Hareline Aluminum Bodkin With Holder

What it is

The Hareline Aluminum Bodkin With Holder is a fly-tying bodkin made with aluminum construction and a fine, needle-like tip. It’s lightweight but sturdy, corrosion resistant, and the ergonomic handle has a smooth, rounded grip. The included holder gives you a dedicated place to park the point on the bench when you’re not using it.

What to tie with it

Use it to apply head cement cleanly into thread wraps, under a collar, or around a whip finish without flooding the fly. The fine tip is also handy for separating fibers in wings and tails, picking out trapped materials, and teasing dubbing to get the profile you want. Any time you need a precise poke, nudge, or placement on the hook, this is the tool.

Flies and the fish they're for

A bodkin like this shows up on the bench for almost every pattern category because the same tasks repeat: teasing dubbing on nymphs for trout, opening up collars on streamers for smallmouth and trout, and applying cement on saltwater patterns for redfish, snook, and stripers when you want durability. It’s not fly-specific so much as it is process-specific: if the fly has dubbing to pick out, fibers to separate, or a head to finish neatly, the bodkin earns its spot. The holder matters for day-to-day tying because it keeps the tip protected and your bench a little more organized.