A Faux Pas

I made a major faux pas the other night, and I'm still not too happy about it.

It happened like this: I was getting ready to teach a one-night Dry Fly Tying class at one of my local fly shops. I think it was the 5th or 6th time I had taught the class over the past several years, so I felt as though I was ready. I had tweaked the syllabus since the last time I taught it, removing a fly and putting a new one in its place. The added fly isn't as popular as the one it replaced, but I thought the differing materials and techniques would add to the class. I had practiced the new fly the night before class, and it looked good, if I do say so myself, so my confidence was high as I arrived at the shop.

Then I unpacked my tying bag. It was soon very evident that something was missing: my beloved Regal rotary vise! I was sure that I had packed it, along with all of my other tools and materials for class. But it wasn't there. Oh the horror!

Oh sure, the shop I was teaching at had several different vise options that I could use, and I picked another Regal, but it wasn't my Rotary, and it threw my game off for the entire evening. I tried to persevere, but my flies just seemed a little off, and in my head I was sure that my students could tell. I imagined them all thinking "Who is this fool that is supposed to be teaching us? He doesn't seem to know a grizzly hackle from a hole in his head! His flies are mediocre at best!" Thankfully I imagined their thoughts to be not all that mean...

I wondered if someone had stolen my vise out of my bag when I wasn't looking. I wondered if maybe I had taken it out while I was at work earlier that day and left in on the conference room table. I wondered if maybe one of my fiendish kids had hidden it in the black hole that presides under their bed. I wondered who could be so mean that they would steal a man's beloved fly tying vise and leave an empty place in his heart for the rest of eternity. I wondered a lot of things....

Then I went home after class and found my vise folded neatly on my fly tying desk where it always is. I guess I had set it there whilst packing my tying bag the night before, and forgotten to pack it with the rest of my stuff. Now I wonder if I'll ever do that again...I sure hope not!

There it was, right on my desk like it always is...