Here’s the latest installment in the video series called “One-Minute Fly-Tying Tips and Techniques” from Tim Flagler of Tightline Productions. Each video teaches a single tying skill, from the most basic to the advanced. Ultimately, the series will serve as a sort of encyclopedia of tying skills that will be a valuable resource for anyone who sits down at a vise to create a fly.
This week, Tim discusses his allergic reaction–complete with photos–to many of the resins used in fly tying and how he has come to deal with the problem. It’s worth thinking about using this method before you develop an allergy, so if you tie with resins and epoxies a lot, you might want to adopt this safety protocol to protect yourself.
Good work to solve your problem Tim. Hope you stay rash free in the future.
Tim,
Great informative video. I’ve tied flies using superglue, nail polish, head cement, epoxy etc my entire life and had never experienced any problems. Then very suddenly, a couple of months ago I developed a sensitivity and started having the exact reactions you describe to superglue and nail polish, as well as strong petroleum fumes (I haven’t yet seen reactions to UV cure). And like you, I’m not the best looking guy to start with and swollen red eyes didn’t help.
At first I thought I was having a reaction to feathers and fur, but got the reaction again when tying with only synthetics, that’s when it struck me that it might be the CA glue, so I did a little search and found a lot of people in the modeling hobby had reported similar reactions. One of the things that made it hard to diagnose at first was that my reactions were delayed, unlike typical hayfeaver type reactions that usually occur at the time of exposure. Thanks for passing along good information.
If you study the photo closely– that’s ringworm. Look closely! You have ringworm.