I know that we Fly-anglers / Fly-tyers are a creative bunch that would give MacGyver a serious run for his money.
Sooooo…what materials are you adapted for fly-tying that were meant for something else?
For example - I use my daughters hair rubber bands for legs…they are skinny and black and the price is right - .99 for a bag of 100.
Anyone else???
well,i use rubber bands for a rubber band grub. 8) also i use those fake flower petals cut to shape for claws on crawdads. those are i think my most unique ones.
The strands on the inside of a bungee cord make great Madam X/Hopper type legs. Also, the woven bag avicados are often sold in at the super market make great caddis bodies. Take care & …
Tight Lines ? Al & Gretchen Beatty
BT?s Fly Fishing Products &
Flyfisher Magazine
albeatty2@aol.com
beatty@keokee.com
208-362-2663 (phone & fax)
208-861-0564 (cell)
Crazy Charlie wing made from bichon frise.
dog hair is fabulous for nymphs.
old fly lines (some are speckled) for nymph bodies.
as Al mentioned, the woven veggie bags are super for bodies. I use bags with the smallest weave, cut strips and either twist them or just overlap for caddis bodies. The texture of the bodies is just right.
plastic baling twine is great for wet fly bodies. I use the blue, the white and that pale orange.
sewing thread for heads on large flies and for ribbing.
cigarette butt filter
Years ago there was an old timer in our club that fished nymphs made from electrical tape
Strands from an old burlap bag makes good bodies and can be dyed if desired.
Tim
I met a young man at a fly tying show that made some really great looking Chironomids out of old VHS tape.
There are also the flies made out of fake fingernails.
he-he, rubber bands for a muddler head.
A few of my favorites
Dryer Lint as dubbing, some really nice colors can be achieved.
The fake grass from Easter Baskets make excellent Dubbing Highlighters.
And my favorite Milk Weed Pod after it has matured. It is a nice substitute for CDC as demo or display flies. If you do not mind a slimmer silhouette in the water it works great.
Don
Does your Dryer Lint desolve in the water? Mine did…weird.
Don’t forget one of the latest issues of one of the fly fishing mags…shoe laces
That’s an old favorite of Jack Gartside. I like the multi-color tinsel Wally Mart sells at Christmas time for body material, and latex gloves cut into strips as well.
Joe
neon colored hair extensions from the dollar store i use these for crappie flys bead chain eyes and a body of the hair.
plastic hair ties from the dollar store the thin ones that looks like latex strips . candy wrappers for wings .
i have even used glow in the dark bracelet lace you have to stretch the heck out of it to make it thin enough to use .
Flip flops for popper bodies.
MAN - We put MacGyver to shame!
Although when I first asked the question I knew there were going to be some good responses.
I’m with Garden Fish and Gut Bomb - and after chasing the cat around the house with the vacuum cleaner - I decided that the next time I brushed him, I’d keep it and use it for dubbing:
Drilled a home in the bottom of a baby food plastic case and I have “Moe The Cat” dubbing…
I only use dryer lint that is all synthetic. In fact, sometime I do loads of laundry specifically for the lint. That is to say, everything that goes into that load is good for the lint that will come off of the dryer’s filter. Synthetic throw blankets are the best for dubbing lint.
I can quit all this any time that I want. <repeat as necessary>
(My sister STILL won’t let me approach her Sheltie with scissors in my hand!)
Ed
Don’t forget vinyl gloves, instead of rubber gloves. So far I have only found them in purple, which limits their use just a bit.
Ed
Some years back , Boyd Pfeiffer wrote a column in Fly Tyer magazine called Strange Stuff.
One article I remember very well was about a bluefish fly made from common plastic shopping bags
They cut a square of plastic out of a bag and wound and tied it on the shank of a jig hook.
Then they used a utility knife to cut the end to ribbons.
I remember him saying the the orange bags used to keep your newspaper dry worked best :shock:
Ha I think I have you all … TaaDaaa
Dental dam latex or rubber what ever it is it makes great nymph bodies and shell backs for scuds…
Comes in different colours and in easy squires, just ask you dentist or the cute Dental Hygienist for some…
It is stretchy and cuts easy etc…
But the down side is if you run out you HAVE TO VISIT THE DENTIST AND THAT COSTS…