More from A.K. Bests', Advanced Fly
Tying, chapter on Saving Time:
26. An additional small-parts cabinet is a very
convenient place to keep boxes of hooks you use
most often. I put dry-fly hooks in a column
of drawers, beginning with #24 and 26 in the
same drawer at the bottom of the column, working
my way up with #22 and 20 in the next drawer,
then #18, 16, 14, and 12, each in its own drawer.
I put nymph hooks in the next column, streamer
hooks in the next, long-shank dry-fly hooks in the
next, and miscellaneous hooks and sizes in the last
column. Label each column with the hook manufacturer
and style, then label each drawer with hook size. All
your hooks are within short reach and easy to find.
27. Purchase the highest-quality tools and materials
that your pocket will allow. Both will allow you to
tie great-looking flies with increased efficiency.
You simply cannot tie good-looking flies with
inferior meterials or tools.
28. Tie at least one fly every day.
In other words, get organized and think methodically.
All the above ideas will help you establish a rhythm
to your tying, and rhythm is the key to consistency
and production. Some of the ideas outlined above
may seem a little awkward at first - but so
did learning to tie your own shoes. I'll bet you
can do it without thinking now.
Finally, you must remember that we all have good days
when everything goes better than we expect. Enjoy them!
Then there are those days when nothing seems to go right.
Relax and struggle throught it, because that will be
your tying rate for the day. Or just tell yourself,
"To hell with this, I'm going fishing!" ~ A. K. Best
Please check out the Fly Tying Section, on the Bulletin Board, here at FAOL too.
If you have any questions, tips, or techniques; send them to
publisher@flyanglersonline.com
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