Creating fly tying tools

• 1). The two easiest tools to make are a bodkin and a dubbing teaser. To make a bodkin, use something pencil thin for the handle. Many people make bodkins handles out of old bamboo or graphite rods, but you can use a piece of cork or anything that you'll be able to firmly set a needle into and that is also comfortable to hold. Use hot glue or epoxy to cement the needle in place. To make a dubbing teaser, wrap a piece of the more abrasive, male side of velcro around the end of a pencil. You can also use a toothbrush or a golf spike cleaning brush as a dubbing teaser.
  
  
• 2). To make a dubbing tool, such as known as the "Cal Byrd" dubbing hook, use a piece of non-tarnishable wire, such as a wire coat hanger, to bend into a small triangular hook with a handle. To use this tool, make a thread loop and place the hook at the end of the loop. Place a dubbing blend between the thread and twist with the tool to create a dubbing brush. Finally, wrap the dubbing brush forward.
  
  
• 3). To form bullet heads on large dry flies, such as hoppers or salmon flies, you can use a plastic pen with its parts removed, or anything hollow and narrow to push deer hair back over the body of your fly and to create a smooth, highly buoyant head. Foam punches for Bass poppers can be made by sharpening copper piping in a variety of sizes and hair stackers can be made by placing a smaller piece of pipe, about two inches long, into a larger diameter pipe, about 1 1/2 inches, that is capped at the end.