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I am looking for Ideas on putting together a travel kit for tying. I am not talking about a one type of fly kit,I want to be able to tye any kind of fly I might need not just the basic fly, I want to know what you put to gether and how many box you take, I am looking for ideas on handleing my stuff on the road.
Ghost
I have an extra "AA" vise with a table clamp that fits inside a plastic box about 18"x12x6, with plenty of extra space. I've been able to a lot of stuff in it by putting feathers and other soft material in bags, and keep spools of thread on a dowel to keep them organized to one side, I've even been able to put a whole plastic dubbing dispenser in there. You can get small plastic containers to keep hooks in or just leave them in small bags. But if I were to cut back on some of the materials that I don't use alot I could probably keep the whole thing in a shoe box. It may end up lacking in a few things but I've been able to tie most things that I've wanted to out of it. You can probably get a plastic box with a snap lid at a craft store or walmart or something
I keep all my Flash Materials and EP Fibers or anything that comes in Hanks or even like peacock herls etc., in clear plastic tubes with red end caps and they work great for storage and would be handy for traveling.
Here is a start where they can be purchased;
www.uline.com and or just call em at 800-958-5463 might be able to find some on ebay.....they are Clear plastic shipping tubes with red end caps.
here is another place; http://www.cleartecpackaging.com/
This is my "ready for anything" kit. Cabelas doesn't make this particular bag anymore, but any roller duffel will work as long as it will hold the 3700 size Plano boxes. I sort my materials by type (i.e., Feathers in one box, fur in one, hooks in one, tools in one, synthetics in one, and so on). Seems to do pretty well for most situations I find myself in. If I'm traveling light, then I just pull out the boxes I'll need and go.
Attachment 5418Attachment 5419
I'm with Bluegill. Mine looks very similar, though not quite as neat. VEE and I each have a travel case like that. When we hit the road we can outfit a small fly shop.
REE
Well,
I am struggling with the same delimma, and have not come up with an answer except to buy a trailer for my car and put everything in it.
I went to Yellowstone this year without a tying kit... left my security blanket at home. I did take a couple of thousand of flies that worked in the past. That didn't help my anxiety. But still caught a lot of fish.
Maybe next year I might take a kit of tools and hooks, Stop in a good fly shop in the area, ask what flies are successful that time ,that month, that year, buy a few, and then buy the materials needed to tie those patterns,
After 18 years of packing a kit for Yellowstone I still don't pack the right materials
If you solve the problem make sure to tell me
TomW
I don't see the kitchen sink in there, isn't that a big mistake?
You have everything else ;)
Thorarinn
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bluegill222
The sink is in one of the front pockets :D
Hello GrayGhost, i needed a permanent yet portable setup for my shoddy attempts at fly tying and when i mentioned this to wifey, she surprised me with a cube shaped storage made of 1" pine that had a flop down door and shelves. Everything i had at the time fit in the cube and though i've got 'overflow' now that is kept nearby, the materials are all represented in the portable heavy duty box. It measures about 15" wide, 11" deep and about 13" high. The door is hinged, there's a fold down handle on top and when she built it, she added a fancy door pull like you'd see on an antique desk drawer or such.
Cheers,
MontanaMoose
Sounds good. How about a few pics.Quote:
Originally Posted by MontanaMoose
When I travel I keep my tools in a old hanging dopp kit. It has slots for most of my needed tools & enough storage space for my Odyssey vise & some small plastic bags of materials I think I'll need. If I'm going to the cabin in Maine or anywhere by driving I just throw it & anything else I think I'll need into a small backpack or Duffle
Here you go FISHN50
Attachment 5528
Cheers,
MontanaMoose
i dont know if these are still available but this seemed like a good system for traveling
fly hive
http://www.flyhatch.com/xq/ASP.produ...EC/product.htm
Fishpond's Road Trip bag suits me. holds a travelling Renzetti, and bits and pieces of everything else. i took out some of the various containers to make more room. BTW, soda straws cut short make great holders for little bits of dubbing, say enough for 4-5 flies. that way you can carry almost any shade known to man or trout.
