Custom Portable Fly Tying Kit (Warning - Photo Laden Post)

[Ron Eagle Elk]

Ray,

That's just about perfect as is. My only problem is that I'd have to put everything back where it belongs. Not my strong suit. My portable tying kit is a medium sized suitcase that I hunt through whenever I want to tie away from home. You'd be surprised at the goodies I find in there.

[letumgo]

Jeff - You should have seen the material show-and-tell we had at Roscoe last year. We (William, Bill, Doug and I) could have easily started a new soft hackle specialty fly shop in town. We each had bins of material. Select items were pulled out, held up and the question asked "Have you every seen this before?" I was astounded. Bill showed me a greenwell hen cape that was amazing. William is a master of efficiency, in terms of his travel kit/tying station. I learned a lot (and freely copy his example). There is a lot to be said for William's minimalism approach. I learned a lot, just seeing how others deal with their materials. After lugging all of my stuff into the museum (multiple trips to the car), I realized I needed to create a more compact tying kit.

Thanks Kelly. I'm glad you liked the kit. The binder pages make this easily adaptable. You can get all kinds of different sheets (baseball card holders/business card holders/etc.). I was excited to find the film strip holders, since they were perfect for holding zonker strips/flash and pheasant tail/peacock herl. I like the fact the sheets are crystal clear, so materials can be seen form each side. Makes finding the materials easier in the binder.

Ron - I don't think you would need to put away your materials each time. My intention, with creating this kit, was to only add a sample of each material, which could be left in the kit. The dubbing is just a few pinches of each color, pulled out of my dubbing boxes. The zonker strips are just one strip, pulled from each pack. The flash are duplicates of stuff I bought, not realizing I already had it at home. I have a set of paper cards, each containing five feet of Pearsall's Marabou silk (color and numbers noted). This hardly touched the material left on the spools, so not need to put any of this away. Only the skins/hackle will get put back into plastic boxes each time. My thinking was to create a kit that was mostly ready to go, as-is. I could then replenish the kit after a demo/trip, depending on what gets used.

[DUBBN]

One of my best fishing buddies is an engineer. He does the same thing. Makes the best looking and most practical fly tying kits. Makes the rest of us look bad, but we still fish with him. Well done Ray. If you ever get out here, I will introduce you to your Colorado twin.

[letumgo]

Should I bring my pocket protector?

[DUBBN]

Should I bring my pocket protector?

Yes, and be prepared to be designated driver!

[letumgo]

[Mataura mayfly]

Jeff - You should have seen the material show-and-tell we had at Roscoe last year. We (William, Bill, Doug and I) could have easily started a new soft hackle specialty fly shop in town. We each had bins of material. Select items were pulled out, held up and the question asked "Have you every seen this before?" I was astounded. Bill showed me a greenwell hen cape that was amazing. William is a master of efficiency, in terms of his travel kit/tying station. I learned a lot (and freely copy his example). There is a lot to be said for William's minimalism approach. I learned a lot, just seeing how others deal with their materials. After lugging all of my stuff into the museum (multiple trips to the car), I realized I needed to create a more compact tying kit.

Greenwell capes are to be treasured if you have good ones, just like good Coch-y-bondhu ones.
As long as we all learn from each other we are doing well with each meeting or visitation to the forum, knowledge sharing is a pretty cool thing.
To save multiple trips to the car, invent something along the lines of a golf trundler that all your gear clips to and you wheel it in. Like a pull along suitcase, but for fly tying ensemble.

[Kelly L.]

I have a huge plastic toolbox that I take to tying shows. (especially the Toledo Bend Rendevous) Good grief that thing is heavy. I never know for sure what I will tie,so I bring more stuff than I'd ever need. One thing that makes it heavy, is the big huge magnifier I have with base. Tying lamp, huge electric cord etc...that alone doesn't leave much room for anything else. I found a great zip up binder that I had put up. I also found one that WAS my daughter's. I just may decide that is my inventory too. If she doesn't claim it next time she comes over, and sees my green one sitting out...the blue one will also be used. I would like to put all my dubbing in one of those zip up binders. Now that would be wonderful. I might actually be able to find some of it, without going through mounds of it. The only thing is, these holders don't hold a whole package of dubbing. Maybe a baseball card holder sheet would. I also want some of those negative strips. Where did you find that Ray? The photo shop here probably has it. But if they do, it will be EXPENSIVE. I think I will search Ebay for that, when I get more money. Right now I have procrastinated on making more Tups dubbing. I have used a lot of that I had in the baggy, that was Ray's blend. I cannot believe how many flies I've tied. Well Ray, I sure do appreciate this thread. I just have to do something very similar. No doubt about it. In a couple of months, I will also have a cool tying kit....hehehe.

[letumgo]

Jeff - Now your talking! I was thinking too small. I gotta think BIG! Maybe I could add wheels, and an espresso machine.

Engineers! Jeese...

Kelly - I found the photo negative holders at my sons college bookstore. They were in their art section. It looked like they had been there for a while. I don't know if there is much demand for negative holders these days. Most folks have switched to digital photography. If you look around on ebay, you might be able to pick these up for a song.

EDIT - ADDING ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
The negative holders are made by a company called PrintFile (http://www.printfile.com) and listed as archival preservers (style 35-7B).
http://www.printfile.com/35-7bpackageof25.aspx - Twenty five pack goes for $7.40.

The slide holders are made by the same company (Style No. 2X2-20B).
http://www.printfile.com/2x2-20bpackageof25.aspx - Twenty five pack goes for $10.55

Link to Dealers in Texas:
http://www.printfile.com/texas-dealers.aspx

[DUBBN]

Jeff - Now your talking! I was thinking too small. I gotta think BIG! Maybe I could add wheels, and an espresso machine.

Engineers! Jeese...

Would a six pack of beer weigh as much as an espresso machine?