My Own Worst Enemy

[ScottP]

Things I do/don't do that drive me crazy when I get on the water:

forget to mash down the barb on the fly - especially with small hooks, my forceps aren't the most efficient tool to use; the pliers I have on the tying bench are, as long as I use them. I've gotten pretty good about taking care of this before I even tie the fly but I there are some barbed flies in my boxes

forget to clean head cement out of the eye - again a product of being sloppy/careless/lazy at the vise; this usually comes back to bite me when I'm trying to thread on a #18 Iris Caddis in semi darkness. Until I got some nippers that had the little needle on the back end, I'd have to pull a used fly off my hat to clear out the hook eye

forget to clip off leader from the hook eye - instead of using those nice nippers I just mentioned, I usually just bite the fly off leaving that little tag of mono, which I then end up having to remove in semi-darkness or when the fish rises look like a hailstorm on the river

I'm not even going to go into keeping my fly boxes in order

Regards,
Scott

[ohiotuber]

--Hint: For those who have no "needle end" nippers, just use another hook point to clear the eye.
--I also infrequently encounter a barbed fly that I missed & you're right, the forceps I carry on stream are not nearly as capable as the Dr Slicks I have at my bench.
--Fly boxes orderly?..... ..I AM getting better!
--Biting through mono?....That makes me cringe, but sure helps the Dentist's pocketbooks. Nippers ONLY for this old guy.
Mike

[quivira kid]

Trying to mash barbs with a forceps is why I now carry a cheap pair of needlenose pliers in my vest! Also good for removing hooks from catfish.

[anglerdave]

I'm good about mashing the barbs down before I tie, but terrible about cleaning the head cement out of the eye before they go in the box. I never ever use my teeth in place of nippers. Ever!

My bluegill and smallmouth boxes are pretty well organized. It's my dry flys for trout that need help. But I am getting there.

Dave

[GrayGhost]

Mashing barbs I carrier a Gerber multi tool at all times so no trouble there
Biting though tippits with my teeth, are you nutt's nipper or my handy dandy pocket knife works for me
Organized fly boxes that only a dream lol
Ghost

[jimmadsen]

My biggest one is admitting upfront that I'm going to spend more time trying to unravel that big tangle in my tippet with the fly on versus just cutting the fly off, untangling it and tying the fly back on.

Inevitably it takes 1/10th the time to cut the fly...but that's admitting defeat, kind of like stopping to ask for directions.

[flyfishingfanatic]

I am guilty of everything that has been mentioned here...except for the bting off a fly with my teeth.
I have solved some of the problems though, I don't use head cement any more. I have finally trained my self to not tie the flie
until I have pinched the barb. I to carry a multi tool, I find it comes in handi for getting the flies out of my clothes...don't ask.
I have to admit it has been tough giving up on those windknots, it is like admitting defeat, but I concole my self by thinking that is more time I have to fish.
I did take time this year to organise my fly boxes, that didn't even last a day.
It is nice to know that I am not the only one who does this stuff.

[brhoff]

About 4 years ago, one Meorial Day I got caught up in a Crappie frenzy, I was catching one on every cast...seriously while wading the edge of a local impoundment.

I had all day, literally to fish...all day...all.

I strated at 6:30 am and was catching and catching. Then I caught a tree, yanked the fly out and it stuck my right forearm...it was still barbed.

I went home, trimmed off the the shank coming too close to the bend, I guess. The hook end simply disappeared into my arm...went back fishing.

Called the DR. the next day. He won't touch it without X-rays...surgical consult, ettc since it's no longer visible..

Taped it up and waited for infection signs, never happened and about 8 months later the remainder came to the surface and popped out.

Don't reccomend my method but I was lucky it worked and never had more than a red pin ***** spot on my arm.

It was a #10 mustad

[bdesavage]

You are supposed to keep Your Fly Boxes organized

[Bluegill222]

An organized fly box is a sure sign you aren't fishing enough!! Mine get organized at the end of the season (IF it gets cold enough here to freeze the water and therefore "end" the season ). The rest of the year I'm too busy fishing to stop and sort flies.