We have “40% off any one item” coupons in the newspaper practically every week for craft stores like AC Moore, Michaels and Jo-Annne’s, and if you don’t get the coupons in your paper, you can often get them from their web sites. So, if you going to these stores to get some of your fly tying supplies, why not save a few more bucks?
Also, on the subject of rubber bands, they make wonderful, and cheap, segmented bodies on many nymphs and wet flies. Just wrap on a light colored rubber band and then color it with a waterproof felt tip marker in whatever color needed. Brown on top and yellow on bottom makes nice, cheap and fast stoneflys.
Joel…I’ve done that…let me warn you…the dye leeches out when wet…
Solution…wash them first[/quote]
I’ve had the same happen to me and now I have a really pretty purple spot on the inside, bottom pocket of my vest. The bags do work well, the only other thing I don’t like is that they have no cushion. You have to be a little more careful than you do with a neoprene reel case. But for free.99 you can’t beat it.
I also own labs; chocolate by the way. Since their hair is so oily and water repellant, seems to me like that would be a natural for dry flies; needing little or no dressing…true or false?
I haven’t tied, or fly fished in over 40 years; and am just now returning; thus this basic question.
Steve; If I don’t scare hell out of my Lab by brushing him; I can send you some of his hair if you wish. Just contact me.
Ken
Just getting back into fly fishing and tying; so my materials are low at present.
I needed some dubbing and didn’t have any yet. In a moment of alcoholic enthusiasm I found a substitute. I had just cut out a section of carpet and padding to install a woodstove. I went to the padding; cut out a chunk; and found out this makes superb dubbing; exceptionally buggy looking.
This is a GREAT TOPIC!!!
Ken
I bought an assortment of stuff from Cabella’s thinking some of it was thread; it wasn’t.
What is the “Poly dubbing” they sent me; and how is it used?? It comes on a tiny little spool; not waxed.
Ken
you can get extremely cheap quality tying materials sometimes, if your at a cabelas when they have a tent sale. I bough a blue 12 by 3 inch patch of deer hair for a buck, and two yellow 6/0 spools of uni thread for 10 cents. saw and bought a lot of other stuff too. they seem to have these sales often in the summer at the Cabelas in Hamburg.
I use closed cell foam for poppers from the following sources
Pipe insulation
Pool noodles
Foam packing
Foam from old PFD’s
Sill Seal (a home construction product found in the insulation isle at Home Depot and Lowe’s)
I use copper wire from
electric cords
old coffee makers (solenoids)
DC motors
old telephones
I use nylon for streamer tails from
old jackets
parachute cord
nylon webbing
I get my fur from fur collars of old coats (at a local Salvation Army store they sell just the collars for 2 bucks each).
I’ve been tying on eagle claw jig hooks lately for my bass flies.
In 1983, I obtained a beaver coat… it’s like the damn loaves and fishes…I’m still giving it away.
Antique clothing store… ask if they have old fur coats that are coming apart and they cann’t sell… they usually have a truck full… I got a seal coat for $10.
Furriers often sell "grab bags " for a few dollars - one bag will last ya’ a lifetime!
Take anton carpet samples, either the small books or larger pieces - using old shears (not your good ICE scissors!) - cut the carpet fibers off - break them up a litlle with your fingers - put them into a blender with 8-10 oz. h2o and one drop of dishwashing liquid. Blend for 1-2 minutes - strain throught a kitchen strainer under running water - dry with paper towels and y’ got beautiful antron dubbing.
Different bungies have different sizes and sometimes different colors. Even from the same supplier, i.e. West Marine.
Bass spinner bait skirts - wonderful multi colored silcon legging.
Christmas mylar wrap for crease flies
Pick up fresh road kill squirrels. Place them in a mixing bowl - use your better scissors and trim off the fur… toss the squirrel or cut the tail and then toss.
Cloth stores sell neat little olive, metalic green, and black bead strings for about 25-50 cents/yard - these make wonderful eyes for dragon and damsel nymphs.
Electronic wholesalers sell wire cutters (not pliers) that work better than scissors for almost every job.
im gonna use the fibers from my white/tan berber carpet. we got a couple hugenormous rolls left over from when we finished our basement. ill use them to make some nice dubbin!!! will it float or sink?
its synthetic. i already made it. i couldnt find the blender (think we might have thrown it out) so i just threw the fibers in a jar and shook it several times. there were some pieces that i forgot to separate the fibers by hand so i have a couple big clumps mixed in w/ the rest of the fluffy separated stuff. it worked relativley well. im gonna make some more!
I go to a local dog parlour, a place where dogs get haircuts etc and get an assortment of hair in different length, texture and colour which is extremely useful on streamer patterns. Also my cat (black and white in colour) is a source of dubbing on the hoof.
it wouldnt go on the thread right. it was too stiff so it just flaked off and didnt adhere. i suppose it might work better if i lock it in w/ a dubbing loop.
