How are you storing/organizing your (flat) materials?

[Mud&$alt72]

Hey there,

As I'm getting heavy into tying. I'm finding my tying material is starting to stack up. I've got all kinds of plastic bins, stacked under and above my desk, but nothing that can store all the long flat stuff that I use most(packs of dubbing, hackle, peacock, etc.)that still provides easy access. I would love to find a smallish chest of flat drawers that can sit on my desk at the ready that doesn't break the bank. What are you guys using? I'm not a fan of those plastic office drawers that require you to lift and pull to get open. and most of them aren't long/wide enough for what I need.

Any input would be appreciated.

 

[Zak]

I use gallon ziplock bags stored in plastic bins.

 

[Nick Clayton]

For materials/colors I use often I've got pegboard and hooks above my desk. For stuff I use less often I just use cheap plastic drawers

 

[Tom Butler]

I don't have a permanent station. I find this box from harbor freight handy. Holds all my regular stuff.
https://www.harborfreight.com/8-drawer-wood-tool-chest-62585.html

 

[Bob N]

For long materials like peacock tails, pheasant tails, etc. go to your local sport card shop. Look or ask for a baseball bat tube, they are about 30 inches long and 3 inches in diameter and are a great way to protect those materials. Not to mention you can store them stacked in a corner.

 

[Mud&$alt72]

For long materials like peacock tails, pheasant tails, etc. go to your local sport card shop. Look or ask for a baseball bat tube, they are about 30 inches long and 3 inches in diameter and are a great way to protect those materials. Not to mention you can store them stacked in a corner.

That's what I'm looking for! Thanks! My kid collects Pokemon and somehow I've managed to go visit dozens of card shops and this never occurred to me.

 

[wmelton]

This is what I use for pheasant tail, ostrich, etc.

 

[Mike Cline]

Storing fly tying materials is easy when you are starting out. Most everything fits in a few containers. However as you progress tying different patterns and tying more flies you inevitably accumulate more and more materials. After 60+ years of tying, I am the consummate example of that inevitability. Although now fully retired and lucky to have a dedicated space to tie, I’ve carted my materials all over the US and world since the 1960s when I joined the USAF. I’ve never tied commercially and usually 90% of what I tie goes to friends and charity. That said, it’s a hobby that finds me tying dozens of flies every week when I am home. As such I’ve learned a few lessons over the decades. Here’s my primer on fly tying materials storage.


Assumption (more likely fact): If you continue to tie flies, you will accumulate materials overtime.

Storage strategy: As you accumulate materials, how you organize and store them is important regardless of the volume of materials you have. Although there is no magic method here, a consistent approach started as a novice tyer will pay extreme dividends as your tying volume and variety expands.

Considerations: Fly tying material storage has six important considerations that are just as important for the beginning tyer as they are for a lifetime tyer like me.

• Material Protection: Natural materials like feathers, hackle capes and saddles, skins, fur, hair, etc. are all vulnerable to mold and insects given the right climatic conditions. Nothing is more disappointing than finding an expensive hackle cape chewed up by skin beetle larva or a nice piece of fur soiled by mold. Infestations are easier to prevent if proactive actions are taken upfront. Sealed containers with some form of moth ball, camphor or aromatic cedar is a good start. All my natural materials are stored with camphor (a lesson I learned in the Philippines).
• Accessibility: As your materials volume increases questions like “where did I put that orange chenille?” become more common. The solution to this is in my view is two-fold. One is using a consistent style of appropriate CLEAR containers (albeit in different sizes as necessary) that can be easily arranged in whatever space you operate in. Two, containers should be clearly labeled with their contents. If you put chenille and yarn in the same container, make it is clearly labeled on both ends as such. Whenever possible, the materials you use the most should be stored closest to your tying bench.
• New Materials: Inevitably you will obtain a new type of material that you haven’t used before. Resist the temptation to store it in the same container with some dissimilar material. Start a new labeled container whenever practical to sustain your materials organization approach. For example: I store “Flat eyes” in a different container than “dome eyes”.
• Replenishment: It is hard to believe but eventually you will consume an entire package of some important material and need to acquire more. Additionally trips to the fly shop or online retailer shouldn’t be wasted. Sales, specials, etc., need to be taken advantage of. One of the benefits of having discrete containers for different materials is that you can quickly assess whether or not you are running low on a particular material or color you use regularly. If you only have a few strands of black Krystal Flash left add it to your list before visiting the fly shop.
• Duplicates: One of the consequences of visiting your local fly shop or online retailer is the probability that you will eventually have (intentional or not) packages of unopened duplicate materials. I have a few containers labeled duplicates to store these until needed instead of putting them in with the primary supply. This usually prevents having multiple pieces of half-used materials all of the same kind. Whenever I run out of a particular material, I check the duplicates containers first to see if I’ve already got a new one on hand.
• Expansion: One of the realities of acquiring new materials is that eventually containers will fill up. When that happens it is a good time to think if any reorganization is appropriate. Well over ten years ago, I started doing a lot of tying with Moose mane and Moose body hair dyed in all sorts of colors. When one container filled, I separated the Moose hair into Light Colors and Dark Colors putting each group into a separate by similar containers each labeled appropriately.

