FLYMPH FORUM

HERE'S AN INTERESTING INQUIRY. I HAVE NOTICED THRU THE YEARS THAT CERTAIN TYERS SEEM TO COLLECT CERTAIN ITEMS. FOR EXAMPLE, I LIKE TO COLLECT HACKLE PLIARS. NOT A HUGE COLLECTION MIND YOU BUT I LIKE TRYING NEW MODELS AND OLD ONES TO SEE HOW THEY PERFORM. I AM BRANCHING OUT INTO DUBBINGS. IT'S WAY MORE AFFORDABLE TO PICK UP A FEW SAMPLE PACKS OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF FURS AND THEN GRADUATE TO THOSE REALLY NEAT ASSORTMENTS OF DIFFERING COLORS IN THE PLASTIC FLIP TOP BOXES.
SO, WHAT IS EVERYBODYS FAVORITE "COLLECTIBLE" ITEM? IT'S NOT LIMITED TO TYING STUFF. IF OLD REELS OR RODS OR BOOKS ARE YOUR THING, THEN TELL US!
I HOPE EVERYONE IS ENJOYING THE SUMMER WITH FISHING AND TYING AND EXOPLORING AND SUCH!
LET US KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS,
DOUGSDEN

Feathers.

Yes, feathers, natural fur and books. Although I have recently bought some old boo rods and now I am refinishing them.

Bobbin holders and dubbing.
Funny thing is though, for all I have I habitually use the same two or three!

400 odd fly fishing and tying books. Have 16 of the books listed in Nemes' "Two Centuries..." and working on number 17. Want to also eventually get every New Zealand published fishing book. (Mainly the old and expensive ones to get now...) Have almost every Fly Fisherman magazine and a complete collection to date of the (new) Flytyer magazine. Always on the lookout for the old Flytyer and have a fair few of them also.

Love older "blue collar" fly reels and have a decent collection of them. Amongst them is an attempt to get a complete collection of J W Young fly reels. Thats a WIP.

I'd like more 'boo and glass rods (6 of them) but few and far between down here for good quality ones so I covet my mint Phillipson MF76L Now THAT was a find.

I collect books, dubbing and lately I have been collecting a number of game bird skins that can be used for soft hackle flies.

FELLOWS,
THANKS FOR THE REPLIES ALTHOUGH I AM A LITTLE LATE IN RESPONDING TO THEM. THERE SEEMS TO BE QUITE A RANGE OF "COLLECTABLES" WITH ALL OF YOU AND THAT'S REALLY COOL! I WOULD LIKE TO EXPAND MY RANGE A LITTLE...INSTEAD OF MY MID-RANGE!
THANKS AGAIN ONE AND ALL,
DOUGSDEN

I seem to be collecting a lot scissors. They can't ever seem to be sharp enough. I also collect a lot of water bottles, they are way better than cups... spill proof!

1940's-1950's vintage military officer's watches, mostly Omega,Tissot, and Zenith. Nearly all manual wind and functioning. They are like vintage cars though, they might run great, but I use my cell phone to double check the time. And then there are the 1960's and 70's Lamy minimalist fountain pens. It's nice to collect something that doesn't take up a lot of space. I did just buy my second guitar...could be a trend.

By far the most extensive collections though are soft-hackle and dryfly skins, and furs on the hides. I honestly try to keep my accumulation to a minimum, but its hard to pass up a great soft-hackle skin when you find one.
All the other fly fishing tying stuff just happens and I have more of it than anything else. Books, tools, materials. It's hard to beat the joy of getting on some kick like dubbing mixes or quill bodies. The thing I wished I collected more of would be fishing permits. I do need to get out more.

I have a good collection of bodkins. Even have one with a buffaloe tooth handle. Also collect old telegraph sounders, those things that go clickrty-click in the train depot of old westerns.