New Fly-Tying Materials
Tiers are always looking for new materials to create the ultimate fish catcher, make flies easier to tie, or achieve a certain appearance. Today’s tier has more quality components available than ever before. Let’s take a look at some of the latest additions to the fly-tying world. To make it easier to understand some of the new materials, I will show you materials in context as parts of flies; some flies will contain a number of new materials. I’m sure you will come up with uses of your own.
Synthetic Wing Fibers
Synthetic wing fibers have become crucial components of many baitfish patterns for freshwater and saltwater anglers. For 2002, Bestway has introduced Unique Hair, a finer version of their Super Hair. It retains the crinkled profile of Super Hair, but the thinner diameter fibers are more supple, less prone to take a set, and have more action in the water. It is not prone to fouling but is durable enough for toothy fish. For smaller flies, Unique Hair is better than Super Hair.
Hedron’s Fuzzy Fiber looks like long kinky wool, but unlike wool, it doesn’t absorb water. It can be flared like deer hair or wool to form bulky bodies and heads or used as a wing. Use the tips as the wing or tail and the butts for the head. Add more clumps of Fuzzy Fiber for a longer head or stack colors on top of each other for variety.
Angler’s Choice Poly Bear, the crinkly, shiny polypropylene with fine strands of holographic Angel Hair, has been around for years, but the new golden pheasant color is a great substitute for golden pheasant crest. It wouldn’t go on a wall in a shadow box, but it is much easier to set in place than the natural.
The South African company Fishient Group has introduced a new group of synthetic wing fibers sold under the Just Add H2O label. Flat ’N Fine is a translucent, flat, plastic-like hair that sheds water and is best suited to thin-profile baitfish imitations. Slinky Fibre is similar to Unique Hair, but it is a bit softer. The crinkled texture gives the appearance of bulk. Gliss ’N Glow is a corrugated flash, which is similar to an existing American product called Fire Fly. The crimped surface gives the appearance of scales and refracts light. Fluoro Fibre is a fluorescent microfiber with a slight crinkle and a shiny finish. It can be used as an accent for other materials, wings for smaller patterns, floss, and parachute posts. It is similar in appearance to SLF Hanks, Gator Hair, and Silky Fibers. Polar Fibre is a long, higher-grade craft fur tapered like natural hair. Making a three-dimensional fly with it is easy and the soft texture makes it come alive in the water. This is a good option for trout streamers. It takes permanent marker. Polar Plus is a 10-inch version of Polar Fibre. Doug’s Bugs distributes Fishient Group products.
Flash
Flash filaments keep evolving as new manufacturing processes and technologies arise. Wapsi’s new Midge Flash is the smallest twisted mylar strand on the market. Midge Flash is not as bright or translucent as Krystal Flash or Flashabou Accent. It can be used for streamer wings, tails, and ribs, and it is the perfect size for parachute posts, spinner wings, or underwings on drys and emergers.
Hedron’s Mirage is a pearl flash material with an opal tint. It constantly changes colors as it turns in the light and gives the appearance of movement in the water. It is much brighter than the original Flashabou and a little less translucent. It comes in many useful forms, such as a Flashabou Mirage, Mirage Blends (Flashabou and Mirage), Saltwater Mirage, Mirage Fringe (for large popper tails), Mirage Accent (a spiral fiber), adhesive eyes, molded eyes, and sheets.
Copyright © 2012 Intermedia Outdoors
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