These are just some of my ideas about fly tying materials storage. As you can see from the images some sort of system is needed if you are to survive this great hobby for a lifetime.

 

[Mud&$alt72]

Holy cow. that's an impressive stash. I don't have nearly that much room at my tying station, it's literally just a small desk at the end of a low-traffic hallway in my house. couple shelves and that's it. We are going to by moving in the coming year and hopefully my next house has a shop.

Thank you for your reply. You mentioned an issue that I'm all too guilty of, I forget about the materials I already have, then go out and buy duplicates when I see a new fly I want to tie. Being able to story my most used items in clear containers, clearly labelled while not wasting any desk or shelf space is the big challenge for me.

 

[FinLuver]

Holy cow. that's an impressive stash. I don't have nearly that much room at my tying station, it's literally just a small desk at the end of a low-traffic hallway in my house. couple shelves and that's it. We are going to by moving in the coming year and hopefully my next house has a shop.

I would venture to bet, that’s how most of us started our tying addictions. I would recommend adding a bookshelf in your new place, for videos and books…it’ll happen as you progress…(trust me).

La Aroma de Cuba cigar boxes make excellent storage for extra spools of thread, floss, wire, yarn, tinsel, and flat braid.

Mike Cline is a kindred spirit and I like his style. I’m saving his post for future reference.

 

[Nick Clayton]

forget about the materials I already have, then go out and buy duplicates

That's how I end up with 37 packages of pink ice dub

 

[_WW_]

Hey there,

As I'm getting heavy into tying. I'm finding my tying material is starting to stack up. I've got all kinds of plastic bins, stacked under and above my desk, but nothing that can store all the long flat stuff that I use most(packs of dubbing, hackle, peacock, etc.)that still provides easy access. I would love to find a smallish chest of flat drawers that can sit on my desk at the ready that doesn't break the bank. What are you guys using? I'm not a fan of those plastic office drawers that require you to lift and pull to get open. and most of them aren't long/wide enough for what I need.

Any input would be appreciated.

I think I am using a mixture of everything you've mentioned and just about everything the others have mentioned. I tailor my storage solutions to fit the various nooks and crannies available in the room.

 

[SpeyrodGB]

Storing fly tying materials is easy when you are starting out. Most everything fits in a few containers. However as you progress tying different patterns and tying more flies you inevitably accumulate more and more materials. After 60+ years of tying, I am the consummate example of that inevitability. Although now fully retired and lucky to have a dedicated space to tie, I’ve carted my materials all over the US and world since the 1960s when I joined the USAF. I’ve never tied commercially and usually 90% of what I tie goes to friends and charity. That said, it’s a hobby that finds me tying dozens of flies every week when I am home. As such I’ve learned a few lessons over the decades. Here’s my primer on fly tying materials storage.
View attachment 112627

Assumption (more likely fact): If you continue to tie flies, you will accumulate materials overtime.

Storage strategy: As you accumulate materials, how you organize and store them is important regardless of the volume of materials you have. Although there is no magic method here, a consistent approach started as a novice tyer will pay extreme dividends as your tying volume and variety expands.

Considerations: Fly tying material storage has six important considerations that are just as important for the beginning tyer as they are for a lifetime tyer like me.