One can travel with just a basic kit or get as sopisticated as your able to tote along. I have two fly tying systems (or kits), the one at home that has about everything I can possibly use, and another basic kit that all fits into a small tackle box for travel. The later is used for "repairs" and tying some basic flies and usually is used at the campground picnic table or at the table inside my little popup camper.
When heading out with the little popup camper, the theme is packing light. Unbelievable all the jun .... eh, stuff ... that I want and try to drag along!
Thanks for the pics MontanaMoose. My wife can't make me one so I guess I'll have to do it myself......
I think that many of us who either teach, give demonstrations or want to have the ability to tie while on a trip have gone through this same kind of search. I first used this by Plano then went to a FishPond Coyote bag. There is definately a balancing act to be had between taking too much stuff and not enough. Good luck finding your own perfact balace point.
This is a less expensive option than the FishPond approach: http://www.bearsden.com/product3273.html
My travel kit is the size of a small computer bag, and is in fact a make-up case from the drugstore. I have also seen similar in Michael's Crafts for folks who make bead jewelry. Both kinds of bags have several pockets or sections for tools and materials. In it is my vise and all my tools.
Otherwise I have made some decisions on what flies I will tie on a trip. They will either be size 16, or size 8 and I have also decided that I will only tie in colours of white/cream, light brown, and dark brown, which cuts down on volume. I have 6 spools of thread, which can help vary the colour of any fly as well. I have enough tied-fly inventory to cover most situations, so if I NEED to tie a fly it will have to be approximate to the 'hatch' with what I have.
I use size 10 window envelopes (no need for labels) for a selection of materials. A few different dry fly hackles in one, a few various strands of flashabou in another, another with some short lengths of antron/phentex, etc. I also have a small patch of deer, some dubbing, ? of a bunny mask, a chunk of bucktail, part of a hen cape, a piece of pheasant feather, some peacock, etc. So I can tie about 20 of any fly, or 20 different flies, but I can't tie 20 of 20 flies. The longest trip is a week, and if pressed I can BUY flies.
So this pack can go anywhere, and if I want to tie up a special fly (one that I only MIGHT encounter on a trip or an experiment for ‘later’), it is easy enough to put the correct materials for that fly in a small zip-lock and tuck it in the pack as well. The trick is to not leave it there, but take it out when home – finish the ‘special’ fly if necessary – and return the travel pack to ‘standard issue’, ready for next time.
This is a huge problem for me every year when I go out west for two weeks. Always another fly to tie. I take a kit----ship it actually-----that I think contains everything necessary but I always end up buying a few flies or materials to tie with. Part of the fun actually. We discussed next year only being able to take a dozen flies to start and tying as we go. Put some pressure on to choose the right ones to start and get us tying right away to restock the boxes.
I just got a Plano 777 tackle box, and I think it's gonna be perfect for a travel box after a few modifications!
About ten years ago, my wife bought me a chest from Orvis - where I keep the vast majority of my materials and tools (except for the vise which I throw in a bag). I do have some overflow which I keep in a large tupperware container. I throw 'em both in the back of the truck and I'm good to go.
If I'm flying, I figure out what flies I'm likely to need, and bring only those materials - and tools - necessary to tie those flies. Throw it all in a plastic bag.
I used to go the "only the materials I need" route, but now I carry as much as I can, albeit in small quantities. Just this year I was ambushed by an unexpected stonefly hatch and helgrammites in a stream where they weren't supposed to be. Guess what the fish were feeding on. The nearest fly shop was three counties away, my tying bag was in the truck. If I hadn't brought the extra stuff I'd have been blanked, as it was I had what I needed and we caught some really nice fish all week. Flying of course is a different story with what airlines are charging for luggage. In those cases I just carry every fly I own, and don't worry as much about tying.
GG,
How can anything that has been described in this thread be classified as a 'kit?" A shoulder bag, a shoebox even a tiny suitcase can be classified as a kit. But the things you all have described here are more akin to a steamer trunk. When I go on the road for a fishing trip I leave my home at home.
rw
rw
Well i'm glad you were inspired and i'll be sure to let my wife know. As an aside, the box is strong enough to double as a camp stool and i've used mine as such a few times.
Cheers,Quote:
Originally Posted by FISHN50
MontanaMoose