Tools, beads, and synthetic specialty materials rule our 2023 review of new fly-tying materials, and we’re sure you will find plenty of fodder here to get your creative juices flowing at the vise. To assemble this list, we cast a wide net to see what’s out there and consulted with some of our favorite industry experts, including retailers and manufacturers.
We are both longtime fly tiers, so we share your enthusiasm for new and unique materials; in fact, like many of you, we’ll readily admit to a certain measure of addiction to tying materials, especially new stuff. That’s because we fly dressers love to envision the possibilities—often, we see a new material and let our imaginations run with it as we envision the potential applications. Just as often, we find a solution, or a better way of building the proverbial mousetrap, in a new product that allows us to tie a favorite pattern just a little better or a little different. And, of course, that’s how fly patterns evolve—tiers love to tinker, and new materials allows us to reengineer things, to tweak a little here and readjust a little there. That’s the creative fun in the art form, and we hope you find inspiration from the materials and tools included here.
Renzetti Pat Ehlers Bullet Head Tool and R-Evolution Hair Packer
Innovative fly tier Pat Ehlers owns the iconic The Fly Fishers Fly Shop in Brookfield, Wisconsin, which opened its doors nearly 35 years ago. His fly-tying acumen spans numerous genres, from tiny trout flies to saltwater flats patterns to big bugs for bass and pike, and his skills landed him a spot on the Renzetti Legacy Team of fly tiers. Ehlers designed the Renzetti Bullethead tool ($13.49) and Renzetti R-Evolution Hair Packers, available in small ($19.99), medium ($22.99), and large ($22.99). The Bullet Head Tool makes quick work of forming perfectly proportioned bullet-style hair heads on flies such as the Madam X, Thunder Creek streamers, and bullet-head hoppers and Muddlers. Size small is for size 12 and 14 hooks; medium is for size 6 through 10 hooks; large is for size 1/0 through 4 hooks. The R-Evolution Hair Packer makes tightly packed hair bodies a snap, allowing you to create professional-grade panfish, bass, and pike bugs, or any other fly built from packed hair. Get the set of all three sizes to cover flies ranging from panfish bugs to giant muskie patterns. Order at www.theflyfishers.com.
Ahrex Freshwater Hooks
With its roots in the rich Scandinavian fly-fishing tradition, Ahrex has taken the fly hook world by storm, producing a wide range of hook styles using innovative technologies and the best available materials. The Ahrex freshwater hook line includes a traditional-style classic dry-fly hook in both barbed and barbless, dry-fly light wire hook in barbed and barbless, short-shank dry-fly hook, long-shank dry-fly hook, curved dry-fly mini hook, rounded-shank Super Dry hook, curved-shank nymph hook in barbed and barbless, jig-style hooks, emerger hook, the Home Run trailer hook in barbed and barbless, and the popular Trout Predator 26-Degree Bent Streamer hook. All hooks feature a flawless black nickel finish and needle-sharp chemically sharpened points. To see all the styles and to order, visit www.whitetailflytieing.com.
Solarez UV-Cure Fly-Tie Pro Roadie Kit
The industry leader in UV-cured resins for fly tying, Solarez offers a dazzling variety of products that allow you to create realistic nymph shell backs and crustacean carapaces, shimmering baitfish patterns, translucent bodies, tough-as-nails shiny heads, and just about anything else you can dream up. The Pro Roadie Kit ($61.95) makes it easy by bundling three Solarez fly-tie UV resins—Thin-Hard, Thick-Hard, and FLEX. Each comes in a 0.5-ounce bottle with a cone cap, and the kit include eight different style applicators and a UV-cure high-output flashlight with an optimal wavelength that runs on a single 18650 battery (not included, but the Solarez ROEN batteries and charger kit is an ideal match, and just $17.70). Applying and curing Solarez resins is easy: apply the resin in shade; irradiate with the light for one second; wait 15 seconds, and irradiate again for one second. Wait another 15 seconds, then finish the curing with 30 full seconds under the UV light. This technique will reduce heat and shrinkage, and produce stunning, bulletproof coatings. To purchase and for more details, as well as for related products (including Solarez colored resins), visit www.solarez.com.
