cheap tying accessories

[skiltonian]

I use old wine cork and allegater clips to hold / dry flys after tying (left of photo) and at the dollar store I bought a salt shaker and filled it with a brillo pad to act as a scraper to get head cement / epoxy off my bodkin (right of photo).

 

[tomgamber]

I have a bodkin cleaner like yours except mine is an old film canister filled with steel wool. I also keep an old worn out toothbrush to pick out dubbing. I keep beads in a shot glass.

 

[osprey]

I like this kind of topic , resourcefulness is cool , I use an old bore brush (gun cleaning) to brush out , pick out dubbing , gonna try a toothbrush though , if you have access to old toys check out girls make up kits for like barbie dolls , the little brushes and combs from those are nice. I made a real nice bobbin rest for my Regal pedestal vise with a section of coat hanger and a binder clip.

 

[MKern]

I use a popsicle stick with velcro as a dubbing teaser.

I bought a thick piece of foam and cut a small square. Then cut and "x" in the center. This slides over the shaft of my vise. I cut slits in the edges and my flies get slid in the slits to dry. Products like this sell for up to $10 -- cost me about 3 cents and 3 minutes.

A cat flea comb makes a great streamer brush.

 

[tztrout]

Those of us who have younger kids-those clear rubber bands use to hold toys in their boxes-action figures,vehicles etc make great
backs for scuds czech nymphs-wing cases for cj's

 

[AlwaysWading]

Cheap doesn't always mean poor quality, more times than not it simply means less expensive.

We fish steelies with our guide, who of course has all high end equipment, waders, wading boots, etc. Much of it comes free from the companies he deals with. I've watched my one friend use one of the guides $800 rods during the dead of winter and see it snap in half after hauling in a steelie. I'll be hauling in the same size and amount of steelies with my Cabela's LST and knock on wood no breakage.

High end doesn't always mean you tie better flies, you catch more or larger fish, or you are a better fly fisherman.

 

[tobewan77]

Empty Remington rifle shell containers make great tool holders.

 

[RLeep2]

Unless you're one of those people who sucks your thread up through the bobbin tube (which works, btw), a good bobbin threader that will never score the inside of the tube is a simple floss threader they sell at drug stores for people to floss under their bridges. You get like a dozen for a couple dollars.

I first came across these when I was looking for something to open up the vent holes in my hearing aids. ( I used to use my wire bobbin threader for this) They often get a little wax in them, get clogged and then its feedback city.

 

[osprey]

I just love this kind of thing , trout fishers and fly tiers have to be some of the most resourcefull folks in the world , i just came up with a hellgramite imitation using leftover latex from my prosthesis , i'm an amputee , if this thing moves the way i want it too i think i got a winner , the point i'm trying to make though is how resourcefull you all are , in the past posts on this thread there are five things you all mentioned i can't wait to try. COOL.

 

[Festus]

Short of a compass, this is the next best thing for getting perfectly matched wet fly wings and perfect width on wingcases for nymphs. It's an Exacto knife with a ground down paper clip inserted. Simply adjust the clip to the width that you want.

 

[osprey]

Festus...........now that's a cool tool , did you come up with that? Did you name it yet? I'd call it a divider. NICE!!

 

[Festus]

Wish it was my idea, but it's not. I picked it up from Poul Jorgenson when I seen him use it at a demo he put on. I thought about naming it Poul Tool, but there was just something about that name that didn't sound right.

 

[TLoomis]

I sneak into the makeup cabinet and steal the clear nail polish. It works as good head cement/wing casings. Its like a clear laquer

 

[sdwaters]

A couple of years ago I got 200 yards of double strand chenile (olive and black) at my wife's favorite craft store. It's not the highest quality, but the wolly buggers I've tied with it catch fish. The best part is I got a life-time supply for $2.

 

[crs5942]

I got a mustache grooming kit for $7 at the grocery store the other day. It included a small comb for combing out underfur and fairly nice scissors that are every bit as good as my $15 pair. I suspect that these items could be purchased for a few dollars cheaper at walmart or a similar store.

I also make ceramic dubbing threaders with small cooper wire. Simply take a 6" piece of wire, fold it in half and twist the two two halves while leaving a small loop at the closed end.

I hunt deer, turkey, and small game on occasion. I also have many family members that hunt. I often get furs, feathers, and hairs for free. Make sure they are cleaned and cured properly so that they do not smell but otherwise they work well for tying.

I have also gotten huge sheets of foam at the craft store for $1-2. These work well for tying large terrestrial patterns.

 

[NoMoreCornChuckin]

I know several tyer who get about 75% of thier materials from AC Moore and Michaels (craft supply) stores. Chenille, tinsel, marabou, even feathers, including pheasant tails etc.

 

[PoconoPuke]

I've been using Sally Hansen "Hard As Nails" clear polish as head cement. Just thin it with a little acetone and your good to go.
It gets almost as hard as epoxy and I use it on the wing case of my Copper John's. Beats working with messy epoxy and you don't have to worry about the cure time. No waste, no fuss.
Someone should let John Barr in on it.

 

[gfen]

Huh, I don't tie copper johns because I don't want to be bothered with the epoxy. I'll have to give that a shot.

As to 75%? Nah, but anything I can find at a craft store I buy.

 

[jjsjigs]

I bought a flea comb at my vet for .50 and it's the best comb to use when you need to get the underfur out of a bucktail or comb out craft fur.

 

[jjsjigs]

I like your Poul Tool Festus