Downswing in natural materials ????

[gadabout]

At some point in my fly tying career, I decided I was going to use natural materials in my flies to the greatest extent practical. In the last few years I've been finding fewer natural materials than I've been accustomed to in most fly shops. Try finding some wool yarn in a fly shop for example. Most shops I've visited don't carry it. Recently I was looking for some duck wing quills. At most I'd find one or two colors in each shop, or none at all. It seems that people are progressing away from the origins of the sport, wherein fishermen made fish attractors out of fur and feathers. I haven't figured out if it's the fishermen or the materials suppliers that are most responsible for this trend. I don't know, I just felt like throwing this out. Don't mind me.

[popperfly]

I would say you are right about materials suppliers that are most responsible due to the lack of furs from the trappers. The trapping days are almost gone, as a kid a ran the rivers every morning and after school then at the end of the week I would sell my furs. Well you just don't hear about the guys trapping anymore. So I believe this is why there is a lack of furs.

[DG]

Natural materials will make a comeback when the oil to make the synthetics runs out.

Natural animal parts are relatively easy to find, but only in the traditional way of getting them yourself, or from friends, and not purchasing them in a fly shop.

Befriend a duck hunter.

[rookie]

I'm just guessing but I would think that activists have played somewhat of a role whether directly or indirectly with the downsizing of natural materials.

[WarrenP]

Unfortunately, with all the parking lots being built, sub-divisions going up, roads being built, towns and cities spreading out, trees being cut to make paper/lumber, etc., there isn't much left for our natural friends to make their homes in and they are disappearing. I am afraid that synthetics is all that will be left. We as humans, do not seem to be concerned with the birds and animals in this world and feel we are superior to all living creatures. Money, more money and more money is all anyone thinks about and they do not care what animals and birds they have to destroy to get more money. It is such a shame to watch all the woods and forrests disappear or get smaller and smaller and all the streams being polluted and all in the name of progress and money.

It is so sad to watch....Just my opinions and nothing more....

[flybinder]

And, like ALL things, "created by mankind" we ONLY have ourselves to blame, really,for the down turn in tying with natural materials.
Of course, the articles are still published, (but not that often anymore), about "A NEW WAY to use duck wing quills".
But, instead, today when we fly fishers pick up our latest issue of whatever we buy for tying tips, what's on the cover? "A NEW WAY to tie with "Astro Blaster Shiny Skin!"
"Tie Bob Whoisits, NEW "Spun Titanium Fibers Dahlberg Diver and SLAM 'DEM 'BOWS!!"
It's US. We've apparently become a "GIT 'ER DONE", society of fly fishers, for the most part and that, as you implied gadabout, is sad.
WHY, would we sit at the vise today and take the trouble to marry up a pair of matched wings, from a pair of goose feathers, when we can "Snip-Snap-Slam-Bam 'em, out of a sheet of $1.19 "Magic Insta Wings", in less than 7 seconds?
I learned to tie #20 and #22 Trico wings, using white hackle fibers for the wings and still do it that way. WHO ELSE does, that I know, that ties? No one. They ALL use "Z-lon", or a like substance fiber. "Gees, flybinder!! Ya' nuts? Why are you using HACKLES when Z-Lon is like ten times FASTER?"
I've always used, real and natural, Peacock hurl on many of my flies. A lot of us, still do of course. But.......... I also get sent a lot of "the newest, latest, coolest, besterest-gooderest tying materials" to try out and report back on and I probably have, at LEAST, 15 "new and improved, and better than the natural", types of peacock hurl man made materials on my tying table at the moment!
And, probably HALF of the 15 have "more shine", "more true color", "more fish attracting appeal", than the natural hurl sitting beside it.

"Synthetic Hackle" has been on the market, now, for HOW long? I don't know, does that stuff come from "Synthetic Chickens"? I was sent a pack of it and across the front of the label, it stated in bold print.......... "BETTER, than the natural and won't attract insects!". Well, that's nice but I don't tie flies to "attract insects" to begin with so what do I care?
But, really, what materials that we used to use, those that came from the natural world around us, haven't been replaced by "man made" materials? Not very many.
Today, we want "NOW flies". Whether or not, most tiers will admit it, they love being ale to sit down, open a package, take out a pair of "already pre-cut-realistic looking-man made plastic-upright and divided wings"..........that they can simply bind to the hook and whip finish the fly and be on the water with no muss or fuss!??!

The excuse we use, is "the new stuff is tougher, than the natural". "My flies last longer, than those I use to tie, with real peacock hurl". I can tie MORE flies, and FASTER flies, with the new man made Goobledee-Gook Cast Iron Dubbing Brushes!"