Fly Shack Fusion Fibers
One of the most exciting and versatile flash materials to hit the market in years, Fly Shack Fusion Fibers are a blend of synthetic fibers, including Antron and trilobal filaments, with a special transparent optical material and a touch of pearlescent mirror flash. Fine and supple, Fusion Fibers are great for shucks, soft and wavy streamer toppings, and all types of tails; you can also add them to a dubbing brush and even make shell backs on nymphs, scuds, and shrimp patterns by stretching them over the fly and finishing with a UV resin such as Solarez. Fusion Fibers come in 16 colors and are available at www.flyshack.com.
Cohen’s Carp Dub Dispenser
Innovative fly designer Pat Cohen, author of Super Flies and the man behind www.rusuperfly.com, created the formula for this semi-coarse blend of four different kinds of dubbing to create flies that fool picky carp. Carp Dub reflects and refracts light, so the different shades in each dubbing color play off one another perfectly in the water, and the material breathes and wiggles tantalizingly—a characteristic that can spell the difference between a hookup and rejection. The material is so effective that tiers nationwide now use it for trout, bass, panfish, and steelhead flies. The prepackaged Hareline Cohen’s Carp Dub Dispenser ($18.25 at www.theflyfishers.com) comes loaded with 12 colors: Northern Lights Black, Alfredo Cream, Molting Grey, Stone Ground Mustard, Martian Mean Green, Cray Zee Olive, The Olive Bar, Rain Forest Green, Rusty Nail, Blaze Orange, Acapulco Red, and Cray Zee Orange.
Adamsbuilt Fly-Tying Scissors
Adamsbuilt scissors cover all your tying needs, from the tiniest trout flies to the largest saltwater or muskie patterns. These durable, super-sharp scissors come in six surgical stainless steel models (prices range from $13.95 to $29.95); the surgical stainless scissors have black blades and attractive metallic green loop handles, while the tungsten carbide scissors have stainless steel loops dipped in nonslip black paint for better grip. Stainless steel is the longtime standard for scissors; tungsten carbide blades are extremely durable and maintain a super-sharp edge through all kinds of cutting tasks.
The 3.5-inch arrow scissors are terrific for all-purpose work in close quarters; they feature a small notch cut into the base of each blade so you can cut wire and tinsel easily without damaging the cutting edges—a feature I use frequently. The 4-inch all-purpose scissors, available in both straight- and curved-blade models, are just that: designed for myriad uses. The 3.5-inch stainless steel micro-tip scissors are designed for reaching into the smallest spaces to make close, clean cuts; they excel at handling the demands of tying presentation-style flies, including Atlantic salmon patterns. Other specialty models include the 4.5-inch hair scissors (stainless or tungsten carbide) and the 4-inch adjustable stainless steel razor scissors, which feature micro-serrated blades and large loop handles with a rubber bumper between the loops to prevent metal-on-metal wear. For more details and to order, visit www.adamsbuiltfishing.com.
UNI 17/0 Trico Thread
Frustrated with tying those diminutive size 20 BWOs, size 22 Tricos, or, gulp, size 24 midges? Tying tiny just got a whole lot easier with the new UNI-Thread size 17/0 Trico thread. This extra-fine white polyester thread is amazingly strong for its diameter, and provides the perfect balance of grip and slickness to cover virtually any micro-tying project. The 40-denier filaments reflect subtle colors and blend seamlessly with various colors of materials. Moreover, if your repertoire includes classic wet flies or even steelhead flies with bodies made of silk or fine tinsel, this gossamer thread lies flat and serves as an excellent underbody when you want to minimize bulk and maximize smoothness. UNI 17/0 Trico retails for about $2.50 per 200-yard spool and is available from UNI dealers (check the dealer locater at www.uniproducts.com/distributorsretailers).
