Dubbing Junky

[DOUGSDEN]

Hello Everyone,
I have to laugh at myself, and you can laugh along if you wish 'cause this may strike a chord or tickle your funny bone, for the other day when I was pawing thru my dubbing box, it suddenly hit me that I may possibly be....a dubbing junkie! The plastic shoe box in which I keep my prizes is not very big and even if I stack all of the zip-lock bags on their sides and turn them back and forth to gain room, I still have a few extras that can only be stored flat ways on top and now that's even starting to press the lid upward so it won't snap closed anymore! I propose a dubbing swap!
I guess I am the victim of advertising and packaging. When I look at look at the packages hanging there on the store pegs crying out to me to take them home and try them, I get all soft and mushy and walk out with at least three or four packages of life altering dubbing that up until that point, I did not know I needed. Maybe it's that fix that all junkies need to make it thru until the next fix. So much for impulse buying at your local flyshop!
In defense of my surplus, I would venture to say that nearly ninety percent of these bandits were bought "as needed". A dozen or so of a particular pattern for your best bud so off you go. Not to insult your tying junkie friends, you almost have to pick up a "snazzy pack" of triple sparkle genetically engineered rabbit blaster dubbing or the friends pattern would not be right! Back to the shop you go!
What started this idea was a search thru the overstuffed box for a simple pack of hares ear dubbing to start some march brown spiders. It turns out that I found six practically new packages all the same color and nearly all the same brand! I am not going to blame anyone else but dummy me for this one!
Are there forum members reading this now (and hopefully laughing a bunch) who are junkies with other materials or tools or feathers or such?
All in good fun,
Dougsden

By the way, I almost forgot,this does not include the many dubbing displays that now have their own special box to live in!

[chase creek]

I believe I might have the same monkey on my back, but unlike you, I can quit anytime I want, really. It's easy, I've quit many times.
All I can suggest is that you try and get into some sort of a program and attend the meetings on a regular basis. I did (several times) and I'm pretty sure it had a positive effect on my life.
You might also try substituting something else for the dubbing; like thread or hooks.
What ever you decide, know that we here are all behind you 100%.

[hankaye]

Hello, my name is hank and.....

Doug the next meeting is at Art's fly shoppe in Maryland,


hank

[letumgo]

I have a serious dubbing "habit". My collection includes a full set of pigs wool dubbing... That's like the champagne & caviar of the dubbing world.

[Old Hat]

Sounds like there is only one solution Doug. You need a new pair of shoes.

My problem is buying in bulk and then having more than I'll ever need. I do this with hooks and dubbing material.

[Hans Weilenmann]

*quiet chuckle*

Not me

Never me

Really

[tjd]

Doug,

Only a shoe box full?

Sounds very, very, familiar!

Best,

Tim

[Mataura mayfly]

I am laughing , not so much with you- but at you!
Just one bulging box of dubbing? The sickness has not taken a good hold yet!
Last count, hanging from nails in the ceiling beam above my own tying bench, there are no fewer than five full Aussie Possum pelts (each a slight colour variation to the next) from which a pinch or clip can be taken for the pattern at hand. Next to them there are two different full Hare pelts and one full rabbit pelt. All within easy grasp.
Then there are the bags, some small snap top plastic..... others a bit larger. Most contain bulk supplies of natural sheeps wool (straight off the sheeps back- not from balls of yarn). Then there are the tanned hides (these are the ones I can divide and send overseas), the large supply of yarn that can be "chopped" for dubbing that swell several boxes (I did have then all in one 120 litre plastic storage bin...... but it got too small and the one I wanted was always at the bottom).
After that there are two rather large drawers on my tying desk, packed to the point of where things have to be compressed to slide the drawers shut. One contains commercial dubbings of a natural kind, the other synthetics.
Then there is another drawer full of gifted (many from within this very forum ) dubbing blends of some very exotic (to your average Kiwi tier) animal furs and hairs.

Then there is the freezer, in which there are "yet to be processed" hides of all manner and description (hunting by-products) that are yet to be tanned (for gifting) or air dried (for personal use). At this moment in time there is about 1/2 a full Jersey Heifer pelt in the tanning bath along with several possum skins........

Dubbing- I am NOT short of. ..... but there might be some out there I do not have....... just for that one "special" pattern!

[letumgo]

That reminds me, my dubbing collection also includes wallaby, wild cat (thanks Jeff) and musk ox (thanks Bill) and whole bunch of tiny multi-colored mole pelts.

[fflutterffly]

The problem is universal dearie, so don't think you are alone. My tying materials have their own desk, 5 drawers, each drawer designated as feather, dubbing, fur, etc. Then there is a completely private three drawer cabinet for pheasant/foam/yarns/misc. The pheasant tails, since longer than the drawers are all pegged along with my packets of flashback, rubber legs and flashabou. I have been working steadily on reduction, but it seems fruitless. It's an mess, honestly I'm tired of it all. Isn't there a simpler way? Oh right… buy them already tied. Not an option.