The Northern California Fly Fishing Board

I had limited space for a fly tying kit in our car on a recent trip to Oregon. I tried to include as few materials as possible for tying generical trout patterns. Here's what I brought not including hooks and tools.
One spool cream colored 8/0 thread
pheasant tail
peacock herl
#16 grizzly dry fly hackle
brown marabou
olive marabou
partridge
light colored elk hair
lead wire
fine gold wire
olive crystal flash
grey dubbing
cream dubbing
olive dubbing
With this short list of materials I was able to tie nymphs, emergers, flatwater dries, fast water dries, and streamers. Including my vice it all fit in a 4" X 6" X 2" Tupperware box. What's your travel tying kit like?

mike b wrote:
What's your travel tying kit like?

I don't know, but I need to get it together before I leave for a three-day trip to Yosemite tomorrow AM!
Looks like a good list. I will tweak mine a bit since high Sierra is more attractor dry territory.

Buzz

Mike,

My vice won't fit in a 4*2*6 box, but aside from that, I think my kit is going to look a lot like that. I would add a piece of grey fox fur, because I like the guard hairs for tailing, and maybe something for white wings - can't think of anything else I'd need.

Thanks for the idea

mike b wrote:
What's your travel tying kit like?

Usually everything I can cram in the car. I have never been successful "just bringing a few things".

Mike,

I got fed up with carrying my materials in old cigar boxes and paper bags one day when I was tying at a remote campsite on the East Fork of the Carson River- in 1987. A big wind came up and I was chasing feathers, dubbing and other assorted stuff as it blew into the water. When I came home, I built a box from "1/2 plywood around one of those vertical plastic box set ups with pull out drawers. I split the box so it swings open and faces me. On the left side of the box, I installed two trays for holding all my tools. I also installed a fold down section to hold a block for my (then) c-clamp Thompson vise. Sanded and varnished the box on the interior and exterior and added snap closures and a leather carrying handle. I used a full length piano hinge at the split on the back.

It worked just fine when I hauled my trailer behind my rig ( partially seen) here:

http://pla...ss.com/2008/05/lenas.jpg

I put it in storage in 2004 and switched to a soft heavy cloth bag ( 16x9x12) with four pockets on the outside that my oldest daughter recieved at some poker convention in Vegaz. I carry EVERYTHING in it including all my tools and a Renzetti Traveler.

Now, I'm looking around for something just a bit larger since I display OCD when in the materials section of ANY well stocked Fly Shop...



PT/TB

get a 3 ring binder, x-large size.

They make zip lock bags that fit in a 3 ring binder.

Put materials in the bags, they are clear so you can see what's in them.

Easy to change materials to suit the trip/location.

Get a 3 ring slide slide holder, put dubbing in slide holder,

If you want to get fancy, make a cloth bag to hold 3 ring binder.

Paul

I carry a middle sized suitcase. If it's too big for the car, kick out one of the kids. If the wife complains, kick her out. Fly tying materials are too important to leave at home.

I was never much of a travelling tyer, but a friend of mine is, and he takes a zipper-closing three-ring binder like Carpy suggests , and puts baseball card protective sheets in it. He tucks wads of dubbing, hook baggies, lengths of tinsels and yarn, hackles, and all the other necessities in the individual card holders, and with about ten pages, he was well-stocked. He took larger feathers such as peacock herl, duck quills, etc, removed the useless tips and excessive fuzzes, and taped them together at the bottom of the rachis with masking tape. He then taped that to the inside of the binder flap to prevent flyaways. His scissors and bobbin were clipped into the rings (he used a tiny little spool like they use on sewing machines), vise tossed on top, and the completed binder was zipped shut, ready to go.

I'd do that myself, but what would I do with my baseball collection? I've been collecting Orel Hershiser cards since 1987, and that's not to mention the thousands and thousands of others I picked up along the way!

none at all..

Just in invite UC along

Paul

ps: Leave wives, mistristaies (boy I sure misspelled that!!) and girl friends at home

I think Carpy wins the prize for the best suggestion...bring UC!

As I recall, Phil, you seem to have dang near the entire Wapsi and Spirit River product lines with you on the road. You and UC together must be quite a pair! LOL

One can NEVER have enough fly tying equipment!