"The naturals" are still out there. Saw a real, live, breathing squirrel just the other day, in fact. But, he was safe from man's predation because there's a few companies already making "newer, better, synthetic, longer lasting, imitation squirrel fur and dubbing".
What sells, in fly fishing? "NEW" and if you're a fly fisher in a higher up, tax bracket, you can even probably afford a package or two of "NEW AND IMPROVED"!
Every single time, that someone redesigns an age old pattern, it's 99% of the time done with what else............. "The NEW and improved and BETTER, man made substitute material", "That's cleaner, faster, easier to use, takes less care to keep, etc. etc. etc." It even boils down to the simple fact of "When was the last time, you put moth balls, in with your synthetic yarns and dubbings to protect them from insects"?

Maybe, to some extent all of this "new and improved and "Git "Er Done", has its place. If we didn't have a lot of it, we'd all still be fishing with horse hair lines and greenheart rods no doubt. But then too..........where does it end?

[Gnu Bee Flyer]

I think that part of the problem is the scarcity of game at least in the areas I have been hunting in. I usually inhabit the local fly shops if I can and purchase natural fly tying materials from them. But sometimes the hunter in me says go out and get your own. So I gather up my trusty shotgun and head out.

I have been scouring the hills and valleys on a hunt for the elusive Nauga. I was told that I needed a nauga hide to complete my collection of exotic fly tying furs . You know I think that all the Naugas have been shot off because I didn't see hide nor hair of one even after several hunts.

It has been almost as frustrating as my hunt for golfs. I was invited by some friends one day to come shoot some golf. I showed up at the rendesvous with my guns. A bunch of people that were there when I arrived ran off into the woods at my approach. I think they were trying to chase some golfs out into the open for me. Those folks never came back so I went to this very large meadow where golf was supposedly being shot. I did not see any of the adult golf, but I did find 18 of their nests. Some kind soul had carefully marked each one with a flag. I did find a few of their round white dimpled golf eggs hidden in the tall grass. Man those things are hard to crack. I tried to fry some up but they exploded. The same thing happened when I tried to cut one in half. after removing the shell the insides tasted nasty so I just gave up on golf eggs.
I decided to concentrate on the adults. I spoke to a fellow trying to break an egg by hitting it with this bent weighted stick with an iron head on it. Even though he hit it hard enough to send the darn thing flying about 100 yards down the meadow it still wouldn't break. I told the guy that I was not very good at shooting golf and maybe I needed some tips. He said the very best was Tiger Woods. I figured that my shotgun was just not weapon enought for hunting Tiger so I decided to stay out of those darn Woods. He asked about the gun and I said it was for shooting golf. He said you don't use a gun you use one of these clubs. Well I didn't want to club some poor animal to death especially a Tiger so I gave up shooting golf.

As I climbed under the fence leaving the Meadow He called out to me. Be careful with that gun crossing the fence. Keep A Lert. Keep a Lert? Great now not only do I have to worry about getting a Nauga and a Golf now I need to find a Lert. Maybe I'll just buy my flies on ebay.

[gadabout]

Well I guess part of the reason for my post was to find out if anyone else shares my feelings about this topic. Thankfully many do! (Funny stuff Gnu Bee ...)

[Bamboozle]

Maybe it's because many tyers like me PREFER synthetics whenever possible and the stores stock what sells.

While I agree there is no substitute for quality hackle or quills; 99% of my regular dries are "fake", made with synthetic tails, dubbing & wings. My beetles, bees, inchworms and a few other terrestrials are 100%.

Before I got into traditional wets & spiders; I hardly ever used natural fur except for a few patterns. I like the convenience of synthetics, the myriad of colors, ease of use and convenient storage options.

With so many wild looking creations in the fly shops using fur, rubber legs, Ice Dub, etc.; it seem like a normal thing to less of the natural materials in the shops. While I love all things traditional; for me fishing is mostly about catching fish and I could care less what my flies are made of as long as they work.

JMHO

[Extremely Low Budget FF]

I tie a lot with syntetic yarns. But in order to keep in touch with the history of fly tying and because they add another dimension to my flies, I continue to use a lot of natural materials as well.

Being a low budget fly tyer I use inexpensive natural and artificial materials, it has little to do with what is carried in fly shops.

Naturals I've hunted/found/ been gifted

Duck feathers
Goose feathers
squirel tails
pheasant
ruffed grouse
turkeys

and

piegons
starlings

As long as Salvation Army sells me fur collars at $2.00 each I'll have
mink
coyote


While at Salvation Army, check out some mohair sweaters that you can dissassemble for miles of "leech yarn"

And then there's road kill (take precautions not to come in contact with blood or spinal fluid and obey game laws)

oppossum
woodchuck
squirels
etc

I subscribe to the big tent theory of flytying. Traditional materials are special and I will always tie with them (though I do not use expensive hackle). I will also use synthetic materials of all shapes and descriptions (from nylon parachute cord, to Christmas garland, to boa yarn) to tie flies that catch fish. I'm glad I live in an era where such a wide variety of fly tying materials are available.