By Don Golembiewski
I’ve had the very good fortune of being able to follow my love of trout fishing to some world-famous spots including the birthplace of Trout Unlimited, Michigan’s Au Sable River. It’s been a while ago, but I was given the choice of coming along to visit my wife’s family in New Jersey or having a weeklong flyfishing excursion to Michigan in early June one year. Tough call but I found myself at a landing on the Au Sable but without an exact match for the local hatch predicted for that afternoon. I was able to rescue my fishing time by quickly tying some pale yellow duns with my small makeshift travel tying kit. That convinced me – don’t leave home without it. Of course, it is always preferable to arrive at the stream with a supply of likely flies, but stuff happens especially when travelling to new water.

Here are the compact components I consider essential when I travel to trouty destinations. All fit in a small plastic bin available from any hardware store.

1. A compact vise. Because you may find yourself at a three-inch thick picnic table out west, I suggest a pedestal model and I like my Renzetti Traveller (named appropriately!) or a similar compact type. Pay for a good one you’ll enjoy for many years. One very famous fly tyer, Lee Wulff, was reportedly able to tie flies without a vise but few are able to match that skill.
2. If you don’t have a pedestal vise, and the opening of your c-clamp model is too narrow, an alternative is to bring along a ¾ inch board or a section of white shelving material. When I travelled for a former job, I took along a small board for after-hours tying. I was once stuck using the local phone book because the desk wouldn’t accommodate my vise. I didn’t resort to using a Gideon’s bible but that might have helped with some holy intervention.
3. Some shops sell a “complete tool kit” but you can likely do better with higher quality tools you will like and use. Ask at a fly shop or a veteran fly tyer at SWTU’s fly tying class for advice on essential brand name tools.
4. I use a very small, portable and lightweight folding rechargeable lamp that looks like a metallic praying mantis when deployed. It’s compact at about 3”X7”X3/8” when folded. Slypnos is the brand but others would work or a headlamp will do but get a hands-free battery or rechargeable light for those after-dark tying sessions.
5. Dry fly hackle. My first choice is high quality grizzly as it will take you pretty far. You might add dun and brown as well.
6. Deer/elk hair has been used for so many patterns because it catches so many fish. It floats, is durable and cheap, and has the right look.
7. Hare’s ear fur has been responsible for the demise of so many trout as has squirrel hair. Get some!
8. I suggest you get some pheasant tail and peacock. Peacock’s iridescent fishiness is tops for many nymph patterns! Mallard and wood duck flank feathers make fishy looking tails and legs.
9. I have a number of packs of synthetic dubbing named for the insects they “match.” Sort of. I instead suggest you start with some basic colors you can blend to match most insects you’ll encounter. Olive, brown, gray, tan, yellow and black will do for almost all of the bugs you’ll need to match. If in doubt, look at the color of the stream bottom and that’s the color of most immature insects as they have evolved to blend in. If you mostly nymph fish, get some natural fur from rabbits, mink, beaver and squirrel in natural “buggy” colors. Blend as needed and use ribbing for a nice contrast. Synthetic sparkle yarns come in handy. Note: the color of natural dubbing changes (darkens) when wet so check it out and adjust as needed.
10. Get some fine copper and silver for ribbing.
11. I prefer to use dry flies when I can so carry a supply of light wire hooks. You can add a bead to a light wire hook but can’t lighten up a heavy wire hook. Most of my fishing is with size 14 – 18 with some 20s and 22s when needed. A veteran fishing friend often said his #1 searching pattern fly was a size 16 tan caddis dry and that makes sense to me.
12. Gold, brass and silver are my go-to colors in various sizes.
13. If you only carry one color, get black. Add tan, olive, yellow and gray along the way for tying and ribbing.
14. Foam is essential and durable for so many larger insect dry patterns especially hoppers, beetles and ants. Black, yellow and tan foam are my choices.
15. I use comfy pairs with loops large enough to accommodate my chunky fingers. I suggest you look for a small pair with sharp blades and narrow tips. Add a heavier duty pair for snipping wire, fur and tough hair. Pay more for good ones and you’ll be happy for a long time.
16. Get more than one so you can leave differing threads in place. You can tie with black thread and rib with yellow or olive easily.
17. Head cement is used to coat your knots at the head of the fly for durability. Some recommend clear nail polish, thinned Goop, or plain wood finishing varnish instead of “fly tying cement”. Your choice but I seldom use it anymore as I am confident in my whip finish knots.

If you look in fly shop catalogs, you will see so many choices of tools and materials on which you could spend plenty. You can catch many trout without putting out too much money or having to upgrade to that larger SUV or pickup to carry your modest travelling fly tying kit!

Cheers to a great 2022 season!

Pictured below: Small pillbox organizers work for holding hooks and beads and are useful as dubbing dispensers with 1/4″ drilled holes.