Fly Tying Purchases: The Good, The Bad, The ???

JimNovo said:
The ???: the non-fly tying item that really works well for you in your flies?
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I use and UV LED nail lamp for UV curing. I don't need to hold the light. Just put the fly on pin cushion under lamp and hit the button. It doesn't need batteries like the little UV cure flashlight type thing. Works for me👍
 
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The Good:
I agree with 100 packs of hackle. Also standard fly tying threads, except uni-thread.

The Bad:
Uni-Thread, Sewing thread.

???:
Sewing thread.
 
Good - probably my Renzetti traveler that I got in the mid 90's. I don't imaging I'll ever have a need or desire to replace it.

Bad - I'm probably one of the few who can never work a Materelli whip finisher. I can do it by hand and use a Thompson style just fine but everything goes to hell with the Materelli style.

Non fly tying item...probably Sally Hansen Hard as Nails. That stuff has always worked well as a head cement and my wife knows when I've run out because her bottle disappears.
 
When I first started tying in the 60's using sewing thread and any cotton material was a cardinal sin. Then in 80s/90s? Rim Chung was all the rage with his midge larvae tied with sewing thread and later his Plebby fly tied with sewing thread. (his RS2 is a great fly as well) It took a long time for me to try these, but they are simple, easy to tie, cheap and effective. Then Midge Magic came out and had effective midges tied with cotton embroidery yarn. Once again, effective, cheap and simple. Plus sewing thread and embroidery yarn come in dozens of colors to match anything that swims.

Of course, now I have a bag of Coates and Clark sewing thread and DMC cotton embroidery yarn.
 
My worst purchase was my Regal Vise. $550 for a vise and base and it serves the same function my $100 Apex vise I started tying on served.
 
sgrim said:
...Bad - I'm probably one of the few who can never work a Materelli whip finisher. I can do it by hand and use a Thompson style just fine but everything goes to hell with the Materelli style...
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Sgrim:

The problem many folks have with a Matarelli whip finisher is the "arm" assembly spins around in the handle as opposed to the Thompson style.

The trick is to extend a finger on the hand you are using to hold the whip finisher, (I use the same finger I flip at bad drivers ;)) beside the narrow thread notch portion of the whip finisher just above the handle to keep if from spinning when you hook the thread.

Leave that finger there to keep it from spinning while you form the "triangle" of thread. After the triangle is formed you move your finger away and the arm will flip over and you start wrapping with the arm assembly spinning in the handle.

Here's a picture of the tool & original instruction sheet (like the one I learned from). I marked it up to help explain what I am saying:

Matarelli Whip Finisher Copy


If you DON'T immobilize the arm assembly with a finger initially it just spins around and you'll sit there wondering how in the world people can use them.

If this is the mistake you have been making, give it another whirl while giving it the "finger." :)
 
sgrim said:
Bad - I'm probably one of the few who can never work a Materelli whip finisher. I can do it by hand and use a Thompson style just fine but everything goes to hell with the Materelli style.

When I first started tying I could nit use the whip finisher to save my life. I Could actually whip finish with my fingers better than I could use the tool. Kept plugging away at it and one day it just clicked! Now it is totally unconscious to finish flies with the tool.
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Thinking back over time, I can’t think of any bad fly tying purchases that I’ve made. I have acquired a number of items, however, that I’ll surely never use (like a set of wing burners, mentioned earlier). I’ve also acquired a lot more fly tying material than I’ll ever use (like a dozen or so Whiting and Metz grizzly saddles and capes, for example) that is surely an overstock, but not really BAD purchases, unless you‘d believe what my wife would tell you.

I have some fly tying purchases that I consider my favorites. Near the top of the list are the Craft Mates storage bags that I have. They are zippered bags with carry straps and handles that I use to keep hooks and beads in. I’ve got several of them, and use 2 of them for storing hooks, and 1 for beads (which is probably what they were primarily designed for).

My wife made labels for the plastic containers that fit inside the cases, so I can easily find whatever size and type of hook or bead that I‘m looking for. Here are a couple pictures of how I keep some of my hooks in one of the bags.

6182E6CC 6BAD 4311 8DD8 3075722EB947

2123B762 9540 4776 840C D7734C9B3BE1


Another item that is near the top of list of my favorites is the Smhaen dubbing twister that I got just last year. I have a couple other dubbing twisters that work okay, but that dubbing twister is far and away my favorite.

Here’s a video that explains its use, if you’re not familiar with it:

John

P.S. I also have a never used Matarelli whip finisher that I’d be happy to sell to anyone who’s looking to buy one for slightly less than the $270.00 one recently sold for on EBay. (I wouldn’t call this either a good or a bad purchase at this time, but if I could sell it for $200.00+ it would surely move up the list of my favorite items.)
 
