What do you all use as legs for your panfish/bass/other critters that take leggy bugs flies? I tried elastics, but I couldn’t find anything small enough in diameter. Not for the size 14’s I have. I’ve inquired to a couple companies that manufacture elastic, and I have some samples coming in the mail. But, of course, this is one size diameter and it’s in bulk. Highly in bulk. Still not sure if I want to go with the bulk idea. If I do, I’ll probably be hooking up a lot of you with legs, since we’re talking like 1000 yards of this stuff. But that’s not the point, the point is, what do you all use, cause I’d prefer not to have to buy a giant box of elastic hahaha.
You might try going to the Bass fishing section of a store near you and look for Spinner Bait Skirt materials. It comes in many sizes and colors. Hope this might help. John
Bungee cords or sometimes called elastic motorcycle straps. The kind with the elastic inner core has loads of rubber leg material. I just have to pick and choose which cord by looking at the tip of each cord before buying. Different colors and sizes can be had. A lot of leg work from store to store to find the right size and color though. Cut the braided covering off to get to the elastic inner core.
I’m definitely looking for something in bulk. I’ll check out the bungee cords for sure, it’s a great idea. I’ll rob what’s left of my spinning gear, I have a few spinner/buzz baits left. I’ll recycle those for now:)
I have found the only bad part about using spinner bait skirts is they are to flimsie and I like for my rubber legs to hold out straight and stand up. You can buy those things in micro sizes for tying small trout flies but I prefer to use the medium size when tying warm water stuff. I have found they make a big difference in the way the fly falls and the way the fish hit.
Well, the way I do it is to wait until I’m feeling the most manly and macho, haven’t shaved in a couple of days – I put on my favorite blue jeans, boots, and flannel shirt, get in my pick up truck and then I go into the local fabric story (Joann or Hancock Fabrics). Depending on what you need, bathing suit elastic works well, but they also have a selection of elastic “threads”. The ladies there are always more than willing to help any hapless man who walks into the store – it’s evidently a rare occurence.
The other day I went to the ‘Dollar Tree’ store where everything is $1.00. I happened to look, as I’m accustomed to do, at their children’s toys, household, craft and other items. You’d be amazed what you can find that has applications for fly fishing and tying. Anyway, I found something that meets your needs. It is a toy or key chain or something that has about 500, 4 inch rubber strands. I’m guessing that each strand is about 1/32 of an inch diameter and there are about 10 different colors in each toy. They are perfect for legs on flies or anything else for that matter. Yes, I bought one.
I’ll have to look for Deezel’s toy…and would mention…not wanting to cut up one of my perfectly good bungee cords I thought I would just spend a buck and go to the 99cent store…the ones I got there after taking off the covering almost disintegrated in my hands…so I cut up one of my good ones.
I believe you will find that “Tentacles” are the smallest diameter.
I don’t use fine or very fine rubber on my flies. I find that the materials is to small of a diameter and will end up on the side of the fly. the thicker diamter rubber has enough strength to not get caught on the side of the fly.
My nickel on this.
As for the micro legs, I think “Centipede legs” come in a small size, would work well for that size fly. My tying kit is in the office or I would dig them out and look.
check youre local 5 below, dollar store, or whatever, i found this one thing (still not totally sure what it was but it was somewhat like a feather duster) but it had a bundle of live rubber in about 6 inches long and about twice as thich as my wrist in girth. 2 bucks. and the liverubber wasnt all just one solid color, there were red strands, blue, yellow, pretty much every color i’ll ever use and a bunch i wont. AND they were fairly thin. check them out. also, i opened up a bungee cord and got around 500 strands of EXTREMELY small diameter live rubber. i think it would be perfect for size 14-20 flies.
deezel i just read youre post and i believe we are talking about the same thing feather duster/keychain whatchamacallit. did it have a hat type thing and eyes glued on it?
Ok, I just got the price of this stuff. Kind of expensive, since I’d have enough for all of us to tie bugs till we were all 600 years old. 41,000 yards. of .030 thickness. However, it’s still in my price range.
I’ll check out those sites and get some shipping quotes for sure. I checked out the dollar store today close to me, though, I didn’t think about the legs, I Was looking for storage containers (Doh). I’ll see what they have, thanks for all the amazing suggestions!
Like Rick, I use the ordinary thickness of rubber leg material. Like one of the posters above, I also like the stuff that comes in strips that you pull apart, but the black that I use most of the time is from a bungee.
I have seen ulta fine rubber leg stuff for sale. I think it may be on flytyingworld. com., but can’t remember for certain where I saw it. It is smaller than the standard stuff by quite a bit. It is for sale in a standard size package.
YES! That’s it.The label actually reads: “EXPRESSIONS Kooch Key Chain”. I haven’t used any of the legs because I tie very few patterns calling for them. However, for a buck, the item just looked too good to pass up. I also saw a very soft rubber ball, sort of a rubbery gel type material, that had hundreds of ‘tentacles’ (I’d better spell that correctly, lol) extending from the center. Each was about 1 inch, about 3/32 of an inch at the base, 1/16 of an inch at the tip, and stretched to about twice the length. I was wondering how they would work either wrapped as a body or tied down as an extended body? Didn’t buy one of those though.
I use round rubber legs and was unable to get a good supply of them until just recently, and i thought “WOW” until i measured the old stock in length with the new stock and found they have shortened the length about 4-5inches!!! now that’s what i call sneeky and not on!! what do you think???