The Soul of a Lone Bison Fly Tying Table: Choosing Wood with Purpose

Creating useable Black Walnut boards!

A fly tying table is much more than a piece of wood on a desk. A fly table becomes the center for creativity, organization, and craftsmanship. Every feather, hook, spool of thread, and finished fly passes across its surface. Because of that, the choice of woods that are selected for use in a Lone Bison Fly Table is extremely important to me.

Oklahoma (the flyover state) is blessed with a variety of beautiful hardwoods that offer exceptional strength, durability, and and especially character. When selecting materials for my handcrafted fly tying tables, I am overly selective to ensure the right hardwood is used. Each table is created to provide decades of service to generations of tyers while adding warmth and beauty to any tying room.

Here are some of the finest Oklahoma hardwoods and why each deserves consideration.

White Oak: Common and Cheap

White oak is one of the most common hardwoods available in Oklahoma. Used often by fly table builders (along with plywood) because it is cheap and widely available. Known for its exceptional strength and durability, white oak has been used for generations in furniture, flooring, and even boat building. At Lone Bison, white oak is generally only used for trim or accent. Doesn't take a lot of craftsmanship to work with white oak.

Why is it ever used?

• Extremely resistant to dents and wear. It is quite dense and strong.

• Sometimes attractive grain patterns create a classic, timeless appearance.

• Excellent long-term stability.

White oak is an ideal choice for a fly tying table if you are looking for cheap and plain.

Red Oak: Strength with Character

Red oak is abundant throughout Oklahoma and offers many of the same benefits as white oak while displaying a slightly more pronounced grain pattern. Red oak is often incorporated due to its strength and contrasting colors and grains.

Why Fly Tyers Love It

• Strong and durable.

• Distinctive grains and colors add visual interest.

• Readily available and cost-effective.

• Finishes beautifully with clear coats.

For anglers who appreciate traditional woodworking aesthetics, red oak provides an attractive balance of strength and value.

Black Walnut: The Premium Choice

Few woods command attention and draw comments like black walnut. Native to much of Oklahoma, walnut is prized by by this craftsman for its rich chocolate-brown color and luxurious appearance. Some walnut will have blue streaks due to having contact between iron and the natural tannins in the wood.

Why Fly Tyers Love It

• Naturally beautiful with minimal finishing required. Dark wood reflects warmth, depth, and a sense of luxury.

• Excellent stability. Cuts and sands perfectly.

• Dense enough to resist wear while remaining pleasant to work with.

• Creates heirloom-quality fly tables.

A walnut fly tying table immediately becomes the centerpiece of a tying room. For many craftsmen, walnut represents the ultimate combination of beauty and functionality.

Pecan: Oklahoma's Hidden Gem

Pecan trees are common throughout Oklahoma and produce a hardwood that belongs to the hickory family. This tree is not found growing wild very often. Its bounty is gathered from commercial pecan orchards usually growing near rivers and bottomlands. Pecan is exceptionally tough and highly resistant to impact. Used often in Lone Bison Fly Tables especially when fungal spalting is apparent.

Why Fly Tyers Love It

• Outstanding hardness and durability.

• Really nice and distinctive grain patterns.

• Excellent resistance to scratches and dents.

• Unique appearance that stands out from traditional woods.

For fly tyers who are particularly hard on their work surfaces, pecan offers remarkable toughness without sacrificing beauty.

Hickory: Built for a Lifetime

Hickory has long been associated with tool handles because of its incredible strength and shock resistance. I have great memories of searching through my Grandfather Bird's garage and discovering all his tools with handmade hickory handles. A tying table built from hickory can withstand decades of heavy use. All that is true, yet hickory is not often used in my tables. It is exceptionally hard and is tough on saw blades and drill bits.

Why Fly Tyers Might Like It

• One of North America's strongest hardwoods.

• Exceptional resistance to wear.

• Dramatic grain contrast creates a rustic appearance.

If durability is the top priority, hickory could deserve serious consideration.

Cherry: Elegance That Improves with Age

While less common than oak or pecan, cherry is highly valued by craftsmen. Its warm reddish tones deepen and naturally become richer over time. Coming across an old piece of cherry furniture you will probably notice the richness that emanates due to age.

Why Fly Tyers Love It

• Smooth, fine, beautiful colors and grain.

• Elegant appearance. Ages beautifully.

• Easy to maintain.

A cherry fly tying table develops character year after year, much like a favorite bamboo rod or leather creel. Cherry makes a statement when used in a fly tying table.

Hard Maple: The Precision Surface

Hard maple is most famous for its use in butcher blocks, workbenches, and bowling alleys. Its smooth texture makes it especially appealing for details on my fly tying benches.

Why Fly Tyers Love It

• Extremely hard and durable.

• Smooth, consistent grain.

• Bright appearance improves visibility when tying flies.

• Resistant to surface damage.

Many professional craftsmen use maple because it provides a clean, precise work surface that helps small materials stand out.

Which Hardwood Is Best?

The answer depends on what you value most. I do my best to work all sorts of different grains, colors, and textures into EVERY Lone Bison fly tying station.

• Best Overall Durability: White Oak

• Best Luxury Appearance: Black Walnut

• Best Toughness: Pecan

• Best Fine-Furniture Look: Cherry

• Best Work Surface: Hard Maple

• Best Value: Red Oak

At Lone Bison Fly Tables, every choice of hardwood tells a story. Whether it's the rugged strength of Oklahoma red oak, the rich beauty of walnut, or the remarkable toughness of pecan, selecting the right wood transforms a simple tying station into a piece of functional art.

A quality fly tying table should inspire creativity, organize your materials, and withstand countless evenings spent preparing for the next day on the water. Choosing a premium Oklahoma hardwood ensures that your tying table becomes a trusted companion for decades of fly fishing adventures.

After all, tomorrow's fish often begin with today's flies—and today's flies deserve a table built from the very best wood Oklahoma has to offer.

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