Fly Tying Workstation Acacia Wood

Started tying flies recently. Definitely gives me something to do when I’m not fishing and it’s 105 degrees here in Texas. Somewhere along the way, I decided to build a fly tying workstation which combines two interests into one project.

After experimenting with a temporary setup for a couple weeks, I finally settled on a usable layout. Seems like that was something worth investing some time on, as I didn’t want to build a nice workstation that, after a couple weeks of usage, didn’t seem optimal.

I had some leftover Acacia wood from another project, which if you’re not familiar is a beautiful exoptic hardwood. It’s a bit hard to source here, but I eventually found an exotic wood shop in Ohio that was happy to ship a few boards. Naturally I drew the project in SketchUp before I started cutting wood, that usually saves a few unnecessary steps in the build process.

First I laid out the base, leaving a “belly cut” in front so I could get up close and personal to the workspace. The shelf has a similar profile and space for a few brass bobbin holders. There’s also a gap between the shelf and backsplash where I can tuck a bag or two of feathers I’m using on the current fly pattern. I drilled holes across the top of the backsplash for my tools and markers. To add some visual interest, I cut a wave pattern in the front of the backsplash and engraved the silhouette of a tarpon on the back using my Shaper Origin CNC router. And, every workstation needs a hand stitched water buffalo leather trash bin, right?

Looking back, it was a fairly simple build. Might make a few enhancements over time, but I think I finally have a decent home for all these feathers.

-- Richard, Austin TX - "Every repair job is really just an upgrade oppty in disguise!"