One of the great things about tying at a fly fishing show, is that you get to see all the newest tools and materials. If you’re a gear head, like me, there are some that you just can’t do without.

That being said, as much as I enjoy working with deer hair, sometimes it can be frustrating. Aside from making sure you have the right hair for spinning, the hair must be packed tightly and trimmed precisely to get that perfect popper or muddler minnow. Here are two tools that greatly streamline the process. The first is Cohen’s Fugly Packer. This tool not only saves your fingertips, but allows for the tightest possible packing of your spun deer hair. It’s available directly from: www.rusuperfly.com. While you’re there, check out the entire line of Pat’s innovative products.

Next, we have the Bend A Blade Hair Shaver by Andrew Ramish. When working with double edge razor blades, there’s always the potential for disaster. This nicely engineered tool takes your fingers away from the blade edge and allows for precise sculpting and shaving of your deer hair fly. The product can be ordered directly from Andrew at: http://tightlineflyreels.com/bend_a_blade Be sure to check out Andy’s fabulous reels while there.

Cheers, Bruce C