Alternate, Cheap Tying Materials

[Michael]

Hi Guys

Thought I'd start a thread where we can share tying material tips...with regards to alternate materials one can use instead of the commercial ones. There are surprisingly a LOT of it out there!

For instance, I bought some 7-up the other day, a 2 litre bottle. Once I peeled the label off, I noticed it's very much like thin-skin. Has a wide range of green shades on it...perfect for scud-backs on caddis flies. You will also get a lot of scud-back strips out of it. The stuff is bl00dy strong too!

I'll post some more tips etc as I go along. Come on guys, share your secrets and bargains!

Here's a pic:

[Scythe]

Cheap yet sturdy MF Tails:

Get your GF to give you her unwanted eye shadow and blush brushes which she gets for free with her regular Edgars cosmetic vouchers and give aways.

They make GREAT MF tails, are slightly thicker than say Microfibets and can be couloured or barred easily and aren't as brittle as hackle fibres or other hairs such as say Comparadun.

Some types of paint brushes also work very well.

[Michael]

Hmmm...must raid swambo's make up drawer!

I also posted about Art Brushes (available from Herbert Evans and other Art Shops), which can be used for mayfly tails. Some are multi-coloured, which is cool (see below). They are not expensive either. Can get this multi-colour, brown, tan, white and black.

[Michael]

- Other options for scudbacks (like the 7-up option) is beer wrappers, that 6-packs of beers come wrapped in. I know Amstel's bottles in a six-pack have a similar green plastic wrapping.

- Plumber's Tape. For nymph skin (just colour with permanent marker) or control flies' bodies (when would in a rope...forms a nice segmented look around the hook shank). Then colour it with perm markers.

- Elecrical wiring...strip the plastic covering off, for the copper wire. For ribbing, etc.

- Old audio casettes (TDK, etc)...the "tape" can be used for wingcases, etc.

- Habedasheries and bead shops are a gold mine...get tinsel, glass beads, hollow metal beads, etc. Also rubber strands they use in undies, etc...for rubber legs.

[MCC]

Very cool thread Michael

Try the closed cell foam used by Fruit & Veg for wrapping fruit. You even get fairly bright colours like pink etc.

Woolworths Xmas decorations are the finest quality. Got bulk pearl crystal flash from them for a few years in a row. The quality was far better than what you could get from any fly shop.

We must keep this thread going.

Cheers
MC

[Andre]

Jack Russel Terrier. The hairs on the back of the neck also make excellent tails, If you can hold him still for long enough for you to cut them.

[FlyFanatic]

Great Stuff Mike!!

Creative talent shops are the best!! They stock a HUGE variety of bling and wrap, and it costs next to nothing!! They also have the cheapest marabou you'll ever find! (in any colour you want)

Get urself some coin bags ("banksakkies") from ur bank, they make excellent scudbacks as well as for keeping all the stuff you collect.

All Christmas decorating are super..

Wool is the best dubbing you'll ever find (and the cheapest), take a piece of velcro and brush through the wool strand, you'll quickly have enough fine dubbing.

Lastly mousepads, they are an excellent supply of high density foam!

[Michael]

Very cool thread Michael

Try the closed cell foam used by Fruit & Veg for wrapping fruit. You even get fairly bright colours like pink etc.

Woolworths Xmas decorations are the finest quality. Got bulk pearl crystal flash from them for a few years in a row. The quality was far better than what you could get from any fly shop.

We must keep this thread going.

Cheers
MC

Hi MC

FRIKKIN 'ELL...Woolworth was the one shop where I DIDN'T look last year! Ag well, this year will patrol them for sure.

I've got some of that closed call foam...excellent stuff for hoppers, "air-heads", etc. I must try and find the other colours too.

Mike

[Korrie]

The fluff filter on your tumble drier will provide you with the finest dubbing you will ever find.
Regular cleaning will provide you with different colors.

[Michael]

Great Stuff Mike!!

Creative talent shops are the best!! They stock a HUGE variety of bling and wrap, and it costs next to nothing!! They also have the cheapest marabou you'll ever find! (in any colour you want)

Get urself some coin bags ("banksakkies") from ur bank, they make excellent scudbacks as well as for keeping all the stuff you collect.

All Christmas decorating are super..

Wool is the best dubbing you'll ever find (and the cheapest), take a piece of velcro and brush through the wool strand, you'll quickly have enough fine dubbing.

Lastly mousepads, they are an excellent supply of high density foam!

Creative talent shops? What are their names? Sounds like a good place.

- Speaking of "Banksakkies"...call your local packaging suppliers (wholesale)...the yellow pages are full of them. You can buy these zip-lock bags in quantities of 1000...at about R 80.00 (the smallish ones). That's not much. And size or thickness you want too. The bonus is they are brand new, no writing or anything.

- Those christmas decorations can also be used for flashbacks on nymphs. (The strung, hanging, flash strand type decorations). They are normally the right size too...otherwise cut it to size.

- Also, look for cheaper scissors at your pharmacy. Under the "nail and beauty" sections there are normally quite a good range of scissors available, for a lot less money, and good quality. In fact that whole section is good for other things too...like clear nail varnish, to use as head cement..."glitter" nail varnish that can be used in flashy flies, especially saltwater flies with epoxy heads...etc.