags. I make little card board labels or heavy paper labels to put inside the bags if I can not cut up the original container label. I got the bags from Hobby lobby plus I use the bags that Tiempco hooks come in) Having them in plastic bags is not always the most convenient but it makes it convenient to sift through bags to see what flys I have and not worry about spilling hooks and getting them all mixed up. The plastic bags mean you can keep a lot of hooks in a very small space.

I have a Plano Tackle box that has a top compartment and a bottom compartment. In the bottom go bobbins, bodkins, whip finisher. hair stackers, etc. In the top compartment are spools of flash, ribbing, wire, and some of other tools.

I have several Rubbermaid boxes that are deep with locking lids. I keep fur patches. kip tails, bucktails in a couple of them. I have another that has various hen and wet fly feathers in. I don't have anything for my dry hackle feathers, because the capes are so long, except a wooden tool box I lay them in.

When I go some where I have a couple soft bags I put all the boxes and vise in with a travel zenon light. The I slip all the dry fly hackles into one of the bags.

When they are not packed up for travel the boxes of stuff are strewn about.

I keep thinking it would be good to build a case with shelfs sized to slip all the plastic boxes into for storage next to my tying table and quick access. I would then get anal rententive and want all the boxes to be in just a couple of sizes and look about the same.

My tying table is the kitchen table. The xwife never complains to me about it.
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[Dryrod]

[font "Poor Richard"][green][size 3]Well I guess that I should offer my 2 cents as a new tier. Instead of finding a new location to tie, I set up my work station right on my computer table. It is the right height and my high intensity lamp provides adequate lighting. I can also watch tying videos on my monitor and other instructive clips. My tools are stuck in a strip of styrofoam and small lengths of dowels stuck also in styrofoam to hold spools of thread. A 7 day pill container holds eyes, beads and other tiny material. Since I don't have tons of material a 10"x14"x4" hinged box holds all of my software. So far the set up is working for me.[/size][/green][/font]


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[Fishhound]

[black][size 3]Hey Scruffy Fly,[/size][/black]
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[black][size 3]Thank you for the suggestions ![/size][/black]
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[black][size 3]My set up is kind of modular and portable. In that I mean that I set it up and take it down as needed. But, as you can see from the photos, it is not as easy as what you describe your's to be.[/size][/black]
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[black][size 3]I like the idea you came up with for your hooks in small plastic bags. Mine are in a little plastic box that although it does keep them separate and organized, it does expose them to be dumped out if my clumbseyness come into play. And, unfortunately I have fumble fingered them and sprayed them all over the room before. [/size][/black]
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[Fishhound]

[black][size 3]Thanx Dryrod,[/size][/black]
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[black][size 3]I like that styrofoam strip in your photo with your tools in it. Also, are those 4 metal looking containers you have there those small bread baking pans ?[/size][/black]
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[black][size 3]I have no room by my computer to set up my tying station. I have a separate table in another room that I use year round for fishing tackle work. When I am not tying flies in the winter, I use that table to organize my other tackle and to work on jigs, reels, build fishing rigs and other things like that. When I am working on knots or small objects, I have a magnifier with a light built right in so I can see the smaller details of what I am working on.[/size][/black]
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[Dryrod]

[font "Poor Richard"][green][size 3][cool]Hey there Fishhound - thanks for the kudos. Those trays are aluminum. Use to come with TV dinners back in the old days. My parents saved all of that stuff. I use them to collect bits of wire etc as one seems to always need a little bit of this & that.[/size][/green][/font]
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[Scruffy_Fly]

I am always worried about spilling the head cement because it will make a mess you can not completely clean up. So I have used foam or styrofoam to make a base for the the bottles. Use a sharpie or pen to trace around a bottle then use an xacto knife to cutout a hole slightly smaller than the bottle.


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[Fishhound]

[black][size 3]Hey Scruffy Fly,[/size][/black]
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[black][size 3]That's a great tip ! [/size][/black]
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[black][size 3]I've knocked over my stuff before as I was attempting to put it back in the tupperware container that I've been using. It does make quite the mess ! [/size][/black]
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[black][size 3]That "Hard as Nails" stuff in your photo - Is that just regular nail polish ?[/size][/black]
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[Scruffy_Fly]

Yes.

The Hard as Nails is just the finger nail polish. It is thicker than normal head cement and is water proof. It works well where you want a thicker coat. It does not wick well at all so it will not penetrate thread layers.

Besides using on flys where I want the head to be built up with a smooth layer I use it on small thread midges a fair amount.

I use the Griffith's thin a lot. I use the standard solvent based Head Cement a fair mount. The Hard as Nails is used about equally as much. On occasion I use Dave's Fleximent for bushly flies where I use a lot of flash and put eyes on the side of the soft material.

I have yet to make a fly where I have used an epoxy to achieve a hard head.
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