Non-Traditional Materials for Fly Tying

Any materials I can find around the house, at the supermarket, or craft or discount stores, leave me with more money to spend on the things I can't get anywhere but the fly shop. These are just a few of my finds.

Dryer Lint

Used for:	Dubbed bodies
Source:	Your dryer's lint trap.
Notes:	If you pay close attention to what you're drying, you don't even have to blend colors. If you dry a load of brown polyester towels, you'll get a mat of brown polyester dubbing material. I save different colors and I try to make a note of what kinds of fabric were dried. If you do want to blend colors, you can put it in a blender or use a small coffee grinder. Just don't plan on using either of them for food again. Remember that materials absorb water differently. Synthetics will absorb less water, and therefore weight, than natural fibers like cotton.

Cat Whiskers

Used for:	Bug Antennae Nymph Tails Ribbing
Source:	The common housecat.
Notes:	Never cut off a cat's whiskers. A cat's whiskers are very sensitive, and the cat uses them to move around in the dark and sense its environment. Collect them from the vacuum bag, or wherever your cat grooms himself. You'll have a bag full in no time, as most cats lose whiskers fairly frequently. Besides, the thickest and softest part of the whisker is the root. This is the part you want to tie to the hook, and you won't get the root if you cut Kitty's whiskers. Need more convincing? Your cat knows where you sleep. There you go. Enough said.

Horse Mane

Used for:	Ribbing Rope Nymph Bodies
Source:	A horse, of course, of course!
Notes:	Don't have a horse? Look for neighbors or friends with horses. Just clip a few hairs from the mane. (Yes, this doesn't hurt the horse at all.) Fibers from the mane can be twisted together to make a rope for tying thick nymph bodies. Individual fibers can be used as soft nymph tails, if cut short. Hair from the body can be used as well. Collect it in the Spring when horses start losing their Winter coats.

Synthetic Gauze Ribbon

Used for:	Wrapping Bead Chain
Source:	Fabric or Craft Stores
Notes:	Wrap a set of bead-chain eyes with a thin synthetic ribbon, something you can see through. Tie the bead chain eyes in as usual, and trim off the excess ribbon. Tie down the tag end and you end up with a very good imitation of a faceted insect eye. Look at this horsefly imitation for an example.

Artificial Nails

Used for:	Sand Flea Bodies
Source:	Dollar Stores Drug Stores Beauty Supply
Notes:	These don't have to be anything fancy. Just the cheapest plastic fake fingernails you can find. Don't worry. The cashier is going to take one look at your grubby fingers, coated in Zap-A-Gap, and know the nails are not for personal use. The nails do, however, make very convincing sand flea bodies. They can also be used to reinforce Gurgler bodies. There are even instructions out there for spoon flies made from fake nails. As a bonus, you can paint them any color you want using... what else? Fingernail polish!

Pet Fur

Used for:	Dubbing
Source:	Furry Pets
Notes:	If you've ever brushed a cat, you know that every cat is carrying around an entire cat's-worth of loose hair. Cat hair is good for dubbed bodies on sinking flies, but don't use it for dry bodies. It soaks up water and gets heavy too quickly. I haven't tried dog fur, but I would imagine it varies from breed to breed. By all means, try out different fur and hair options and see how they work.

Closed-Cell Foam

Used for:	Foam Bug Bodies
Source:	Flip-Flop Sandals Craft Stores
Notes:	This foam is the kind of opaque, microscopic closed-cell material that flip-flops are made of. It's also the same foam used for those toe separators that pedicurists employ when painting toenails. Look around, and you'll find it everywhere. Just make sure it's closed-cell foam. Open-cell foam absorbs water and will sink. Closed-cell foam rides high and dry. Most craft stores sell sheets of this material, in thicknesses from 1mm to 2mm. If it's thicker than that, you can use a sharpened brass tube to cut a cylinder that makes a nice ant or hopper body.

Closed-Cell Packing Material

Used for:	Wings Bodies
Source:	Packing Material
Notes:	This is a different kind of foam than the closed-cell foam above. It is translucent, and very flexible. I get it most often in electronics, where it is used to wrap items before they are placed in cardboard shipping boxes. It's made in many thicknesses, from paper thin up to 2 or 3mm. It's easy to cut and shape, and can be tinted with permanent Sharpie markers. The packing material from a single DVD player can supply you with a lifetime of winging foam.

Have any suggestions for this page? Any unusual materials you've found that make great flies? Email me at the link on the left, and I'll include them in the next round of updates.