Here’s some good advice from professional fly tier Tim Flagler: Wash your hands before you tie.
Not only can dirt and grime get into the prints of your fingers, but they can discolor bright materials and reduce sensitivity.
Also, and I think this is just as important, Flagler recommends taking an emory board to your fingertips to smoothe out any rough edges that might catch or fray tying thread or materials. This is something I’ve taken to do.
I like Tim’s declaration that he pretends like he’s a surgeon before tying, and he scrubs up before sitting down to the vise. I think it’s just as important to wash up when you’re done, too. Tying materials come from all kinds of sources, natural and synthetic. It’s a good ideal to clean up after a tying session, just to be safe.
— Chris Hunt