How to store flashabou

[Peter F]

The little plastic band that has been holding my flashabou securely since I bought it has slipped off. I guess I should have expected that to happen as I consumed it *G*

Now it is all over the place. Any ideas on how to store it nicely. Of course a zip lock bag will contain it all, but I would expect it to get a bit tangled over time.

Thanks.

Peter F.

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Peter F
www.fishingwithflies.com
pfrailey@hotmail.com

[Diane]

Peter, good morning. You could try a small plastic tie.. the type where you pull one end through the other and it has a locking click-click sound.. what are they called???

Anyway, small versions of them are available at radio shack, walmart, hardware stores, etc. I use them and then I have it all on an Oasis Chenille Center.

Hope this helps.

[RonMT]

Stop buy your local fly shop and see if they have the right size ziplock bag. I bet they will give you one for nothing as they should have some. I buy those bags by the hundred for just such a reason. I have ton's of Flash-A-Boo and I store it in the bag it came in and then in a large Tupper wear type of box. I also have a holder thatI have many colors that I use on my desk, You can buy those from a fly shop to. Ron

[Buddy Sanders]

Peter,

First, you need something to hold the strands together, otherwise, as you mentioned, it will get tangled up. A twist tie works well, since you can periodically tighten it as you use up the strands. So will a small wire or 'zip' tie as Diane noted.

After that, you'll want to keep it away from dust and comtamination, so you need some type of container. The bag it came in, of course, will work. So will a similar size 'long' zip lock bag. Hard to find though. Another option is a plastic box that's long enough to lay the stuff out in. You really do want to try to keep it straight, if you can. This depends on length, but it should fit in one of the 'shoe box' sized ones. Available for around a dollar at most major discount stores like WalMart or Target.

If something that isn't 'fishing intended' won't work for you, those Plano clear plastic tackle storage boxes come in several sizes, and both the 3600 and the 3700 sizes have models with the trays going lengthwise that will hold most stranded flash material.

If you have to have something 'made for fly tying', the fly shops and catalogs are also selling little tree like stands that are designed to hold flashabou and krystal flash.

Depends upon your needs and tastes.

I prefer the high tech storage solutions from the folks at Glad (a high tech storage systems design firm leading the way into the new melinium). They have these amazing new container systems that come in a variety of sizes, labeled by volume, that close with ingenious integral devices. I find the 'gallon' ones hold LOTS of stranded materials.

Good Luck!

Buddy

[ducksterman]

Nice tip, Nick...

What Diane said ...they are called cable ties...available a lot of places but I suggest the 99cent store and get the small ones..[one of the few decent uses for the short ones]...

Another way to store them is using a tie rack...another thrift store item....

[BLUEWINGOLIVE]

Try this:

[url=http://www.tyerstubes.com/flash_tinsel.html:568cf]http://www.tyerstubes.com/flash_tinsel.html[/url:568cf]

Joseph

[troutgeek]

Hey -- I actually made something for this. use the cable tie, and then store them in a ZDO bag. Actually, I should not advertise in this way -- but you asked for ideas.

[kengore]

I store my flashabua in it's original plastic package. I don't remove the whole skien each time want some material, Instead I clip off the corners of the bag near the cable tie. When I want some material I use a bodkin or point of my scissor to tease out a few strands then clip them off close to the cable tie.

I mostly use just a few strands at a time for ribbing or a little added flash in a hair wing. This method lets me pull just a few strands with out creatuing a birds nest, and since the quantity of material in the cable tie stays the same the bundle stays nice and tight.

[RickB]

I pull the plastic tie that comes with the material through a drinking straw. The fatter ones that you get at some fast food places are better than the thinner ones that are more common. I generally cut the straw in half or thirds first. You can then pull a few strands out ae you need them and everything is nice and neat and compact for storage.

I wish I could remember where I frist saw this so I could give credit, but I alas I don't.

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Fish more, work less!

[RonMT]

I just spray all of mine with Static guard and I am done with it. Real easy to do. Every tier should have a can on there desk. To spray hair and anything that gets static in it. LOL Ron