New Fly Tying Materials You Should Know About
Here at Duranglers, we are always on the lookout for new and innovative fly tying materials that can add something interesting to our flies. Along with that, we like to share that knowledge with fellow fly tiers who can benefit from this info and inject something new different into their own flies. Here are a few new materials we thought you tying nutzoids might find intriguing.
Kreelex – The Kreelex is one of the hottest streamer patterns on the Missouri River in Montana…ya heard? The main ingredient in The Kreelex streamer patter is…you guessed it…Kreelex flash! Actually it is the only ingredient besides lead eyes and some thread.
More supple than Krystal Flash, and just a touch less flashy: Kreelex is a very unique material. The flashy aspect seems almost dulled metal rather than polished metal. When you look at this stuff, it looks like it almost changes color with movement going from a dark, almost black, to it’s dyed color. How this works with the Kreelex fly is that when you let it drift (either dead or swinging) it doesn’t look like much, but give it a twich and all all that flash lights up! Much like a wounded baitfish struggling for life. It’s weird, you will just have to try it yourself. I know I am really digging it on dirty water streamers right now. It may also be something you will want to try on saltwater flies.
Semper Fli
Semper Fli is a relatively new fly tying company…well new to Duranglers as well as the United States. Semper Fli hails from Europe and has recently began distributing in the U.S. After a recommendation from Juan Ramirez, we decided to bring a few items into the shop. Look for more to come in the future, but for you you are going to want to check out…
Semper Fli Nano Silk – This tying thread is a Gel Spun Polyethylene thread that is very thin, but very strong that produces a clean, strong body. How thin? They are calling this a 30 denier/18/0 thread. Now that’s thin. A lot of midge patterns are just tied with 70 denier Ultra or 8/0 Uni threads. 18/0 is those threads…but halved.
However! This is no straight “midge” thread. No, no…this thread is more than that. Working well for building very fine bodies and small heads for the most discerning of trout; Nano Silk also works amazingly well when tying small deer and elk hair winged flies that call for a small tie in point while holding strong with greater torque. If you are one who often asks, “How can I get a cleaner looking fly” be it nymphs or dries, you may want to check this thread out. While the price may seem a little high for thread, it is well worth the cost if you are wanting cleaner, and more slender flies…especially for those picky tailwater trout. Oh, and did I mention this stuff is STRONG? For it’s size, you can really crank on it.
Semper Fli Ultrafine Wire – What makes this wire so special? Well it is becoming harder and harder to find Lagartun Wire (as it is no longer being manufactured), so Semper Fli Ultrafine Wire is a great replacement (and comes with more length per spool than Lagartun). We like this stuff on our really small San Juan Midge Pupas as it creates a very small rib that pressured trout tend to prefer.
Coming in a 0.1mm diameter. Micro Copper Johns and Brassies is also no problem with this stuff.
Semper Fli Bodyspan – Bodyspan is an elastic spandex material that is very stretchy and brightly colored. It’s actually kind of weird, but I have been brainstorming a lot with it recently. Ideally suited for tying nymphs and buzzers, it makes great bodies, ribs, and shell backs. It also comes in a 5 yard spool that is pretty swell.
What is really nice about this stuff is how stretchy it is. It’s so stretch in fact, that you can stretch it to the size that you need and will work anywhere from sizes 12 -20. It works really great for tying a quick, 2 minute caddis.
There are heaps of uses for these materials. I was even able to whip up a few caddis nymphs using Bodyspan, Kreelex, and Nano Silk. They were quick and easy ties that worked really well over the weekend. Want to know how to tie it? Behold, the Stupid Fast Caddis….
