When you get started tying flies, you will want to collect common materials used in the art of fly tying. This will enable you to tie several patterns with the basic fly materials you have purchased.
Regardless of whether you have bought a fly tying kit or you have put your own together, there are some basic fly tying materials that may not be included in your kit. This article will help you to choose which materials you may want to add to your fly tying kit.
Adding a few of these materials to your kit will open up a new world of fly tying possibilities enabling you to tie even more flies.
If you are looking to get started in fly tying and you are putting your own kit of materials together. This article will help you to buy the most common fly tying materials you will need for tying trout flies.
Depending on the species of fish you are targeting, there will be some crossover of materials used. Some of the materials found in the tying of trout flies can also be used to tie flies to target other species of fish you can fly fish for.
However, not all the materials used for making trout flies will be suitable in the tying of pike flies, tarpon flies or salmon flies.
In this article I will focus on the most common fly tying materials you will use in tying trout flies. Many of these materials are used in the tying of beginner flies.
Most Common Fly Tying Materials for Trout Flies
1 Marabou
Marabou feathers originally came from the African Marabou Stork. This bird is now protected and marabou feathers are now sourced from white turkeys.
Many fly patterns use marabou to create the wing or tail of the fly. This is especially the case with lure and streamer flies. Woolly Buggers, cat’s whisker, cormorants, boobies and humungous fly patterns are all examples of flies making use of marabou.
2 Hen & Cock Capes
Tying with hackles can be one of the more difficult aspects of fly tying for a beginner to master. With many a slipped or snapped hackle in the mastering of the process.
I would recommend buying the highest quality capes you can afford. A cape can easily tie hundreds and even thousands of flies. A cape will last a fly tier a long time.
You will use hackles in most flies. Therefore, if you want to make nice flies, it makes sense to buy the best capes and save money on materials you will use less often.
Cock hackles have stiffer fibres and are used in the tying of dry flies while hen hackles are softer and are used in wet flies.
The most frequently used colors of capes you are likely to use are black, olive, and claret. As your fly tying progresses you can try adding other colors to your collection of capes.
3 Dubbing
Dubbing is applied to the thread before being wound on the hook shank to create the body of the fly.
Dubbing materials fall into two categories: natural and synthetic. There are a variety of natural dubbing materials including rabbit, hare, beaver, and seal’s fur.
Beginner fly tiers often find it easier to dub synthetic fibres before moving onto natural fibres.
4 Fritz & Chenille
Fritz and chenille are another material used in creating the body of the fly. Fritz and chenille are often used in lure, streamer flies, and attractor flies.
Fritz is used in the tying of booby and blob flies whereas chenille is used in flies such as the woolly bugger and the cat’s whisker.
5 Pheasant Tail
The fibres of pheasant tails can be used in the tying of nymphs. Flies such as the pheasant tail nymph use pheasant tail fibres as the main material in the tying of the fly. The tail, body and thorax of the fly are all created by using pheasant tail fibres in different ways.
Pheasant tail fibres can also be used to create the legs of hopper patterns. By taking an individual fibre and tying a knot in the fibre you can create the segmented or bent look of a grasshopper or daddy long legs.
6 Peacock Herl
Peacock herl is mostly used to create the body of a fly. You can find peacock herl wound on the body of spider flies as well as in the thorax of a pheasant tail nymph.
You can tie several strands of peacock herl to create a wing on a lure fly.
7 Tinsel & Flash
Both tinsel and flash are used to add sparkle to flies making them stand out and become more attractive to fish. You can add tinsel or flash to flies in a variety of ways to ensure your flies grab the attention of the fish.
Tinsel is used for creating the full body of the fly but can also be used as the ribbing on a fly. On some flies such as cormorants or buzzers, tinsels can be used to give the fly “cheeks”.
Flash is often added to the tails and wings of flies. It is commonly paired with marabou in flies such as the woolly bugger and the cat’s whisker.
8 Thread
While the material you use in tying flies will vary fly to fly, thread is the one material you will use for all the flies you tie.
Thread is used to bind all the fly tying materials together to ensure they are properly secured on the hook. Some popular fly tying thread manufacturers include Uni thread, Veniard, Semperfli and, Wapsi.
9 Deer Hair
Deer hair is a material beginners often find difficult to tie flies with. It is worth taking the time to learn how to tie with deer hair as it has many uses.
Deer hair is used in dry flies to make them float on the surface of the water. In mayfly patterns and sedge patterns deer hair is used to keep the fly above water.
Deer hair can also be used in the tying of wet flies with a muddler head. This gives the fly more buoyancy in the water column.
10 Rabbit
Rabbit is a great material in fly tying. Rabbit strips are used to make tails in lure flies such as the Zonker fly.
The fur from rabbit masks and ears can be used to create a natural dubbing.