Fly Tying Materials

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Hooks
Hooks come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and weights.

Mustad, Partridge, VMC, Dai-Riki, and Tiemco are some of the manufacturers of quality hooks.

There is a hook design for each type of fly.  Study your other handouts for additional information.  Remember that gap size, hook bend, shank length, thickness and shape of the wire etc all play major importance in fly performance.
 
Thread
Various bobbin styles hold thread securely for fly tying. Thread selection is based on diameter, breaking strength, color and whether it is waxed.  Waxed thread aids in keeping the thread on the spool   and material fastened to the hook.  

SIZE:  this is based on a letter and number system.  Sizes E and A are the largest diameter. The numbered sizes from larger to smallest are 1/0, 2/0, 3/0, 4/0, 5/0, 6/0, 8/0, down to 15/0.  The industry standard is Danville waxed 6/0 thread.

MATERIALS:  Popular materials through the years are silk, nylon, cotton, monocord, and the super strong Kevlar.

COLOR:  To simplify the tying process and for aesthetics, the thread should complement the overall color theme of the fly.
 
Tails
Feathers are commonly used for creating tails. Tails are made up of any materials that create the impression of the natural insect tails.  Common tail materials are hackle fibers, breast or flank fibers, goose biots, synthetic fibers, pheasant tail fibers, tail fibers from squirrel, cows, deer, etc.
 
Bodies & Dubbing
  Natural body materials are packaged for easy storage.

Synthetic dubbing materials, many of which can be found in craftstores..

 This is the primary ingredient in most flies.  It can be natural fur or a recently developed synthetic.  The word dubbing has a dual meaning in the world of fly tying.  It is both an ingredient and a technique to apply a material onto the thread. Look for colors and textures to create the impression needed to complete the fly.  

NATURAL BODY MATERIALS – Wool, Muskrat, Mink, Fox, Squirrel, Ground Hog, Beaver, Buffalo, Bear, Cat, Dog, Deer, Elk, Antelope, Cow, Pheasant, Turkey, Duck, Peacock, Marabou, etc, etc any animal that produces soft, smooth material that is easily dubbed on thread. 

SYNTHETIC DUBBINGS – mostly nylon, look for the same qualities found in natural dubbing. Antron , Zelon, Poly yarn, Chenille, Mylar wire and tinsel Flashabou, Holographic fibers, Swannundase, Swiss straw vinyl, and foam are examples of manufactured dubbing.

 

NOTE:  Many craft stores have products that can be used to tie flies and those materials are much cheaper!
 
Hackle
Chicken hackles (necks) from both roosters and hens are important tying materials. Hackle is one of the more critical components in dressing a fly.  It is graded on size, number of hackles, stiffness, color and stem.  The top grade is a #1 and in descending order of desirable qualities #2, #3 and so on.  Most tying necks now come from genetically raised chickens such as those from the Metz Co. of Belleville, PA. Stiff rooster hackle is best for dry flies and is the most expensive.  Softer hackle fibers taken from hen necks are better suited for subsurface flies like wets and streamers.  See the Hackle [link] for more concise information on hackle features.
 
© 2002 Mark Belden and the Pennsylvania State University

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updated 08 Sep 2002