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Mon Jul 21, 2008
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| Fly
Tying Materials |
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Improve your
fly-tying by selecting the right materials for the job
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quantity of fly tying materials available today is
staggering. A wide range of choices helps us tie more
effective fly patterns, but can be confusing and intimating
for novice fly-tiers. Choosing the right material to suit
your purpose is one of the first lessons in fly tying.
Premium grade materials won't make good flies unless they
are suitable for the purpose. Inferior or incorrect
materials will make your tying a nightmare.
As a general guide, I believe that a good fly-tying
material should:
- enhance the appearance of the fly to both the angler
and the fish
- make a fly easy and quick to tie
- be reasonably durable
- enhance the performance of a fly
- help your fly bring more fish to the net
- be relatively easy to obtain
Materials can be classified in several groups according
to type, source or use:
- Hooks, of course.
- Tying thread.
- Furs and
Feathers. This is the largest and most
complex group of materials.
- Floss, dubbing and body
materials. Nearly every fly includes a body
of some kind, tied from a variety of materials.
- Tinsel, ribs and trim.
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After the hook, tying thread is the most important item
on a fly tier's bench. Nylon and polyester threads are
thinner and stronger than silk and therefore more practical
for today's fly tying. Polyester has less stretch than
nylon, which should give you more thread control. The
stretch in nylon, on the other hand, gives you a buffer
against breakage, and provides a "rubber-band"
effect to grip materials better. Nylon thread is dyed after
production and tends to have more vibrant, fluorescent
colours than polyester. |
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