• Material Protection: Natural materials like feathers, hackle capes and saddles, skins, fur, hair, etc. are all vulnerable to mold and insects given the right climatic conditions. Nothing is more disappointing than finding an expensive hackle cape chewed up by skin beetle larva or a nice piece of fur soiled by mold. Infestations are easier to prevent if proactive actions are taken upfront. Sealed containers with some form of moth ball, camphor or aromatic cedar is a good start. All my natural materials are stored with camphor (a lesson I learned in the Philippines).
• Accessibility: As your materials volume increases questions like “where did I put that orange chenille?” become more common. The solution to this is in my view is two-fold. One is using a consistent style of appropriate CLEAR containers (albeit in different sizes as necessary) that can be easily arranged in whatever space you operate in. Two, containers should be clearly labeled with their contents. If you put chenille and yarn in the same container, make it is clearly labeled on both ends as such. Whenever possible, the materials you use the most should be stored closest to your tying bench.
• New Materials: Inevitably you will obtain a new type of material that you haven’t used before. Resist the temptation to store it in the same container with some dissimilar material. Start a new labeled container whenever practical to sustain your materials organization approach. For example: I store “Flat eyes” in a different container than “dome eyes”.
• Replenishment: It is hard to believe but eventually you will consume an entire package of some important material and need to acquire more. Additionally trips to the fly shop or online retailer shouldn’t be wasted. Sales, specials, etc., need to be taken advantage of. One of the benefits of having discrete containers for different materials is that you can quickly assess whether or not you are running low on a particular material or color you use regularly. If you only have a few strands of black Krystal Flash left add it to your list before visiting the fly shop.
• Duplicates: One of the consequences of visiting your local fly shop or online retailer is the probability that you will eventually have (intentional or not) packages of unopened duplicate materials. I have a few containers labeled duplicates to store these until needed instead of putting them in with the primary supply. This usually prevents having multiple pieces of half-used materials all of the same kind. Whenever I run out of a particular material, I check the duplicates containers first to see if I’ve already got a new one on hand.
• Expansion: One of the realities of acquiring new materials is that eventually containers will fill up. When that happens it is a good time to think if any reorganization is appropriate. Well over ten years ago, I started doing a lot of tying with Moose mane and Moose body hair dyed in all sorts of colors. When one container filled, I separated the Moose hair into Light Colors and Dark Colors putting each group into a separate by similar containers each labeled appropriately.

These are just some of my ideas about fly tying materials storage. As you can see from the images some sort of system is needed if you are to survive this great hobby for a lifetime.

Thanks for the tips.

I used zip lock bags in my dubbing and chenille boxes to separate dubbing by manufacturer of regular and flashy chenille. Polar chenille is in a separate container. Just recently created a soft hackle cape box.

Kind of scary how many materials one can accumulate over the years.

 

[Mud&$alt72]

I think I am using a mixture of everything you've mentioned and just about everything the others have mentioned. I tailor my storage solutions to fit the various nooks and crannies available in the room.

Same, I've got a little wall space that I could hang a thread holder, then everything else is packed like Tetris on various shelves in and around my desk,

 

[Westfly Refugee]

As can be plainly inferred from the prior posts, organizing fly tying materials becomes a hobby unto itself. (Is there a competition yet?)

 

[krusty]

I keep my collection of capes and fur in big zip locks in one of those short steel Craftsman tool cabinets with many drawers. And in those drawers I keep cloth bags of cedar shavings...and occasionally lightly spray the drawers with a moth killer.

 

[SurfnFish]

recently kicked up a rolling stationary drawer cabinet from Wayfair (coupla hours to assemble), which works fine for someone who only ties to refill fly boxes..

 

[candr]

I use these plastic flat document storage containers to store flat synthetics, flash, dubbing etc.

 

[Herkileez]

I don't like clutter hanging all over, so I store by material type in plastic containers, stacked in a wardrobe cabinet, with extra shelves added.
Same goes for flashabou/crystal flash, etc, which I store in roll-up pockets made with cryovac bag material.

 

[FinLuver]

I use these plastic flat document storage containers to store flat synthetics, flash, dubbing etc.

View attachment 113057

What’s your source/brand?
I like those.