Bill Kiene semi-retired
04-15-2010, 08:36 AM
In the old days it was mostly the Mustad hook that was king. Now it is the Japanese hooks that have taken over for the most part. Eagle Claw and Mustad are trying to get back in the game now.
Top fly tying thread was Gudebrod, now it's Uni and other much stronger materials. Nymo thread was popular too, especially for steelhead flies.
Gudebrod chenille was king in those days for body material for larger wet flies but now we have tons of materials to wind on now. Crystal chenille is very popular.
Years ago we got small cheap rooster capes from India and China for dry flies. Then came along Metz and Henry Hoffman(Whiting) with hybrid chickens.
We use to only have natural fur on the hide for making dubbing like beaver, muskrat and rabbit. Now it is all sheared and blend for us with synthetic taken over for the most part.
We use buck-tails and saddle hackles for streamers back then. Now it is going to synthetics which are getting better all the time.
The Thompson A vise was the standard in those days. Now we have beautifully machined rotary vises.
Bobbin were fat funny creations and then along came Frank Matarelli with his design which is still very popular today.
Most used finger nail polish to finish their flies. Today we have all kinds of exotic cements.
Natural materials are still hard to find because they are in limited supply so that is another reason that synthetics have become so big.
__________________________________________________ _______________________
If you could have come into Sports Unlimited in 1960s and looked at the 20 feet of peg board we had there for fly tying materials you would be shocked by today's standards. That is about all there was in those days.
We bought our packaged tying materials from Hackle House and Hash's Herl & Hackle back then. There salesman would call on us once a month.
Top fly tying thread was Gudebrod, now it's Uni and other much stronger materials. Nymo thread was popular too, especially for steelhead flies.
Gudebrod chenille was king in those days for body material for larger wet flies but now we have tons of materials to wind on now. Crystal chenille is very popular.
Years ago we got small cheap rooster capes from India and China for dry flies. Then came along Metz and Henry Hoffman(Whiting) with hybrid chickens.
We use to only have natural fur on the hide for making dubbing like beaver, muskrat and rabbit. Now it is all sheared and blend for us with synthetic taken over for the most part.
We use buck-tails and saddle hackles for streamers back then. Now it is going to synthetics which are getting better all the time.
The Thompson A vise was the standard in those days. Now we have beautifully machined rotary vises.
Bobbin were fat funny creations and then along came Frank Matarelli with his design which is still very popular today.
Most used finger nail polish to finish their flies. Today we have all kinds of exotic cements.
Natural materials are still hard to find because they are in limited supply so that is another reason that synthetics have become so big.
__________________________________________________ _______________________
If you could have come into Sports Unlimited in 1960s and looked at the 20 feet of peg board we had there for fly tying materials you would be shocked by today's standards. That is about all there was in those days.
We bought our packaged tying materials from Hackle House and Hash's Herl & Hackle back then. There salesman would call on us once a month.