No, I have not given up my day job and begun pursuing a career
in the operating room of some prestigious eastern hospital,
though the thought is enchanting.
Nor am I going to demonstrate the correct method to employ
forceps in the removal of a fly from your catch.
Rather, I would like you to consider this ubiquitous streamside
essential as a tool which should be equally at home on your
tying bench.
There are a number of fly tying operations which can be made
easier, safer, neater, or even more productive by the use
of forceps at your bench. So start thinking about some
of them now. You will save yourself aggravation, and
actually do neater work as well.
For example:
Many of us use five minute epoxy to coat our flies for both
fresh and saltwater.
We may have a rotary vice, we may not, but, they are not
the best tool for the application or rotation of epoxy as
it dries. Your forceps are!
If you dip your dry flies as some of us do to enhance their
floatation, how do you dip them into the floatant? Use your
forceps. They will grip the fly so you can't drop it. They
will keep your fingers out of the floatant. Of course if
you want your fingers to float, you may want to get them
into the soup.
Do you trim deer hair?
I like many people am forced by a medical condition to
ingest daily a chemical called coumadin. This is a blood
thinner, which really thins things out very well. It helps
keep those of us who use it alive, and provides us with
excitement when we do cut ourselves.
Whether you do, or hopefully do not, ingest such compounds,
consider using your forceps to hold your deer hair bugs when
you trim them to shape. They will hold the fly securely,
can be rotated to any angle you need in order to "see" what
you are doing, and most importantly to my mind at least,
they keep the razor blades at a safe distance from my flesh.
These are only a few of the uses for forceps on your tying
bench. I encourage you to think of more uses, and to send
them along!
If you have any tips or techniques, send them along, most of this
material has been stolen from somebody, might as well steal your ideas
too!~ George E. Emanuel
(Chat Room Host Muddler)
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