Currently this area including the links below is

UNDER CONSTRUCTION.

Your patience is appreciated.

Part of the series ReadMARK&Learn. On this page you will find help on tying skills (kindly created by Mark Griffiths). A set of information designed to aid the fly tier. Help in understanding the materials used, the tools and how to use them, building the skills to tie flies, plus jargon busting. Fly Dressing is a vast subject, offering interested people a fascinating hobby, which can be quite daunting for the beginner. The following hopefully will be of some use.

PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING ARE CURRENTLY NOT OPERATIONAL FOR TESTING PURPOSES.

Tools

Here is a link to a Fly Dresser Guild Article for beginners on tools, types and what is required etc..

Just starting? Tools of the trade

Here is an IMH(B)O (In My Humble (Biased*) Opinion is a brief summary of Bobbin Holders:-

There are many types and many price brackets of Bobbin holder. Some of these are reviewed* as follows:-

  • This is a Rite Bobbin Holder with Ceramic Shaft. It has an adjustable wheel to control the tension.
  • This is also a Rite Bobbin Holder but has a Stainless Steel shaft and IMHBO is not good as it often cuts the thread.
  • This is a CF Bobbin Holder and is excellent but difficult to load the thread and expensive.
  • This is a Smhaen Bobbin Holder & is great and is expensive.
  • This one is cheaper and has plastic top and bottom of the shaft, which can be difficult to thread through.
  • This one is nice and I like the brass middle which is great to hold and control the thread.
  • This one uses springy arms to create and control the Bobbin under tension.
  • There are dedicated Bobbin Threaders or some people like to use a tooth flossing tool.
  • Even Wire can be attached if on a Bobbin.
  • A Stonfo one armed Bobbin Holder. These have a tensioner which often comes undone. Thus making it fit for very little. However I have added a piece of plastic (small hook bag) to the “disk break”
  • and it seems to have sorted the problem!
  • Here are some Bobbin Needles. Easy to make with a 7.5mm 2.5″ darning needle or a hat pin glued to cork for a handle and stuck in a cork so as to be easy to access. Even cheaper is a toothpick with a rubber band wrapping. Bobbin Needles are also used to apply Varnish.

  • * The views and reviews above are NOT Fly Dressers Guild’s nor Surrey Branch of the Fly Dressers Guild’s opinion; BUT are mine and mine alone. I being Keith Robertson tier of Ugly Buggers & web Committee member. If you don’t agree with me fine; submit your article for consideration by the committee (I answer only to them).