Fly Tying Alergies

I hit the fly tying bench last night after a month hiatus. As I was tying, I started sneezing and my nose started to run. My wife suggested I was allergic to some materials I was using. (I took it as a ploy of my wife to get me away from my tying bench and get something done around the house). I am hoping I am just catching a cold. Since this has never happened to me before, is there anyone out there that developed allergies from the feathers or furs used in tying flies? The prospect sounds tragic to me since I do not want to go on medication in order to tie up some flies.
caribe

Caribe,

More often than I would like it to happen I will sometimes get into a sneezing fit (anytime I sneeze around 10 or 15 times in one session I call that a fit) when I am either sorting through a whole lot of flies or doing some tying with various materials. To my knowledge I normally have no allergies but obviously some chemical is being used on some flies and materials that my nose responds to in a negative manner. I try not to touch my face when I am handling these objects and I always wash my hands after touching them. It sure isn't going to stop me from enjoying my favorite pastime.

Larry ---sagefisher---

It might be an allergy or it might just be a bit of fluff from feathers etc...
Strictly in the spirit of scientific enquiry, of course, try a session of fly-tying during the day to see if the problem recurs. Preferably after running the vacuum to remove lingering allergens. You might be allergic to some pollen or other. IIRC, tree pollen generally releases at night and grass flowers generally release pollen during the day. So if you start to suffer from hay fever at night, especially when away from your tying bench it might be tree pollen. Your local TV weather report or newspaper might carry a pollen report.
Regardless. I think you need to do some more fly tying, strictly in the spirit of scientific enquiry, of course. :)


Regards,
Ed

Hi Guys,
I thought maybe it was just me having this problem but every time I tie using rabbit I suffer sneezing fits as well....10-15 sneezes before it stops for awhile. I am thinking maybe I should try a session at the outdoor picnic table to see if that makes a difference. But then my allergies are in full swing as of two weeks ago.....running nose and itchy eyes, sneezing etc. OTC meds just make me sleepy.
Gerri

A very common allergy is from deer hair trimming.

It is usually after a long term exposure.

Regards,
FK

gerri,

Tying outside is always a kick, or a trick, depending upon which way the wind is blowing all of your feathers and dubbing and hairs and................:)

Larry ---sagefisher---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gerri

every time I tie using rabbit I suffer sneezing fits as well....

---

That's what does it to me. I love hare's ear as a tying material, but I suffer when I use it.

I've about come to believe that as the older age creeps upon me, I've become more allergy sensitive. Not only with the fly tying materials, but while mowing the grass and this spring's pine pollen gave me fits for a week or so. As for the fly tying, now with the warmer weather, I've moved the "operation" to the back screened in porch rather then in the little upstairs hide-away retreat.

Hey guys. I think you are all missing the point. The problem is that you work at your bench so infrequently that there is a huge accumulation of household dust that you are disturbing. You must be more active.

I don't tie but do have an "allergy" thing. For a couple of years now I have been using generic Claritin (sp) -loratadine- and I think it helps. Non drowsy. Don't have stopped up sinuses anymore. Take one every morning. The generic is much less expensive than the Claritin. Sam's Club is the best deal for me. You might consider trying that one of these days.

George

This is a bit scary. A fly tying allergy possibility is much more common than I thought. When the sneeze attack occurred, I was making dubbing from zonker strips in a coffee grinder. I will go “back to the bench” to see if I react again to the rabbit fur. I was also using marabou and that can be really fluffy too. The search for the cause will continue and I am not going to give up tying and let the dust collect on the bench.
caribe

You might try wearing a dust mask for woodworkers and see if that helps. If it just irritation from inhaling particles it should do the trick.

A dust mask sounds like a good idea. I want to stay away from the medication if at all possible.
caribe

I have had allergies all my life,,, Severe, with a capital S, to most kinds of animal dander and to a lesser extent, fur. Dogs are strictly off limits to me, to the point of contact causing hives and swelling, asthma, eyes turning red and swelling, etc. Sometimes just being around people who own dogs and leave dog residue on their clothes causes me problems. When I did a lot of coyote hunting, I had to wear a mask, gloves, and goggles when handling them. A sneezing fit ain't nothin'....

Rabbit fur dubbing is strictly a no-go for my flies. Learned that early on. Thank God for the amount of synthetic materials we have today. I use that as another excuse, other than the weight of soaked fur, as to why I don't like rabbit strip flies. Actually the strips aren't too bad, but dubbing? Forget about it.

Stay away from allergy meds? Yeah right, I wish. When I was a kid, I started on the "desensitisation" road with a shots which were supposed to help, dam' near killed me. The meds have come a long way for offering relief without the side effects of the older - but very effective - stuff like benadryl.

The dust mask will probably not help if the problem is serious allergies but sneezing without other symptoms makes me think that the problem might be irritation similar to inhaling pepper.

I tied some flies last night without the rabbit fur with no allergy symptoms. I may have found the culprit. Thanks for all the suggestions. The zonker strips, hares mask, and rabbit dubbing are now in sealed containers. I can live with not using rabbit as long as I can still use squirrel. Here in Wisconsin not being able to tie pink squirrels would be downright tragic. :)
caribe

I run a special air cleaner. On top of that, the Doctor found that I do have Contact Dermatitis. I have to use two types of creams (prescription), and am supposed to wear cotton gloves at night. All of this has not stopped me from tying since that is my side business and a passion. As to outdoors, I find that I breath much easier up in the Mountains. A lot to be said about good clean Mountain air !!!!!!!!!!!