Mark Street Castmaster of the Sydney Fly Rodders' Club reviews an Australian made Fly Tying Bench.

Despite the excellent range of gear available to Aussie fly fishermen, I always felt a little envious whenever I came across an advertisement for fly tying cabinets in one of the American or English Fly tying magazines. That is until I saw an advertisement in a recent edition of Flylife for Riverview Fly Tying Furniture.

My brother Graeme is a Cabinetmaker by trade and was keen to accompany me on my trip to Lewis Williams workshop near Mudgee. Graeme was clearly impressed with the quality of workmanship and considers the cabinets to be of excellent value. While talking with Lewis as he lovingly wrapped my new bench for transportation I was convinced of his commitment to quality and passion for his craft.

My cabinet is made from American Oak and is the smaller of the two standard models. The bench measures 900mmm by 500mm and has two large drawers and a smaller drawer. The top unit contains a further 6 x drawers providing ample space to store all of my materials and tools with room to spare. Keeping the work area clean is simple as waste material is swept through a slot at the left-hand end of the table and collects in the small drawer below. The matching hook file and bobbin holder, provide additional storage and are made to the same high standards. Western Red Cedar is used to make the drawer bases providing protection of valuable tying materials from hungry insects.

My cabinet wasn't cheap but considering the labour involved and the price of quality timber, I think that it offers exceptional value for money. For little more than the price of a top quality fly rod, I have a piece of furniture that should last several lifetimes. It's highly functional and looks great. It even smells good.