Fly Shack Glow-in-the-Dark Beads and Cones
Give your nymphs and streamers a big edge in the nocturnal and crepuscular hours with these new glow-in-the-dark brass beads and tungsten cone heads from Fly Shack, www.flyshack.com. A special and highly durable coating makes these beads and cones glow in the dark like neon-green orbs, and as the glow fades, simply shine a flashlight beam on them for a quick recharge. Nighttime fishing is the obvious application, but glow-in-the-dark flies are also deadly in deep water and tannic or turbid water, and they attract just about any kind of predatory fish. The beads are available in eight sizes ($6.99 to $10.99 for a bag of 100, depending on size) and the tungsten cones come in three sizes ($10.95 to $13.95 for a bag of 25). Fly Shack also offers tungsten cones and slotted beads in myriad other colors.
Smhaen Master Dubbing Twister
The only dubbing twister that provides 100 percent dubbing loop control, the new Smhaen Master Dubbing Twister features a unique spring-loaded, double-platform, hook-style loop that operates like hackle pliers: squeeze from the outside to open the loops; release pressure to close them. This feature allows you to effortlessly open and close a thread dubbing loop as needed with far more precise control than is possible with your fingers. The pliers-style hooks hold the loop firmly closed, freeing both of your hands to work with materials. Moreover, the Master Dubbing Twister engenders a wide range of tying techniques by essentially combining two critical tools—hackle pliers and dubbing twister—into a single tool. You can easily forge thread, tinsel, or wire loops to build super-durable bodies from peacock and ostrich herl, and even add a hackle—firmly secured in the spring-loaded hooks—to create one-step palmered-hackle bodies. For a great instructional video, see www.flyfishfood.com/products/smhean-master-dubbing-twister. The Master Dubbing Twister ($49.95) is available from Hareline Dubbin dealers.
Dr. Slick Bead Tweezers
Beads are ubiquitous in modern fly tying—and they’re notorious for escaping the tying station and ending up rattling in a vacuum cleaner or rolling into the nearest floor vent. But you can tame all kinds of metal and glass beads and cones with the Dr. Slick Bead Tweezers (about $11 at Dr. Slick dealers). The unique arrowhead design allows these 4-inch-long self-closing tweezers to grip any size beads or cones. Nonslip rubber pads on both jaws make it easy to pick up tiny beads and protect against breakage of glass or plastic beads.
Whitetail Magnum Stacker
Whitetail Fly Tieing Supplies, www.whitetailflytieing.com, offers some 13,000 products, making this Ohio-based company a one-stop shopper’s paradise for fly tiers. Among Whitetail’s newest products, the magnum stacker ($35.35) solves all the problems associated with stacking bulky hairs, long hairs, and large bundles of hair. The time-tested tube-within-a-tube design is machined to fine tolerances, which eliminates hairs being trapped and assures effortless stacking. Built from rugged aluminum, the magnum stacker is 3.625 inches in height and 1.5 inches wide at the base, with a flared top opening almost 1.2 inches wide and an interior tube diameter of 0.845 inch. In other words, this stacker handles massive bundles of hair. It’s ideal for tiers who craft large hair bugs, bucktail patterns, and even hair-wing steelhead flies. Search item 2084 on the Whitetail website for a direct path to the magnum stacker.
Hareline Crackle Slotted Tungsten Beads
Hareline’s new “crackle” beads are finished in durable otherworldly colors that are sure to dazzle trout even more than they’ll dazzle you. Slotted so they will fit over any kind of hook bend, these new heavyweights are perfect for jig-style flies, stonefly nymphs, and just about any other subsurface pattern that needs to sink fast. Crackle slotted tungsten beads are available in six diameters (2.3, 2.8, 3.3, 3.8, 4.6, and 5.5 millimeters), and five two-tone patterns (blue/black, chartreuse/black, fluorescent orange/black, fluorescent pink/black, purple/fluorescent pink). Packs of 20 ($7.99 for the four smaller sizes; $8.49 for the two largest sizes) are available from Hareline dealers.
Wapsi Loco Foam
From the ever-creative minds at Wapsi, Loco Foam is 2-millimeter-thick, closed-cell foam finished with a bright, durable metallic or pearlescent coating (depending on shade). It’s easy to cut to whatever size and shape you need, provides added flash to a variety of dry flies that will float like corks, and also imparts dazzling flash and accents to bass and pike patterns meant to fish on or just below the surface—not to mention neutral-buoyancy streamers fished on sinking lines. Available through Wapsi dealers (click on “Fly Shop Locator” at www.wapsifly.net), Loco Foam ($4.95 for a package with two sheets) comes in nine metallic colors and five pearlescent colors, as well as holographic gold and holographic silver.
