I am relatively new to fly fishing and just took up tying. I have quickly branched from using traditional materials, to just about anything that looks interesting.
I used a pair of the soft foam earplugs we use at work, the kind joined with a plastic string to make some flies. The plugs are yellow and fluorescent pink. Excellent for bass and bluegills. I call them earplug bugs. The guys at work think I am a nut.
I have two miniature long-haired dachsunds, one tan and the other black. When my wife brushes out their coats, the fluffy hair balls looked like good dubbing. Works well.
Don’t forget to grab some of the packing foam from those boxes you see here and there. Also, paintbrush bristles, cellophane, and poly rope work great for wings, dental floss & christmas tree tinsle for ribbing, and chain from old ceiling fans are great for bead eyes, and so on. I’ve even gone so far as to use a chunk of wadded & rolled up aluminum foil for body material.
You’re not a nut, you’re just… uh, creative… yeah yeah, that’s it…creative!
There’s almost nothin’ wrong with the first lie, it’s the weight of all the others holdin’ it up that gets ya’! - Tim
Actually all you are doing is learning the real art of flytying. Dame Julia didn’t have a fly shop or catalog to get fly materials from. Pattern books and recipes are just guides. Most of the time you have use alternate materials. The guys at work probably wish they were nuts too. Remember the main thing is to enjoy the sport, if you are, the you are already on the right track. Get some of the fun foam at wally world, great stuff to tie with. Dan Gober
dgflyguy
[This message has been edited by Danny Gober (edited 11 September 2005).]
Just as a side bar on materials I’ve found… I looked in the art supply aisle at K-mart and found the 2mm craft foam in assorted shapes and colors for about $.99 and on the other side of the aisle in office supplies were rubber bands in the same assortment of colors for the same price $.99. Much cheaper than our local fly shop and should last through my learning curve.
Once I find what the fish like and the pattern to color combinations that tie best for me, I’ll spring for a more exact group of materials.
There’s almost nothin’ wrong with the first lie, it’s the weight of all the others holdin’ it up that gets ya’! - Tim
