Aritificial Wing Material, Poly Yarn/polypropelene/sparkle emerger yarn?

FAOL Community Fly Anglers Online
1

What artificial yarn would you think is best for a wing post or split wing dry flies? I guess I’m asking which ties and floats the best. I use a lot of snowshoe mostly, and it works just fine. I just looking for something in addition.

2

Bruce,

Congo Hair (polypropylene, I think) works for me.

Regards,
Scott

3

Try some of this:

http://www.epflies.com/estore/products/4893

…or this:

http://www.chifly.com/Product/Details/2217/TMC-Aero-Dry-Wing

PT/TB

4

Poly yarn (polypropylene) probably floats best, But I don’t care for the look of it.

I’ve used a lot of different materials and most worked fine. Currently I mostly use either Congo Hair or Widow’s Web.

5

All of these work. I like Widows Web and Hi Viz when I’m looking for a brighter post, but at times have used any of the aforementioned and those flies caught fish.

6

Polypropylene is the only material you mentioned that has a density less than water and thus is best for dressing dry flies.

7

Poly yarn. I agree, it lacks in appearance…but it floats the best.

8

Are materials with the word “Poly” usually polypropylene?

9

Bruce,

That’s what I thought, but chemistry was never my best subject.

Regards,
Scott

10

A question: since dry fly wings are vertical- or nearly so- above the water, why so much concern about the material’s “floatability”? I’ve often read that a Wulff-style dry fly floats better in part because of the hair wings. Bushy hair tail? Sure. Heavy hackle? Absolutely. But high-riding hair wings? I really don’t think so. Thus I choose the material(s) for my post wings, for example, by how they look to me, and how easy or hard it is to wrap a parachute hackle around them. Just my $0.05 (due to inflation).

Chuck

11

I’m thinking of after you catch a fish or when the wing becomes wet for whatever reason. Does it float well, longer, higher etc.?

12

Fishing in rough water, there’s a lot of splashing going on that’ll wet the wings. Add a slimy fish chewing on it (yuck!) and, to me, a material that can shed at least some of the moisture is a good thing.

Regards,
Scott

13

Exactly, Scott

14

Congo Hair, EP fibers, and Widow’s Web (and probably 15 other things) are all hot-dyed poly yarn and as such are buoyant. I generally use WW.

15

I’m with Wally, though I like WP the best these days.

16

Congo hair (because it’s cheap and effective) + foam body. A false cast every once in a while to shake the water off the wings and this will stay on top all day long.

Regards,
Scott

17

I use EP fibers, but I had heard that Congo hair was the same and much cheaper. A hank of EP fibers will probably last ten years of tying. It floats nice for the sparse hackled low profile flies and takes floatant really well without matting down. It also makes a sturdy post for parachute flies and I also like it for the wing on really small comparaduns, where you will appreciate its floating quality. It also makes a nice semi sparkly body when wrapped as a yarn. I also mix it in with the wing of dark haired elk hair caddis, to give me a little more visibility without being too obvious.