Preparing your Bench for a Tying Session

Preparing the tying area can be an important step in tying flies. Doing it correctly can save time and energy that can be focused on crankin...

Preparing the tying area can be an important step in tying flies. Doing it correctly can save time and energy that can be focused on cranking out some flies.  Getting into a routine that is efficient will make tying easier for years to come.

Now I don't always follow these rules.  I can spend 20 minutes tying one steelhead fly, but that is a different tying session all together.  This is how I prepared my desk so that I could easily bulk up my box and have it full when spring time rolls around.

Have a plan

An organized box is the first step

Don't just sit down at the bench and casually think about what you should tie.  Before you sit down, know exactly what you are going to tie, how many, what size, what variations.  Keep track of your box and make a list of what is short before you get anywhere near that bench.  Some anglers go so far as to make a blueprint of what goes where in their box, down to the color and size of every last fly. I wasn't quite so attentive during guide season, and was usually good with a couple of dozen of most of the sizes and patterns that I liked, loosely thrown into semi-straight rows in my box. Some guys go minimal with the boxes and the amount of flies on-hand, but there should always be plenty of those productive, go-to patterns.

Have a Place

Prep materials first. Condiment cups are really useful

Not everyone can have a permanent area set up with a fly tying desk, but I would make it a priority to find one if you want to take tying seriously.  Getting all of your equipment out and set up on the coffee table is time consuming and not very motivating, but that's how the cards fall sometimes.  Being able to spend the least amount of time getting materials ready is one of my goals when I am tying trout flies, and having a place all set up beforehand is so very nice.

Have a Number in Mind

Plan on doing a bunch of whatever you are tying.  Try to knock out all of the buggers you will need for that lake trip, or all of the Parachute Adams you might need for the spring time. Whatever it is, you should be prepared to finish a set of flies and be ready to move on to a different pattern next time. I only want to tie that pattern once this year, so I hope to get enough done in one session to satisfy my need for the whole season. 

Have Materials Ready

Try to figure out what you are going to need for your session.  Cut the ribbing wire into little 3 inch sections, pull a good chunk of dubbing out of the package, put the brass beads on the hooks first and choose the right hackles that you will need.  Put them in order on your desk so you can easily pick the materials out as you need them.

Have Proper Receptacles

I've use little cup to put each little chunk of material into before I tie.  They really make life easier.  The cups that our dry flies come in work great.

Waste basket - a.k.a. the Peacekeeper

Get a waste basket.  Just do it.  Cleaning up little chunks of marabou stuck to the carpet is really annoying for everyone in the house.  The waste basket really saves time and good will between housemates.  Griffin makes a nice one you can find here.

On that note, try to keep all materials in their original packaging, and put them back into that packaging when done with it.  It really makes staying organized easier.  

Have Tools Ready

I hate trying to find the hackle pliers after I already tied in the hackle tip.  That goes for all the tools.  Finding each tool individually at the beginning of the session will save time and frustration over having to tear apart your desk to find that tool that would have been easier to find five minutes earlier.  The Tool Caddy is a great organizer for tools, wax, head cement and all of those other little knickknacks.

Stay Focused

Know where your tools are before you need them.

It is really tempting to tie three pheasant tails and then decide mid-session to switch it up and go with a flashback hare's ear.  But that is time wasted getting materials ready, putting them away and making a mess.  Especially when we both know that more pheasant tails are needed for next weekend anyways  Finish those dozen pheasant tails.  Flashback hare's ears can wait until the next session.  We are trying to be efficient, and to fill up a fly box.  Think of it as a long term project instead of a one hour session that ends.  The project involves filling a box and that box needs at least a dozen pheasant tails.

Organization is key

Plastic bags work great if that's your thing

When you do want to move on to a new pattern, variation or when you are finished with your session, it is important to put it back where it goes.  Every time.  I am not the greatest about that either, and I curse myself every time I can't find that key material quickly because I left it out and then shoved it in a random drawer.  There are a ton of organizing products and methods, get whatever you need to stay organized.

One thing I have found that is very useful is corkboard.  I put a little 12' x 12' tile of it on the wall behind my tying bench.  If I find a pattern that the fish are on and I know that I will be tying a bunch of them, I will pin those key materials to the corkboard so that it is really quickly accessible when I sit down.  There was the summer that I learned about ice dub.  That pearl ice dub was pinned to that cork for three solid months.

Drawers can get messy quickly

Another tip is to clean those drawers out.  I have a dubbing drawer, but for some reason, flash materials and rabbit fur tend to end up there.  I go through the whole desk several times a year and relocate materials back to the correct drawers.  That is a lifesaver when it's crunch time and you need to get those last patterns tied up before you get out the door.

Stay Hydrated

Fly tying should be relaxing.  If it is not relaxing for you, we sell flies here.  So make sure that you take your time and are prepared for a tying session.  That means staying hydrated and staying loose in some cases.  Remember your coasters and that marabou sticks to the outside of a wet whisky glass.

Andrew Perrault
-Fishing, usually not catching