The only time I use a background is when I am shooting a dressing hooks article for a given fly pattern.

Depending what materials you use and their color, have a great deal with selecting the best background for the image.

My backgrounds are big sheets of 2mm foam. Sometimes I use a light green, other times a light blue. Other times it is a bright yellow, orange, or red.
Then other times it maybe a tan, brown, or even black.

All walls in my fly tying room are painted white, my desk top has a white matting, and there is plenty of light all over the place. This helps me not only with my photography but with my dressing hooks.

CD in the player for some non-obtrusive background music.

I recommend you read one of Al Campbell's articles that touch on this subject......

~Parnelli