No-one exhibits more zeal for their beloved pursuit than the Fly Fisherman and one of the special and individual aspects of this sport is the arcane practice of tying one’s own flys. Individual secrets and esoteric theories are jealously guarded as all fly fishermen know that this is where the competitive edge lies.
When the sport became a part of the English Country House routine in the early nineteenth century, special tables were crafted for this process but today they are extremely rare. I am sure, that tucked away in a corner of the estate office, in an outbuilding of some untouched Scottish Baronial house there lies an original fly tying table, specially made for the use of the Gillie or the Laird himself. I am told that they exist but sadly, I have never seen one. There are crudely made modern examples everywhere but they do not reflect the more genteel, noble and time honoured nature of the sport which deserves classical design coupled with premium timber and craftsmanship. So, here is an elegant little table which hopefully will turn the clock back a little to redress this issue. This bespoke table was designed after much consultation with the fisherman for whom it was constructed.The dark, secondary wood is African Ebony. The crescent shape inlay of this very hard wood is for the mounting of the small vise which holds the fly while it is being tied. The shape allows the vise to be placed in the most comfortable position for left and right handers. The extreme hardness of the wood reduces wear caused when the vise is tightened up.
The drawers are all hand dovetailed, and these, along with the pigeon holes provide storage for the myriad of threads, feathers, hooks and small tools available to the fly fisherman. The vise is stored in the large central compartment.
The waste, produced during the process is brushed with the hand into the ebony faced slot at the right hand side of the table top. It falls into the drawer below, shown in the side view, for disposal at leisure.
Dimensions are:
- Height to desktop 725 mm
- Overall height 980 mm
- Width 1200mm
- Depth 750mm