Anyone for fly-tying ?

[Vagabond]

A few years back I bust a bone in my right hand. Although I got most of the strength back when the break knit back together, I find it increasingly difficult to hold my right hand steady.

 

Its got to the point where it takes me so long to tie up a fly (or whip on a ring) that the job is hardly worth it. So I am going to retire from fly-tying.

 

Fortunately, I have already tied up more than a lifetime's supply of flies and streamers, but still have a lifetime's supply of fly-tying materials

 

There is a huge pile of floss silks, silver and gold wires, tying silks, several capes of hackle feathers, chenille, hare masks, squirrel tails, boxes of up-eyed hooks, down-eyed hooks, special hooks for nymphs, various other hooks all in a range of sizes, beads, deer hair, both natural and dyed, peacock, heron and ostrich herls, marabou in several colours, golden pheasant tippets, genuine jungle cock from the days it was legal, mallard wings, teal wings, grouse wings. jackdaw wings, cul de canard, eyes for fry imitations, etc etc, three drawerfuls in all.

 

Plus a fly-tying vice, various hackle pliers, bobbin holders, whip finish tool, dry-fly wing holder, fly-tying scissors, and various other tools. A rough estimate of what this lot would cost from a tackle shop would be around £200 plus at 1980 prices.

 

Before trying to mess about with individual packets on ebay, I offer it to AN members as a job lot. Enough materials for a lifetime of fly-tying at one fell swoop !

 

Anyway, if anyone is interested, send me a pm with a sensible offer.

[viney]

Although not yet into fly fishing so unfortunately not interested in the fly tying stuff I am interested as to which bone you broke? I broke my 5th metacarple and it set really badly and have real trouble with strength etc. In my right hand and with that I have trouble keeping it steady

[Andy_1984]

Hope someone who can appreciate all that gets it

 

So what's that work out about £600 or more with todays prices ?

[Ken L]

My dad is 67 and just about done with coarse fishing. Having just recently moved house, he's taken up the fly. I'm not quite sure how he'd managing because he has knackered tendons in his shoulders but he's caught a few fish.

I doubt that he has any serious interest in tying his own flies, but it just shows that the transition can be made.

[Steve Walker]

I'm afraid I have already accumulated enough fly tying materials to keep me in flies for the foreseeable future, but I can heartily recommend giving it a go. I think Vagabond's kit would be a great way to get started.

[Phone]

Vagabond,

 

Dang !! I don't see the fiddly carved meerschaum pipe from Eskisehir Turkey listed. Since blocks of meerschaum can no longer be exported from Turkey I guess I'll have to pass.

 

Phone

 

(someone should pick you offer up in no time)

[Worms]

I pretty much fit in with Steve on this one....although one can never have enough Jungle Cock.....!

[Vagabond]

I am interested as to which bone you broke? I broke my 5th metacarple and it set really badly and have real trouble with strength etc. In my right hand and with that I have trouble keeping it steady

The metacarpal behind the forefinger. Although I have recovered most of the strength, and can still break the vacuum seals on jars of marmalade, Patak's lime pickle, Tiptree's mulberry jam and jars of caviar with just a twist of the wrist, the "lobster-claw" grip of my pre-break days has gone.

 

The metacarpal joined up in a slightly offset way, forming a small lump on the back of the hand and drawing the knuckle back a bit.

Two things stem from this. Firstly, my index finger now only reaches to a quarter-inch below the nail of my second finger instead of being up level with it, and secondly, although I can manipulate anything where the hand is in motion, I can't hold my hand steady, or make slow precise movements with my hand in mid-air. I can only think the callus must be pressing on a sensory nerve that tells the brain when the hand is steady. For example I can only write if my wrist is firmly on the table, and I now find it very difficult to wind a whipping on a hook shank or a rod, because I can't "anchor" the wrist. Eating soup is now done left-handed ! It is inexorably getting worse.

 

So, from my experience, things aren't going to get better, so I must make the best of it. Your case might well be different, let's hope so !

[Vagabond]

meerschaum pipe

I own a meerschaum pipe, and still smoke it on occasion. Not for sale.

 

I also own a calabash pipe, a cherrywood and numerous briars. The calabash holds a quarter ounce - its my "visiting pipe" should anyone offer me a fill