This is an unsolicited endorsement of a great fly tying aid made by the 3M Company
called Post-it Note Pads. I use this product almost every time I tie flies.
It helps to hold material that would be misplaced in-between uses. It
helps to sort and hold material as I prepare it for mounting on the
fly hook. It can be used repeatedly with no residue being transferred
to the fly material.
Have you tried to tie a fly pattern that calls for two different materials
in the tail? Did you have problems mixing the two types of barbs for an
even mix? Were the ends matching so they were all the same length?
How about once the tail was tied in were there too many or too few barbs?
As an example, the dry fly Adams Fly calls for a tail that is half brown
hackle, and half grizzly hackle. I rip some hackles off of each type
feather, and place them on the Post-it Note Pad. The feathers stick,
and I can then sort to get the correct amount I need. The others are
not wasted, I use them on the next fly.
I then place the selected barbs on a different part of the note pad.
I repeat the previous step for the other color hackle. Then I place
this second set of barbs on top of the first set. The two different
colored sets are mixed and aligned. I then place the
combined bunch on the hook and tie it in.
There are other uses that mirror the above, saddle hackle, quill segments;
the possibilities are endless.
A excellent example: To remind you the date of your wife's, Wedding
Anniversary. (hint: It is the same as yours!)
Please check out the Fly Tying Section, on the
Bulletin Board, on FAOL too.
If you have any questions, tips, or techniques; send them along.
Someone else thought up most of this material before we did,
they just forgot to tell anyone about it. Or else we just
forgot about it, while learning something else. Let us
share with each other, all the things we know!
~ Steven H.
McGarthwaite ParnelliMN@aol.com (Chat Room AKA Parnelli)
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