Lordoftheflies
BY LOUIS FEROX THE rivers are dropping back to normal levels and it seems the torrential rain has stopped.
Currently, the majority of river levels on FishPal are steady or falling.
The rivers Annan and Nith are continuing to fall, so anglers have the chance to enjoy a cast on the first day of their salmon season.
If you are out this weekend, you might well get a shot at showing off your catching in the snow.
I’m on a bit of a mission to finish up my fly-tying desk.
A couple of sessions has filled a box or two but left a lot of debris in their wake, so last Sunday was spent commandeering Tupperware, making a shopping list and sifting through tangles.
A quick look online and you’ll see what a tying room is meant to look like.
Check out the image above from one of the Vision Pros and you’ll see what I’m aiming for.
After moving in a couple of years ago, I’ve got round to clearing a space in the spare room rather than risking a row for varnishing feathers on to the coffee table again. A dedicated tying space will hopefully keep peace in the household if you share it with someone else – this could be the single most important benefit of having one.
A lot of fly-tyers know, your material collection starts small and compact enough to fit into a few boxes. Then, over time, the number of boxes increases and it’s like unpacking a room each time you want to start up again.
When I had less gear, I would set up on the kitchen table with overhead lighting and have at it. When I was done, it often looked like a small bird blew up on the table. It didn’t matter how careful I was, I’m not tidy enough to contain my mess to the table.
Inevitably, debris, including hooks, would end up on the floor, only to be tracked elsewhere into the house.
And it turns out the quickest way to find a hook on the floor is to walk around barefoot.
Once you have somewhere to tie, it is critical to have a well-lit workspace.
Give careful consideration to lighting – access to natural sunlight is a bonus but failing that, an artificial light source will do the trick.
I have noticed as the years pass the need for well-lit workspace has become more and more critical for my aging eyes, so a proper lamp and magnifier seems to be a necessity now.
The key to getting better at anything is repetition.
It’s simple – the more you tie flies, the better fly-tyer you will become.
Having a dedicated tying space with your tools and materials at the ready will allow you to tie flies more often.