I am searching for chenille (yellow or gold) for tying wooly worms, & I am seeing different materials, ie cotton, rayon, acrylic, etc. Is there a preferred material, or does it matter? Which, if any, materials should I avoid?
Thanks,
Mike
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[This message has been edited by ohiotuber (edited 17 February 2006).]
My initial reaction is that it is only chenille and only wooly worms, so it doesn’t matter - there actually won’t be enough on the hook to make a difference. There will also be hackle and possibly tinsel disguising it too. However you may want to consider these notions: The cotton will absorb water and so be heavier to cast and sink faster once wet - it will also take longer to dry and deteriorate quicker. Rayon is not a strong fibre, but is very common for chenille and so easy to obtain. It will have a slight lustre. Acrylic will have more lustre and be more durable. It does not absorb water itself so will be lighter to cast, but will also sink slower at first. Because of the low cost of chenille, if the first one you buy doesn’t work for you - get another.
I tied a few using DMC cotton floss on size 16 hooks and palmering ostrich herl. They look nice and I an anxious to give them a try on my 1 wt.
Ed
I looked through some of mine and the only cards that were labeled said rayon. Most just say chenille.
Jay
When I was fishing specifically for largemouth, I wanted the wooly worm or wooly bugger to get down more quickly. The cotton does absorb and sink more quickly. I would say it probably depends on some of the characteristics of the species you are fishing for and how the fish wants it presented.