And while you're in those shops that sell fly-tying equipment and
supplies, don't overlook the swivel hackle pliers which are a god-send
when you break a thread!! I commissioned Richard Worthen to put the end
of one into a broken bobbin, and since then he has sold hundreds and
hundreds of these jewels!! (I didn't get a dime for the idea, but oh
well...). Anyway, you can get the plain, unadorned (and obviously not
spangled) version of the "Swivel hackle plier" at these shops for a
reasonable price (not that Richard's price isn't reasonable...) The
idea is that when you break a thread, you can clamp the "bitter end"
with the hackle plier, and either exchange it immediately, or if you
have enough thread on the plier, then you can work to a place where the
exchange won't be so obvious.
These shops also have an interesting array of "tinsel" for flys, which -
interestingly enough - fit very nicely into those antique bobbins which
we call "Fairings", which have lost their wire and tinsel. According to
my best information, it's OK to restore a bobbin to its former elegance
as long as whatever you do can be reversed - that is, undone. It is a
simple thing to put new tinsel and new wire on an antique bobbin and see
the glorious version!! It quickly ages to a nice patina, and is very
usable. You have not reduced the value of this bobbin by this gentle
"restoration". You can easily remove the modern additions, leaving it
as it was when you found it. If, years later, someone examines the
bobbin, they will observe less wear on the wire than expected, and
declare that it is a restored bobbin. If an unscrupulous dealer
"renovates" a bobbin in this manner and tries to sell it, then the
pristine condition of the wire/beads/tinsel is a dead give-away, and
should be avoided unless you can get it for a bargain price.
Happy Hunting!
Clay
Clay Blackwell
Lynchburg, VA, USA
Margot Walker wrote:
I've found interesting silk threads in a shop in Halifax that sells
supplies for tying flies (for fishing). I've also fallen for some of
the wonderful feathers that they sell, although I haven't figured out
what to use them for yet!
Margot Walker in Halifax on the east coast of Canada
Visit the Seaspray Guild of Lacemakers web site:
http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/quinbot
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