Synthetics

[Ray Kunz]

I feel completely confused by the proliferation of synthetics for dubbing and hair. We seem to have comparable and identicle materials packaged by different distributors and labelled with their own "Mickey Mouse" name. We are then told that they are all different and each one is vital for a specific recipe. In my opinion this is a bunch of marketing garbage.
By applying some degree of technical knowledge and testing, I can show that one of the most prestigeous, heavily advertised, synthetic hair materials that retails for about $6 to $7 per package can be had for $1.25 a package with a different name on it. In the ancient times when more materials were natural, a piece of cream fox belly fur was a piece of cream fox belly fur. Your main concern was only the exact color. I think the guys who suggest tying with a limited range of materials have the right idea.

[ducksterman]

So are you going to share names with us????

I went through this somewhat with Ice Dub....ways to get it in more bulk...but there were confusing variations...also how it was cut up made a difference.

[Buddy Sanders]

Ray,

I feel your pain.

I've gone down the 'find it cheaper' road for years with fly tying materials...I've found dozens of non fly tying products that were identical, as far as utilization goes, to expensive 'fly tying material'.

I've also found some things that would work, but were just a bit different...those 'pearl' chenilles, the shiny plastic stuff, I've found in several different iterations, all a bit different, but most still workable, come immediately to mind.

Halloween wigs that do very nicely for 'big fly fiber' (once on the fly, I can't tell them apart). The wigs will be available on 'close out' soon, for those interested.

Christmas tree tinsel in pearls, opalescents, and colored metallics as well as the standard silver and gold is basically flashabou. There are differing widths, stiffnesses, and even surface finishes..check different outlets for good varieties that will work for you...Buck or two for LOTS of it (and that's full retail), and even cheaper if you wait until AFTER the holidays and get it marked down.

I've found more usable 'stuff' by looking carefully around craft shops, beauty supply houses, thrift shops, and hardware stores than I have in most fly shops.

Of course, I keep buying all this stuff, and now have enough materials for dozens of tyers lifetimes (my nail that holds the various cards of Xmas tinsel either needs to be replaced with a longer nail, or I need to add another near it...you can only hang about ten cards on one 20D nail...)...and yet I know that I'll discovers another new 'something' I 'need' again soon.

Luckily, I've managed to mostly avoid the online shopping craze. Except for hooks and metal beads, I get almost all my stuff over someone's counter.

It really IS an addiction, but as those things go, a pretty benign one.

Buddy

[ducksterman]

Buddy....how true a post

The Chrismas tinsel thing bugs me ....I've got some great cards of it ......BUT...when I went to use it ....it broke too easy

[Buddy Sanders]

Duckster,

I've had that 'breaking' problem with the old style silver and gold tinsel. It's pretty light and doesn't hold up well. I threw all of that away years ago.

What I have now is plastic based stuff. Some of it reminds me of 'saltwater' flashabou. Thicker and kind of stiff. I went out and looked, I've got several types of clear irresdescent stuff (some is 'textured' on the surface, and I have a few different thicknesses and stiffnesses-I use a lot of this stuff), red, blue, and green 'metallic', silver and gold 'holographic' (looks like kind of a scale pattern to me), plus plain old flat silver and gold.

I tend to use this more for wrapping bodies and lateral line type uses. I just bought some of the pearl stuff that is thin but stiff, and I'm trying it for tailing flash on some minnow biats and such....look promising...it's stiff enough that, if it holds up, it won't foul like normal flashabou.

Buddy

[Bass_Bug]

Buddy....how true a post

The Chrismas tinsel thing bugs me ....I've got some great cards of it ......BUT...when I went to use it ....it broke too easy

I bought some during the after Christmas sale a several years ago. This stuff (although being in only basic holiday colors) is almost as fine as flashbou, but was sold as ornaments in a tassels form. I'll post a pic lalter but picture a graduation tassle only not as long. The stuff is very flexible but best of all it's connected and has a convient loop for hanging. These were a 2 pack that were only a couple bucks (per pack) retail. I got them for $.50 or so. Kept one of each for tying and put the other of each on the tree.

[Jgoding]

Yeah, but I don't think it's all that of a secret. I think people just try to push products they like or prefer. A lot of the synthetics (especially the mylars etc...) are the same stuff except they are cut slightly different or blended slightly different. Also, this is not a unique phenomenom to fly tying.... a lot of different hobbies/industries do the same thing, it's how they make money.... I remember when I paintballed a lot.... you could by a tank cap (to protect the threads) for your C02 bottles.... stores sold them for $5. You could get a 1/2" pvc threaded cap for $0.25 at the hardware store. The only difference usually was they painted the ones at the paintball store black......

[Normand]

Buddy....how true a post

The Chrismas tinsel thing bugs me ....I've got some great cards of it ......BUT...when I went to use it ....it broke too easy

duck,

look for some holographic tinsel like the stuff shown below

http://images.orvis.com/orvis_assets...g/599TA3JA.jpg

i bought some at walmart at christmas time. it came on a card and was about 18 inches long.
they also had solid colors

[Bass_Bug]

This is what I got several years ago at an after Christmas sale at Wal-Mart.

[Ray Kunz]

My original post referred to comparing E P fiber to the much less expensive Congo Hair from The Flytyers Dungeon in Montana.