Bamboozle said:
The Best:

I have three to list that I bought in bulk on the cheap, cheap and now they are either discontinued or too expensive to buy in the quantities I did so I feel like a genius. (y)

Gudebrod Fly Tying Thread - In a ton of colors in 3/0 through 10/0. It is my hands down favorite thread and all I've used for a LONG time. I stocked up on the cheap after they went bankrupt. ;)

Whiting 100 Packs - From size 12 down in a bunch of sizes and colors you can't even get anymore. I literally have hundreds of 100's packs. I was snapping them up at $6.00 - $8.00 before the hair craze so I am set forever with dry fly hackle.

Frank Matarelli Bobbins & Tools - The first bobbin & whip finisher I ever bought were Matarelli and they have been with me ever since. Around 10 or more years ago I added a BUNCH to my collection, especially the bobbins (long tube, regular & midge) since I like to keep more than few loaded with thread so I don't have to swap spools. Frank is gone and the company is out of business.

Have you seen what real Matarelli stuff goes for on eBay? :giggle:

The Worst:

Pettijean Magic Tool Set - I bought this set after seeing it demonstrated someplace. The only magic thing about it was how it made my money disappear. The only good news is I didn't pay anywhere near what they get for them now.

BTW - I've never used it...

The ???:

Toenail Clippers - I tie & fish a lot of foam beetles. My process involves first pre-cutting diamond shaped pieces of flat foam. I tie in the foam by one diamond "point," build my body and pull the foam over and tie it off at the other diamond "point."

I have this pair of toenail clippers I got somewhere about a 1000 years ago with the PERFECT curvature to clip the points on the sides of the foam to give it that PERFECT beetle shape. Most other toenail clippers I've seen have a much shallower curve and would require more clipping to get the same result so I guard this pair with my life! :)
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I got a Magic Tool set for a Christmas gift and did nothing with it for the longest time. I have found the material clamps to be useful if you are splitting thread and making “hackle” out of cdc or fur. The table clamps or whatever they are called work well if you want to fold a cdc feather before you grab it with a clamp. There are other ways to do this but the tool set ain’t all bad IMO.

As far as bad, I think UV resin is highly overrated. I use it once in awhile but think it’s way overblown. Maybe it’s the appeal of hitting the wet resin with a UV torch to cure it.
 
Good: 3D ep fibers, for $10 there's plenty of material to tie with, perfect for anything from chub to bluegills imitations.

Bad: loon UV resin and UV flashlight. After a few uses, the threads are completely stripped and useless. Even when it worked, it took multiple minutes to get the resin the cure. Complete waste of money.

?????: Craft foam from anywhere, just as good as the name brands
 
The good: Renxetti Traveler vise
The bad: materials I bought and have no idea why.
The ??? Tie between foam from various electronics purchases and empty [prescription bottles
 
The good: my old Dorin bobbins. I hate using boobin threaders.
The bad: My old Metz hackle, which rolled as you attempted to wrap an adams. I'm sure they're no longer wrapping like that. Hope so.
The ????: Whether such a disorganized person like myself ought to be tying at all. My wife says my table looks like a picture of the inside of my mind.
 
Good: Whiting dry fly saddles. They are so far ahead of any neck hackle I've ever tied with.

Bad: Cheap scissors. I had a couple pairs before my Anvils (which aren't particularly expensive) that were miserable to use.

????: Paint brush tails. I found a brush at the local hardware store that had bristles exactly like micro fibbers. I tie virtually all my tails from that brush. A sharpie can make them any color I desire.
 
Good: A Norvise absolutely love the bobbin,

Bad: bonnie craft cord it made me buy a dubbing brush table.

???: 6mm foam from the craft stores. 4XL Lockables bead containers I use them for my hooks and beads.
 
good - renzetti traveler vise

bad - tungsten wire for weighting flies. its like winding a spring.

bad 2 - useless fly tying products that are a solution looking for a problem

??? - crazy glue
 
The good: I bought this ArtBin tote a while back (10 years?) and it has been invaluable for organizing the key elements of my tying. I’m able to keep all my frontline thread, hooks, beads, eyes, wire, tools, and more in this tote. Coupled with a small bin I throw my vise/light/tying materials in and I’m fully portable with two items. I don’t keep my tying materials set up at home, but instead keep everything neatly stored until I’m ready to do some tying.

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Good: Grasshopper embroidery scissors - super fine blades that are perfect for cutting tying thread and for trimming stray hackle/hair fibers

Bad: Zap-a-gap - I get really tired of gluing my fingers to stuff.😁

Also bad: I have a Loon "ergonomic" bobbin that just won't hold the spool very tight no matter how much I try to adjust it.
 
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