Fly Tying Area

[AKSkim]

After responding to smittin's post on which vise to buy, I took a couple of photos of the two type of vises I have.

After posting my response and suggestions to his question, I thought to myself.. good luck with the wife when your hobby of tying flies grows and grows...

When does a hobby become more than a hobby and an obsession?

My fly tying area.



Storage, which I am running out of space again.



So much material, management was difficult till
I started putting them in zip-loc bags. This helps.



Middle shelf is just SOME of the hooks I have.



I am a tool junkie.



and finally, you have to have a space to tie flies.



I would be very interested in how other's have their fly tying area set up.
Always looking to steal good ideas.

Thanks for looking in.

[kindanewbie77]

I am hoping to get my first set up for fathers day...and hopefully begin tying soon there after....I can never let my wife see this post or I will never get what I am looking for! Nice set up though! It makes me jealous!

[Burtbords149]

Holy **** AK who are you? Walt Dette? Nice tying area needless to say I assume you never find yourself without a material. What kind of head cement do you use? Or better yet what do you use for head cement, because I know some people (Dettes) use varnish. As you can tell I'm a huge fan of the Dettes. Started my fishing career in the Catskills at maybe age 4. Now do you strictly tie ALL your own flies?

[AKSkim]

Thanks Burt.

When I receive my issue of Fly Tyer and there is a pattern that I like the look of, I have the materials listed to tie it like the author has prescribed.

I fish only with flies that I tied, the only exception is when I am with a guide and he has a pattern I don't have. Needless to say when I get home I usually tie up a bunch of them.

Varnish is the only head cement that I don't tie with.

I look at the fly bins of all the shops I walk into, I look for local patterns. I have learned from many a time returning home and looking at the fly I purchased to duplicate, and forgot the name of the patterm.

So now I carry heavy weight blank paper, fold it to impale the fly without a chance of losing it and write the name of the pattern right there at the bin.

Local Smoky Mountain patterns from my last trip.

Burt, are you a member of the Catskill Fly Tyers Guild? If not, as a member you will be able to purchase Mary Dette's tying DVD. AMAZING watching her tie.

Thanks for the post.

AK Skim

[Mayfly]

Excellent video, I've two copies just in case, that I'd recommend to anyone interested in fly tying and especially fly tying the Catskill Way. I was fortunate to be present when Mary tied these flies and she is a wealth of information about fly tying and the Catskill area which she openly shares with a very humble sense of humor.

And AK, as for your tying area - very, very nice.

Allan

[AKSkim]

I was fortunate to be present when Mary tied these flies ... Allan

WOW !!!

I'd say you were fortunate to have been one of the lucky one's to have been there.

After I responded to Bert's post, I have to admit that I went and put the DVD in and watched it. It doesn't matter how many times you seen it, it is still impressive and just chock full of information.

Let me ask you Allan, that was Volume one of the Guild's series, I already have the four "Tying Flies in the Catskill Tradition" tying DVD's, are there any more out there?

As always, I know Petie-Po will either scrub or move this post.. something about not staying on topic..

AK Skim

[Mayfly]

AK,

Ken Kabayashi is the Guild's videographer and he is putting one together for the Guild. I believe, and don't be surprised if this is incorrect, that he's going to use videod footage of various Guild members, tying various patterns, for the next one. OR, he may use video footage of members who have done demonstrations at the Guild meetings or at the Catskill Fly Fishing Museum for individual dvd's. Funny you should ask because I just reviewed one dvd of a presentation I made at the Museum several years ago. I asked Ken if I could get a copy and he sent it to me. However, I'm not sure how he will use it, in whole, in part or at all, for the dvd the Guild will produce. Going on memory, the dvd may include: Ralph Graves, Dave Brandt, Larry Duckwall, Ralph Hoffman, Poul Jorgensen, Jack Pangburn, so many other possible Guild members. It would be nice if whatever he edits and puts together becomes available by the fall in time for Christmas.

Allan

[AKSkim]

That would be great, people out here are hungry for quality Catskill style fly tying DVD's and the names you listed would only go on to highlight the caliber of the the next DVD.

[Mayfly]

That would be great, people out here are hungry for quality Catskill style fly tying DVD's and the names you listed would only go on to highlight the caliber of the the next DVD.

I'm not sure where "... out here..." is but if I learn anything about an upsoming 'Catskill' dvd, I'll post it here.

I should add that the dvd of Mary and probably the next dvd were not made by professionals. The quality: focus, zooming in, voice, background, etc. of the video itself reflects that level. When whoever taped my presentation did it, my dogs barking sounded better than I did talking. Come to think of it, that had more to do with the sharpness of his bark and my lack of speaking ability than the vcr microphone, lol.

Allan

[bkill]

OMG...You have the sickness...That has to be the most stocked fly tying room I have ever seen...There is more crap in there than a typical fly shop ...Now I will take a dozen conovers size 14..Thank you..

[C&R]

Impressive, AK. Just a thought....does your homeowners insurance policy cover loss due to fire or any other peril? There's a lot of money in those photos.

[Ober51]

AK, great set up, just so impressive. Not only that, but I can show my girlfriend that I am not "obsessed" like she thinks I am. Again, sweet space.