5. Magnetize your bodkin and needlenose pliers. This will make picking up tiny hooks a breeze!

6. Keep several bobbins spooled with the colors and thread sizes you use most often. It save the time it takes to spool a bobbin with new thread each time you tie a new pattern.

7. Learn to use a bobbin cradle to keep the bobbin from hanging down in the exact spot where you don't want it when you're wrapping a quill or, worse yet, while you're hackling a dry fly. By having the bobbin well out of the way, you'll be able to focus your attention on a single act rather than two at once. I don't like bobbin cradles that are attached to the upright stem of the vise, because the thread length changes each time I rotate the arm of the cradle. I prefer a freestanding bobbin cradle that attaches to the bench with its own C-clamp. If you can't find one or don't want to spend the time making your own, a plastic iced tea glass with some weight in the bottom works quite well. ~ A. K. Best

To be continued!