Baitfish Fibers

[Zacko 0]

Okay guys, I've been a member of the forum for a while but have never posted anything. I'm not necessarily new to tying, but I definitely am an amateur compared to some of the things I've seen on this forum. So, here is my first question.. for baitfish patterns, what has produced more fish for you, EP Fibers or Farrar's Blend? All input is much appreciated and thank you in advance!

[vicente 0]

I've been using mostly Farrars blend some others the SF are really nice produce a lot of fish and seem to have pretty good movement, I have some others as well one kind is a bit stiffer and another that is similar to the SF blend, but with larger flash in it.

[mikechell 0]

Fly Tying Dungeon's "Congo Hair" for me.

 

Of course, it's the only one I use ...

[Dave G. 0]

I use 4 different synthetic fibers, just depends what I am tying. No one in particular is my favorite. And I doubt the fish care anyway, I mean they hit solid wood Rabalas with no wispy fibers on them. They hit Muddlers made with stiff deer hair. Fly fishermen have wild imaginations is what I think ( myself included).

[agn54 0]

I use several different types of fibers depending on what I want to tie. For me, it depends on conditions which one's I prefer. I have found that EP flies tied sparsely work best in clear water whereas Flash Blend does better in darker conditions. I think those stiffer fibers push water a bit better. if I had to choose I would probably prefer SF flash blend overall since it is a bit stiffer and you don't have to comb it out after catching a fish. Get a toothy fish like a mackerel or even a trout and they can turn an EP fly into a tangled mess so you will want to carry a comb with you.

 

 

I would add that probably my favorite synthetic material for all around baitfish flies lately has been craft fur. Stuff has great movement in the water and you can get some nice baitfish shapes by tying in normal, reverse style, or in a dubbing loop if you was a fuller profile

 

 

 

A similar material only softer is polar fiber. Its great stuff as well

 

 

 

[Zacko 0]

Amen to the Congo hair man!! I've tied some flies with that and the came out great. A little softer than EP. Thanks for all the opinions guys! In all reality I like all the fibers, it's just difficult to decide which to order next.

 

Thanks and Tight lines!

[Bimini15 0]

I am not all out for one over the other. I have not enough of them enough to tell the fine differences amongst the different brands.

But in my limited experience with EP and Congo, I will go with Congo everytime because the difference in price does not translate into a difference in effectivity, in my opinion.

[Dave G. 0]

Syn Yak in the lighter colors takes on a kind of ghost look in the water, I haven't tried all the colors, though I have white and belly white and purple. I tie a certain purple streamer that I use up north, previously in bucktail with a touch of pink in it as well and this Syn Yak is working well in that pattern..

 

For creak chub minnows and sucker minnows, I prefer craft fur and form a loop to twist the fibers up into, palmer the hook with them, sweeping them back with my fingers as I go.. This produces a more plump profile like creak chubs have compared with say herring or with smelt. Sometimes I first tie in a tail of the fibers before creating the rest of the fly. My craft fur is a very old product that was sold as Fly Fur once upon a time, it's fibers on basically a carpet backing so they are just so long. You have to dream up ways to extend the length of the fly so I mostly use it on smaller chubs etc.

[utyer 0]

I use only two different fibers, macrame yarn (or craft yarn as its called now,) and Congo hair. I simply add what ever flash I want to those.

[Moshup 0]

SF Blend for larger flies. Craft fur for my smaller ties.

[Capt Bob LeMay 0]

Synthetics have come a long, long way in the last forty years - but I must admit to a fondness for natural materials.... Here's my signature pattern that's morphed over the years to cover just about every baitfish need I've had... It's called the Silhouette (and that's the idea -you tie it to represent the outline of the bait forage that the fish are on. Everything you're looking at is a saddle hackle (add some lead or beadchain eyes, a stout hook and a weedguard if needed...). The last picture is a variation of the Tarpon Snake - but at heart, it's still a Silhouette just a bit larger than normal... This same simple pattern makes a very good shrimp imitator (in brown, pink, grizzly, cree, etc.). All we do is strip it a bit differently (move it like a shrimp with or across the current if possible).

[Bimini15 0]

Is the hackle simply palmered? What size hooks in the smaller ones?

[add147 0]

I use only two different fibers, macrame yarn (or craft yarn as its called now,) and Congo hair. I simply add what ever flash I want to those.

I think I read one on your threads in the past or maybe I saw it somewhere else on the internet but this is what I have used in the past and it work pretty good. You can cut it to whatever length you need and then you can take a pretty thick bodkin needle pick it out and unwind it. I use a metal lice comb to straighten it out I bet you could even use a pet comb for that purpose as well. This craft yard can be purchased in different colors at Hobby Lobby. There is a white color so you could use markers to color how ever you wish.

 

 

[vicente 0]

I use 4 different synthetic fibers, just depends what I am tying. No one in particular is my favorite. And I doubt the fish care anyway, I mean they hit solid wood Rabalas with no wispy fibers on them. They hit Muddlers made with stiff deer hair. Fly fishermen have wild imaginations is what I think ( myself included).

While the wood may not have any small moving fibres on it as whole the average crankbait, plug, etc has more movement to it as a whole than just about any fly I've seen except maybe big pike flies.

[caloosa bug 0]

 

I use only two different fibers, macrame yarn (or craft yarn as its called now,) and Congo hair. I simply add what ever flash I want to those.

I think I read one on your threads in the past or maybe I saw it somewhere else on the internet but this is what I have used in the past and it work pretty good. You can cut it to whatever length you need and then you can take a pretty thick bodkin needle pick it out and unwind it. I use a metal lice comb to straighten it out I bet you could even use a pet comb for that purpose as well. This craft yard can be purchased in different colors at Hobby Lobby. There is a white color so you could use markers to color how ever you wish.

 

 

Craft Yard.jpg

 

 

Utyer and Add, I've never thought about picking apart yarn. Great idea!

 

I''ve only purchased one pack of ep just because it was at bass pro, and I had been wanting to try more baitfish patterns. Been wanting to order different kinds in different colors but $ 's tight. The yarn is a very feasible option. Thanks.