Loon Ergonomic Bobbins
Loon’s new and expansive line of ergonomic tools includes two bobbins that seem to disappear in your hand, leaving you free to think about the tying process rather than struggling with thread control. The Ergo All Purpose Bobbin ($19) and the Ergo Bobbin ($20) are designed for maximum in-hand comfort. The All Purpose Bobbin does just about anything, regardless of fly size or thread type. The Ergo Bobbin is Loon’s latest innovation, designed with versatility in mind; the spring-steel spool holder allows for easy adjustment in tension by changing the pressure applied by the grip, giving you pinpoint control for small flies, but also the ability to effortlessly handle heavy-gauge threads for big patterns. Both bobbins feature a powder-coated ergonomic thumb/finger-grip system built over the barrel—a superb upgrade to the old-school bobbins we all grew up with. Purchase at www.loonoutdoors.com or your favorite Loon dealer.
Fly Shack Slotted Tungsten Teardrops
Tungsten teardrops take heavy to a new level. The tapered shape of these slotted beads allows you to tie flies that maintain a natural shape. Use them as an underbody in place of traditional lead-wire wraps or leave all or part of the teardrop exposed to add metallic flash to nymphs or streamers. You can also pair them with a bead at the fly’s head for the ultimate in fast-sinking patterns. Tungsten teardrops come in five colors (silver, gold, nickel, copper, and black nickel) and five sizes (2, 2.3, 2.6, 3, and 3.5 millimeters). Packs of 20 range in price from $3.95 to $6.49, depending on size, and are available at www.flyshack.com.
Hareline Badger Flexi Squishenille UV
It was inevitable: the marriage of the squishy fly phenomenon to the tried-and-true world of chenille, and the offspring is this amazingly versatile new upgrade to Hareline’s original Squishenille. Badger Flexi Squishenille UV ($6.60 per pack) features fine-diameter colored rubber strands spun together with black UV chenille to form a leggy, wiggly, buggy, showy chenille for bodies on all kinds of innovative flies, from patterns to tempt big predators like pike, bass, tarpon, and snook, to smaller streamers and bugs for targeting trout and panfish. The material can even be furled into a thread loop to make wiggly, chewable tails. Let your imagination run wild with the three sizes and 16 colors, available at Hareline dealers.
Zirkel Magnetic Organizer
No more hooks or flies escaping the tying desk and waiting on the carpet for an unsuspecting bare foot or vacuum cleaner! The Zirkel Magnetic Organizer ($25.14 from Hareline dealers) is a heavily weighted, powerful magnet that practically snatches hooks, flies, and metal beads out of your fingers, stowing them securely and close at hand until you need them. Measuring 4 inches square, this organizer features a raised lip so objects stuck to the magnetic surface can slide off to the edges. Distributed by Hareline, this handy bench accessory is emblazoned with the Hareline logo and is available in five colors (red, blue, purple, chartreuse, and black). Visit www.hareline.com for more details; purchase from your favorite Hareline dealer.
Hareline Dyed CDC
The skilled fly tiers employed by the iconic The Fly Shop, in Redding, California, have found myriad uses for cul de canard—aka CDC—and that’s why they are big fans of dyed CDC from Hareline Dubbin. Flies dressed with CDC enjoy natural buoyancy thanks to the oil found in these duck feathers, and Hareline dyes CDC in 19 colors that allow you to match the hatch whether you’re tying mayfly emergers, duns, cripples, or spinners; Chironomid adults or emergers; caddisfly emergers or adults; or even flies to imitate less prevalent insects, such as small stoneflies, flying ants, or crane flies. Uses for CDC are nearly endless. For a full list of colors ($3.95 per pack) and to order, visit https://catalog.theflyshop.com/fly-tying-1 and click on “Hareline Cul de Canard.”
