To the untrained eye my fly tying desk is a shambles. I would prefer to call it an organised shambles but yes, it does look a mess.
I needed something that will catch the offcuts from my flies and somewhere I can put my tools so that they are not lost under the wreckage of capes, dubbing packs and packets of hooks, beads and threads.
Enter the Fly Tidy. Machined from one piece of highly resistant white plastic it nods to something from a Scandinavian uber cool design studio rather than the more traditional wood look we associate with fly tying furniture.
The pre drilled holes will hold fly clips for your finished masterpieces and the also allow you to store your tools too. The larger circular recess is the perfect place to hold your varnish. I have lost count of the number times I have knocked over my varnish when tying flies and so it sits snugly here staying upright at all times.
If you plan on tying a number of a certain pattern the key is to have all of your materials ready before you start. The oblong recess is a great place to keep the hooks and the area just left of the vice will hold hackles and dubbing. I can knock a dozen flies out quickly and easily with everything to hand.
Attaching my vice was simple, just slide into the slot and tighten the screw. Job done. The fit was excellent and there was no wobble when I was tying.
Although I am not one of those people who carries a tying kit with me on trips that often, the Fly Tidy did fit into my travel tying bag easily and would be easy to pack on a long road trip.
My Fly Tidy sits on my tying desk and the weight (just under 1kg) along with the non-slip feet mean it is going nowhere.
Here is another big plus and one that dispels the “it’s just a tray” myth. It is big enough to sit on my lap (45cm x 27.5cm x 2.5cm) so I can tie when the TV is on and remain in the same room. I have tied many flies with just a tray and although my vice is stable the slightest move means that all my tying accessories slide to one side of the tray, or worse still off the edge and on to the floor. With the pre drilled holes everything remains stationary and where it should be, so now I can sit in the same room as Emma and knock out a few flies while pretending to enjoy Strictly Come Dancing. You can’t put a price on this.
Now, when I move the Fly Tidy from my tying desk I know all of my tying gear is already there. I just need to add any materials. There have been many times I have forgotten to put hackle pliers or scissors on the tray. No need to worry about this now.
So, should you buy one? The answer is a resounding yes. It does exactly what it is supposed to do, is a pleasure to use and has helped make the war zone that was my tying desk look respectable.
It is also made in the UK and comes in right or left hand versions and has a variety of options of sizes to fit your particular vice.
The Fly Tidy is £45.50 incl postage in the UK and is available from Funky Fly Tying
More details HERE