I Oughtn't To Be a Fly Tyer (But Can't Afford Not to Be)

[Billems]

I'm not bad at tying flies. In fact, I'm rather proud of the quality of my dries and wets. Yet, still, if I was rich, I'd have some personal tyer so I could quit.

Why would I want to quit tying, you ask? Do I hate the labors involved in fly tying? Nope. The problem is that I'm a disorganized slob. My tying table looks like someone
blew up a grenade in a cage filled with rabbits and chickens. I bought plastic shoe boxes. I bought those trays shelved in a cart. I bought zip lock bags by the boxful. But I remain pathetic in my slovenly torpor. The trouble is, I am the ADHD poster boy. That's right, I'm a kind of low-level celebrity when it comes to being disorganized and clueless when it comes to all those spools of thread, the fifty boxes of hooks, the beads, fur, biots, feathers, antron and zelon, the hundred packs of dubbing, packs of cdc, 30 patches of deer and elk hair.The rest of the house is spotless, due to the organized mind of my wife. Imagine Martha Stewart as married to Oscar Madison. I'm lucky she hasn't stabbed me in my sleep!

 

[Airborne]

The more organized the better flys you will tie like any set of tools or work space ,neat helps a lot. You spend money on those materials may as well take care of them ,i tie everyday and cannot sit at a messy bench ,i use somthing then put away , thats me just how i am but some feel better in different workspace ....besides if you cant find somthing you will re buy it again ,lol
For some reason the week of thanksgiving i pull everything apart,every draw ,box shelf. Inventory and oraganize. Takes a whole day but its nice to have done , then i start re buying new materials going into winter season
David

 

[Billems]

Yeah, but that's YOU. I wish I was like that. I'm one of those dudes who'll buy a notebook in order to be more organized...then I'll lose the damned notebook. Tie a string to my finger to remind me of some task I need to remember, then later that day, I'll look at the string, and can't for the life of me remember what it was for. We all carry our crosses, Man!

 

[Tigereye]

I am forever organizing and reorganizing my desk. I'm kinda anal when it comes to it. After every tying session i spend 5-10 putting things away and cleaning up. Making sure everything is in place for the next sit down. I find that as mentioned above the neater your desk, the neater your fly. Also you will be more efficient when it comes to tying. No wasted motion or time looking for things.

I also keep a small notepad at my desk and write down any materials that get used up and need to be replaced and what it was used for, ie XS Gold wire for PTs and olive perdigon. It becomes my shopping list when I go to fly shop or Christmas wish list.

 

[troutpoop]

I have no choice but to be organized. The dog is always snooping around at the interesting stuff dad is doing. If I leave the desk for 5 minutes to get a beer she's in something. I find it the next day in the yard. I've lost lots of colorful things, not to mention expensive hackle necks etc.

 

[Dave_W]

Disorganized slob here.

My unabashed opinion is I'm an excellent tier and I tie a lot of flies (maybe not quite as many as in the past). My tying desk, nevertheless, is a shambles with materials piled up and incoherent. There aren't many of us who share our fly tying tables. If this were the case, I'd have to clean it up. . . but it isn't. As a lifelong clutter bum, I know where the stuff is I need. Of course, after awhile, I'll grudgingly clean up and put away materials just to open space, but it doesn't take long for it to pile up again.

It's better to be organized, but don't let this get you thinking you shouldn't be a fly tier.
Keep at it!

 

[Kevin82]

As a lifelong clutter bum, I know where the stuff is I need. Of course, after awhile, I'll grudgingly clean up and put away materials just to open space, but it doesn't take long for it to pile up again.

Glad I'm not the only one.
I have a little slab of marble on my desk that reads, "A cluttered desk is a sign of genius.

 

[Mrangler]

I have found over the many years I've tied flies that being organized and staying focused on a particular pattern is the only way I can tie a fly that meets my standards. I cannot have materials lying all over my desk for other patterns and be productive. It's weird but that's how I function. Every one has there own way of doing things. Disorganization is not one of them .

 

[poopdeck]

I’m not sure how a neat desk helps to tie a better fly. My desk is between the desk of a neat-nick and a cheap skate. my desk itself is not a desk at all, it’s just a 2 by 4 work bench. My tying station is a portable desk my dad cobbled together 20 years ago from fairing strips and plywood. He had not one ounce of wood working skills nor did he own many power tools. Point being, my tying are is far from attractive when it is spotlessly clean. My materials are organized and I put everything away when done but I like to keep usable scraps on my tying desk and only throw them away when it starts messing with my feng shui.

 

[wbranch]

I'm very particular about my tying desk and like to clean it at least every other tying session. Keeping the drawers and top organized is important to me because I can memorize the whereabouts of all my materials and it makes it more pleasant to tie. It's not too cluttered but I was in the midst of a tying session when I took the picture.

 

[Billems]

My plan--if I have the guts for it--is to get rid of at least a third of the materials I have and reduce the number of spools of thread. Then, of course, I'll regret it and start buying more material, ad nauseum.

 

[CRB]

5's not worth it too much $$ in supplies.

 

[DGC]

I used to be sloppy. But my new place is half the Sq. ft. of my old. Better organization and cleanliness is mandatory. One of the many benefits of downsizing.

 

[tomgamber]

5's not worth it too much $$ in supplies.

I look at tying like buying a car. You can either wait until you get to the stream/shop and shell put big bucks for enough flies to get you through a trip or you can spend a little here and there for supplies along the way and just go when it's time. I'm still using 10 and 20 year old ingredients at times.

 

[CRB]

I just tuck it away into plastic shoe boxes and pull it out s needed. Some of my materials are over 20 years old.

 

[wbranch]

Some of my material, like a quarter neck of jungle cock is fifty years old. I only use it when the mood strikes me to tie Maine brook trout flies.

 

[poopdeck]

I have materials inherited from my father. I might spend 50 dollars a year on materials and that’s mostly hooks. Fly tying materials last long and cost little. Fly tying hoarding is expensive. Fly tying impulse buying is expensive. Fly tying as art is expensive. Tying flies just to tie flies is expensive. buying expensive fly tying tools is expensive but need not be. Tying flies to trout fish is cheap. I like to say I have thousands of flies to be fished just waiting to be assembled. I’ve never purchased a fly. I don’t sweat losing flies, I don’t go swimming to retrieve snagged flies and I give them away like candy. At this point in my life it feels like flies are free.

 

[wbranch]

Every year I give away a couple hundred flies.

 

[laszlo]

I'm very particular about my tying desk and like to clean it at least every other tying session. Keeping the drawers and top organized is important to me because I can memorize the whereabouts of all my materials and it makes it more pleasant to tie. It's not too cluttered but I was in the midst of a tying session when I took the picture.

Now, that's a desk.