Chocklett’s Finesse Changer Tying Kits
Blane Chocklett’s popular Game Changer series of streamers require a set of specialized materials and instructions to use them, so Flymen Fishing Company decided to take the guesswork out of tying two of the most popular patterns in the series, the Finesse Changer and Mini Finesse Changer, by combining all the materials, and tying instructions, into new kits—which ended up winning the best of show award for the fly-tying materials category at the 2022 International Fly Tackle Dealer Show. Each kit ($31.85) includes everything you need to tie six flies. The only thing you need to add is tying thread, glue, permanent markers, and your tying tools. For more details and to order, visit www.flymenfishingcompany.com.
Umpqua Tungsten Jig Bombs
Jig Bombs allow you to tie heavier flies without using beads that are too large for the hook—oversizing beads to add more weight means you lose shank length for dressing the fly to the proper proportions. Jig Bombs are about 20 percent heavier than a standard slotted bead of the same size and leave about 15 percent more hook shank free for the fly’s body. All of this means that flies maintain great proportions and sink quickly into the zone and stay there. Because of their unique design, Jig Bombs flip any hook on its head and turn it into a jig-style fly (and they work great on jig hooks, such as the Ahrex PR360). And you can think beyond the freshwater world: Jig Bombs are built into Umpqua’s new Survive Entry flats flies, so the sky is the limit with creativity. They are available in five sizes and 10 colors ($9.99 to $13.99 per pack at your favorite Umpqua dealer).
Starling Skin
Starling skins offer a variety of feathers that can be used for nymphs or soft hackles in the most common sizes, as well as more ingenious uses, such as wings on emergers and dry flies, and eyes on some patterns. For example, well-known Oregon guide and fly tier Brian Silvey uses starling for wing pads on his Silvey’s Pupa, and American Fly Fishing consultant and avid angler Steve Maeder uses starling for post-style wings on small parachute patterns. Some tiers even apply lacquer to the white-tipped neck feathers and use them in place of jungle cock eyes on steelhead flies and various streamers. Starling feathers are naturally iridescent, allowing you to add shine and sheen to your flies. Starlings also have lots of small feathers that are ideal for tiny soft hackles. Select-grade skins ($10.95) are available from The Fly Shop (www.theflyshop.com) and other Hareline dealers.
Classic Spey Dubbing and Berlin Wool
In the 19th century, fly dressers on Scotland’s Spey River routinely used both Berlin wool yarn and wool dubbing to craft their unique salmon flies. Chinook Wind Outfitters, www.chinookwindoutfitters.com, now offers both Merino wool dubbing and Berlin wool yarn for tiers who enjoy dressing traditional Spey flies, and both these body materials are equally useful for modern Spey-inspired flies, along with many kinds of steelhead flies. Classic Merino Spey dubbing, available in 21 colors ($4 per pack) is an-extra fine, high-grade, 19-micron fiber with medium length strands. It easily twists onto tying thread and allows you to dress the slender bodies that were hallmarks of the original Spey flies. Chinook Wind Outfitters also offer two different 12-color boxed sets ($23) of Classic Spey Dubbing: the “Beach Collection” is dominated by bright colors and the “Harvest Collection” primarily features earth tones. Chinook Wind’s Berlin wool is a fine-diameter two-strand twist of the highest-quality wool and is available in more than 70 colors ($3 per card).
Flash ‘N Slinky
If big streamers are your game, you need fibers that hold their shape during the retrieve, provide the perfect shimmer to mimic baitfish, and shed water effortlessly during the cast for smooth deliveries. Enter Flash ‘N Slinky, made by Just Add H2O and distributed by Hareline. This big-fly fiber is a blend of Just Add H2O’s Gliss ‘N Glow and Slinky Fibre. Gliss ‘N Glow is subtly corrugated to mimic fish scales; Slinky Fibre is micro-crimped to add a subtle texture that makes the colors seem to pop. The combination of the two fibers types makes Flash ‘N Slinky ($7.95) the ideal fiber for tying both saltwater and warmwater streamers for everything from billfish to bass. Twenty colors are available from The Fly Shop, www.theflyshop.com.
John Shewey
