I love the tips. I also use many of the tips mentioned here such as the gerber food containers, the magnetic square on the base of my vise. A few more that I would like to share are:
1. Dryer sheets (such as bounce only cheap ones) work really well when tying with hair or if the environment is extremely dry as it is here in Northern California.
2. The drying wheel is critical. My father made one for my step Mom and one for me using a BBQ rotisserie motor. It works so incredibly well and the motors were actually scavenged from BBQs that had been thrown away.
3. Wine Corks... These little buggers are such a useful item. I use them to put flies on as they dry, I use them to protect my bodkin tip (and myself) and for dozens of other things. I also cut the corks in half and clue them to a picture frame so I have a way to display some of my flies. It actually looks very classy.
4. Hemostats, like a doctor uses, are very useful tools. I use them as tools to hold things, I use them for that extra flash that I only used part of. etc..
5. Tic Tac boxes work really well to house beads, cone heads and any other small parts. I have found some plastic bins at the dollar store that will hold the tic tac boxes so they too are organized.
I could go on and on as I love tying flies but I also love the challenge of seeing what is out there that can be used or reused that was never intended for fly tiers. I also agree that a fly tier never throws anything away. LOL I look forward to additional tips, tricks and quirks from anyone who is willing to share. :) Happy Tying to all!
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