[email protected] 0 Report post Posted July 28, 2020 I just started my new interest in tying flies, so is synthetic just as good as natural hairs ect.. ? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
samsonboi 0 Report post Posted July 28, 2020 Um, that's a very general question. What for? Dry fly wings, tails, bodies, ??? It really just depends on what pattern and what use. Get a good fly tying book. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
[email protected] 0 Report post Posted July 29, 2020 Lets say dry flies. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bill_729 0 Report post Posted July 29, 2020 12 hours ago, [email protected] said: I just started my new interest in tying flies, so is synthetic just as good as natural hairs ect.. ? As a new tier, I don't think this sort of question should be on your plate. I would suggest you start by identifying 2 or 3 flies that you want to tie or at least the types of flies that you want to tie. If you narrow it down, it will save you some money up front. By the way, etcetera, or from latin, et cetera, is abbreviated etc. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cphubert 0 Report post Posted July 29, 2020 The advantage to synthetics for dry flies is most do not absorb water or are sometimes more durable (quills etc.) so it depends on the pattern you are tying. I find synthetics suitable for tails, dubbings, & wings, but not hackle on dry flies. You will develop your own style and preference for your patterns over time that you like or find easier to use. Sometimes it comes down to availability. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikechell 0 Report post Posted July 29, 2020 13 hours ago, [email protected] said: ... is synthetic just as good as natural hairs ect.. ? Depends on what you're fishing for. If you're going after skittish trout that have been conditioned to take smaller and smaller insects, then many synthetics are too thick for tiny ties. If you're chasing toothy critters, then many natural materials don't hold up well and synthetics can give you a more durable fly. I'm a fresh water, warm water angler in Florida. I use synthetic material for 90 percent of my materials. More durable, less affected by water and more colors to choose from. Much less expensive, if you buy from https://www.flytyersdungeon.com/ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
niveker 0 Report post Posted July 29, 2020 I thin i 13 hours ago, [email protected] said: is synthetic just as good as natural hairs I think most of it is personal preference, I prefer to use natural material, but I do have a lot of synthetics, especially dubbing. As you gain more experience tying, you naturally come to prefer one material over another. Don't let the overblown marketing hype in the fly tying industry fool you into thinking you need a different type of material for every fly you tie. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SilverCreek 0 Report post Posted July 29, 2020 15 hours ago, [email protected] said: I just started my new interest in tying flies, so is synthetic just as good as natural hairs ect.. ? I assume you mean for dubbing. For dry fly bodies, the "superfine" synthetic dubbings work very well. There are several manufacturers and you can buy individual zip lock bags or a selection. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flytire 0 Report post Posted July 29, 2020 so is synthetic just as good as natural hairs etc.. ? in some cases yes. both synthetic and naturals have their places in fly tying and both have their following among fly tyers some but not all synthetics can be substitutes for natural materials not many if any substitues for the properties of peacock herl its a good beginner question that has nothing to do with picking patterns to tie Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
samsonboi 0 Report post Posted July 29, 2020 Synthetic dry hackle=garbage. Polypro wings, dubbing, microfibbet tails, etc all have their place but as a beginner get one of those dubbing boxes that has like 12 different labeled compartments with preloaded dubbing. Start with a good couple of genetic hackle capes (get the grab bag of 4 different colors for $60 from collinshacklefarm.com mail order. It’s really great stuff.) and a box of dubbing. You can make dries without wings from just dubbing, a hackle, and a couple more fibers from a hackle feather for a tail. And you can turn them to spent spinners by clipping the top and bottom. Also you can make a caddis fly by using hackle fibers to make a wing like you would make a tail just behind the hackle. It’s called a Fluttering Caddis. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
samsonboi 0 Report post Posted July 29, 2020 Oh yeah get peacock too Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
[email protected] 0 Report post Posted July 29, 2020 Thanks i got the hairline material box. Hoping that'll do to start. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chugbug27 0 Report post Posted July 29, 2020 From the web here's what comes in the Hareline beginner's kit... Looks like a good starter assortment. Good enough variety of the standard natural and synthetic materials. Enough to get you going and see where you want to take it. INCLUDED IN THE HARELINE FLY TYING KIT: Book: Top 20 Fly Patterns for the Beginner 1/8" Gold Beads 3/16" Gold Beads Dry Fly Hooks - Size 14 Dry Fly Hooks - Size 18 Nymph/Wet Fly Hooks - Size 12 Nymph/Wet Fly Hooks - Size 14 3XL Nymph Hooks - Size 8 4XL Streamer Hooks - Size 6 6/0 Black Thread 6/0 Brown Thread 6/0 Red Thread 8/0 Light Cahill Thread 8/0 Black Thread 8/0 Brown Thread Copper Wire Fine Gold Wire Gold/Silver Mylar Tinsel Yellow Floss Krystal Flash - Pearl Sparkle Emerger Yarn - Gray Parapost Wing - White McFly Foam - Orange Ultra Chenille - San Juan Red Variegated Chenille - Black/Coffee Medium Chenille - Black 1/2 Natural Hare's Mask Micro Fine Dry Fly Dubbing - Light Cahill Micro Fine Dry Fly Dubbing - Baetis Gray Micro Fine Dry Fly Dubbing - Tan Micro Fine Dry Fly Dubbing - Black ICE Dub - Caddis Green Medium Round Rubber Legs Bleached Elk Hair Comparadun Deer Hair Rabbit Strips - Black Crosscut Rabbit Strips - Black Marabou Blood Quill Feathers - Black Cinnamon Turkey Tail Feather Hungarian Partridge Feathers Keough Dry Fly Saddle Feathers - Mixed Colors Keough Tailing Feathers - Mixed Colors Chinese Saddle Feathers - Black Ringneck Pheasant Tail Feather Peacock Herl Bucktail - Yellow Bucktail - Brown Loon Water-Based Head Cement Hareline Coaster Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WWKimba 0 Report post Posted July 31, 2020 I mostly use natural materials myself. I'm a mostly a still, warm water fisherman and love to fish streamers and nymphs. I've also been tying for almost 50 years and have an appreciation for older patterns, especially those from the classic Adirondack tiers. Even for a simple Adirondack bucktail I'll use black bear instead of black dyed bucktail because dyed bucktail hasn't been around as much and the bear follows the original pattern usually. I do use some newer materials usually due to ease to tie, availability , and cost. Just look at Fulsher's original 1960's patterns for the Thundercreek series and try to tinsel those 6 XL hook shanks compared to now when a couple strands of Flashaboo will do! Saying all that do I have things still around that I bought when I started tying all those years ago --- YES! It's part of the evolution of your own particular tying style and fishing desires. Enjoy the process and just don't go overboard on a particular material until you find you need it. Right now I've got some extra money in my pockets and am looking to get some kangaroo/walaby fur to see how I could use it - but I'm old, retired and still foolish! One thing I have always done is have fun tying - this is the best advice I can pass on to you! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Philly 0 Report post Posted July 31, 2020 As already said, it depends on what you're tying. For trout flies, I use mainly natural materials, deer hair, dry fly hackle, CDC, snowshoe rabbit, and of course peacock hurl, though I do some nymphs with artificial materials. Dubbing I don't use as much anymore but I tend to mix natural materials with artificial materials(flash) makes good use of one of my old coffee bean grinders. For flies like beetles, crickets, grasshoppers and ants. I use a lot of foam combined with peacock hurl. Warm water/salt water I use mainly artificial materials though I do use bucktail, saddle hackle and standard dry fly hackle for some of my patterns. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites