What is pearl mylar tubing and how do you use it. Someone gave me some but I do not understand how it is to be used to tie flies. Please help! mathcarver
Cut a piece off long enough to use as a streamer body and pull the cord out of the middle. Tie in at the back of the hook and whip finish before cutting the thread. Tie in at the front of the body and finish the streamer with wing and beard or hackle. Try using dfferent colors of thread or floss for an underbody with pearlescent tubing.
Search for Ricks Favorite Crappie Flies in the panfish archives and look at the Cyperts Minnow.
It is a great crappie fly.
Rick
Another way to tie in the mylar tubing to make a floating streamer is to tie in the tail material on a long shankred hook. For tail material, I like to use fox body fur or rabbit fur for durability. Next, add a foam body to the shank of the hook. I find that the very thin closed-cell foam used to package electronic equipment works great. Just cut the foam into 1/8 inch wide strips and wrap it up and down the shank to make a nice tapered body, ending with both the closed-cell foam and the thread at the eye of the hook. Now, with your thread at the eye of the hook, take the mylar tubing (with the center core removed) and tie it in right behind the eye of the hook. The mylar tubing now extends out in front of the hook. Bring your thread back to the bend of the hook where you tied in your tail material. Now, take the mylar tubing and invert it as you slide/roll it back over the body material. Tie it off at the back of the hook and you’re just about done. I like to add 3D eyes to my floating streamers and perhaps some red marker under the “chin” to simulate gills. This method of tying in the mylar tubing eliminates the bulky thread at the eye of the hook and makes a nice minnow shaped head.
Jim Smith
These…
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and this…
use mylar tubing for body building. There are other uses too.
…lee s.
Another is what I believe is called a zonker streamer, where you build a body with melted glue, pull the mylar over that, then tie a white zonker strip over the top. What’s really cool is that the mylar is rather translucent, meaning that the hook shank takes on a realistic look of the lateral line. There is just so much you can do with the tubing. I have modified the Cyperts by palmering in a red hackle before the mylar is pulled over the chenile for a red gill effect. JGW
As a guy who eats the core of my apple, I can say this. In general with mylar tubing, don’t throw out the core.
Lately I have come across a lot of tubing that has some nice synthetic fibers for a core instead of the cotton string that was commonly used. The stuff looks like polar bear hair though it floats. That ought to be good wing material.
Thank all of you very much for all your input and info. I will now try to use some of the ideas to make some flies. Thanks you all very much. mathcarver