Fly Tying Tools

                                              
                  Dr. Slick Fly Tying Tools             Merco Products: Rite Bobbins

Another creative and fruitful night in the calming confines of your fly tying studio comes to a close. As you carefully add the last several dries and nymphs to your trout fly box and click off the lights, the flash of a scissor handle and the glint of a hair stacker catch your eye. Tomorrow you’ll carefully cast your creations to wary fish in hopes of bringing them to the bank, holding them, and releasing them back to their watery world. The tools in your fly tying kit have helped you get here, and you will go to the river with confidence because of it.

Dr. Slick: Scissors
You wouldn’t want to do any finely detailed carving work in a small piece of wood with a chainsaw and neither would you want to trim a hair body on a small trout fly with a pair of dull kitchen scissors. A fly tyer’s scissors should scream precision. They should be very sharp and have a very fine point to them. Keep a pair of fine-pointed scissors for your detail work and save them for it. Keep another pair of heavy duty scissors or wire cutters handy for bigger cutting jobs that require less detail work and where precision isn’t the name of the game.


Dr. Slick: Bobbin Threader
Tying artificial flies is relaxing and rewarding. As with any craft, fly tying has its fair share of possible sticking points and frustrating tasks, but that’s all part of learning, honing your skills, and progressing along your artistic pathway … except when the task has nothing to do with actually tying a good fly – like threading your bobbin! There is a thick catalog of threading tricks out there, but the only sure fire way to get it right every time is to use Dr. Slick’s Bobbin Threader. This handy tool is made of brass and sports a tough stainless steel handle. Its length at 6.5 inches is compatible with any bobbin you may have on hand. Put this tool to work so you don’t have to.

Dr. Slick: Bobbins

The bobbin is the tool that allows the fly tyer to wrap the thread around the tying materials, attaching them securely to the hook shank. A bobbin holds the thread spool and dispenses only the thread the tyer requires while keeping enough tension on the spool to prevent the unneeded thread from unraveling. Do not make the mistake of assuming all bobbins are created equal. They are not. Most bobbins you’ll find in shops today will be advertised as either stainless steel or ceramic. Both will work well, but ceramic bobbins tend to more smoothly and gently dispense thread. Watch out for cheap bobbins. They will tear your thread to bits and your flies and tying experience will suffer for it. Dr. Slick Fly Tying Bobbins are AVAILABLE IN 3 USEFUL SIZES: Small, 3-inch, Medium, 4-inch, and Large, 4.75-inch.

Merco Products: Rite Bobbins
You’ve never used a fly tying bobbin until you’ve put your hands on a Rite™ Bobbin. Within the first few wraps, you’ll more than notice the difference between these wildly innovative bobbins and the old standard at the bottom of your fly tying tool kit. Hell, these bobbins were designed by a German engineer and should be considered nothing less than the BMW of fly tying bobbins.

So what makes these bobbins so special? Well, for one, the raw materials from which they are constructed are simply the best available. If you’re not convinced, just think about this fact: Merco Products actually sells the ceramic inserts used in Rite™ Bobbins to competitors because they can’t find quality ceramic from anyone but Merco. Beyond the materials put to use in these fantastic fly tying tools, their innovative design solidifies their place at the head of the fly tying tools market. Rite™ Bobbins are not only ergonomically shaped, they actually sport an indexed and fully adjustable “drag system” that applies just the right amount of tension to your thread when you need it, and at lower drag settings, you can add instantaneous thread tension by simply squeezing the spool carrier in the palm of your hand. This is quite simply an astounding development in the fly tying world and is probably the most noticeable aspect of these tremendous bobbins.


Dr. Slick: Bodkin
The fly tying bodkin is an extremely simple tool, but it remains one of the more important weapons stashed in the fly tyer’s arsenal. The bodkin is actually more and more frequently referred to as a “dubbing needle” as its main use has traditionally been for teasing dubbing out of fly bodies to provide them with a more realistic and attractive look. The bodkin is also used to apply small dabs of cement to the heads of flies and is really helpful in finishing the heads of small dry fly patterns. Dr. Slick’s Bodkin also includes a half hitch tool to insure the quality and durability of each and every half hitch knot you tie. This fantastic fly tying tool should have a place at every serious fly tyer’s bench.

Dr. Slick: Hair Stackers

Of all the fly tying tools available to the modern fly tyer, the hair stacker is probably the most ingeniously designed and useful! Hair stackers allow the fly tyer to efficiently and easily pile or “stack” even bundles of hair for attachment to the hook shank. Sometimes the simplest solution is the most elegant, and in the case of fly tying hair stackers, this is definitely the case. Dr. Slick Fly Tying Hair Stackers are AVAILABLE IN 3 USEFUL SIZES: Small, 1.75-inch, Medium, 2-inch, and Large, 2.75-inch.



Dr. Slick: Whip Finisher
A whip finisher can be a helpful tool in helping make sure your flies are finished properly. This tool is designed to help you tie the final, and most important, knot before you cut the tag end of the thread and pat yourself on the back for another complete fly and a job well done. The whip finish can be a frustrating knot for inexperienced tyers, but with the help of this tool, you’ll make sure your flies are solidly built and sturdy enough to be fished again and again without unraveling themselves.


Dr. Slick: Hackle Pliers
Some of us are quite deft with our hands, while others of us can barely tie our own shoes without flubbing about with the tips of our fingers. For those of us who feel clumsy at performing fine detail work with just our hands, hackle pliers can be a great help. They are designed to hold even the smallest amount of material (hair, rubber legs, flashabou, and yes, hackle) securely in place while you wrap thread and concentrate on your work. Dr. Slick Fly Tying Hackle Pliers are AVAILABLE IN 2 STYLES: Rotating and Standard.