Fly tying: Managing materials

Crystal flash and tinsel are great for tying flies—particularly patterns that need to attract attention, like baitfish patterns, Woolly Buggers and other streamers. But handling those shiny materials can be a real pain. I can't count the times I've found strands of crystal flash that have managed to make it through the laundry cycle and turn up on my clothes as I fold them (or, more likely, pile them on my couch and glare at them ruefully).

Above, Tim Flagler offers a great method for working with these materials that can save you the hassle of having strands of flash just sort randomly hanging out on the fly-tying bench (or in your dryer's lint trap). It's simple, ingenius ... and I'm off to Staples for a hole punch.

— Chris Hunt