Our Favorite Things?

[Bryon Anderson 0]

Last night I was tying a favorite streamer pattern -- a hybrid of a zonker and a woolly bugger -- and it occurred to me that one of the reasons it is a favorite pattern is because it uses two of my favorite materials (rabbit strips and crystal chenille). That got me thinking that probably we all have materials that we especially like, either for the ease of working with them, their versatility, or how they behave in the water, etc. And, just as surely, we all probably have materials that we dislike, for similar reasons.

 

So now I'm curious -- what do you love to work with, and what do you hate? I'll start -- I love working with rabbit strips, marabou, crystal chenille, and Australian 'Possum. My "dislikes" would be schlappen, any wing material made of ultra-thin synthetic sheets, raffia/"Swiss Straw" (remember that stuff?), and glue of all sorts.

 

An idle thought for a Friday morning...there may or may not be a swap idea brewing behind this question...we'll see.

[foambug 0]

Peacock herl,an grizzly hackle,

 

 

Least favorite:some dubbing

[fishingbobnelson 0]

Elk Hair, Peccary, Deer Hair for wings

 

Least Favorite: Spinning Deer Hair, Egg Yarn

[JoeBillingsley 0]

Love the look of stripped hackle quills and stripped peacock and their ease of use for bodies, and with the addition of varnish or super glue or UV resin they are very durable.

 

Barry Ord Clark just put out a video tying the Screaming Banshee made basically with nothing but elk hair. https://youtu.be/Kikg492WZV8

With my lack of ability dealing with hair, I can only imagine what mess I could make trying to tie this fly!

 

Joe

[Bryon Anderson 0]

another un-favorite: calf tail. Love the look of it for dry fly wings, HATE working with the bulk and slipperiness of it.

[Moshup 0]

Love laying down bucktail and flash but wrapping a beautiful hackle for a 14 dry is divine.

 

Calf's tail is a bear .

[Fisherboy0301 0]

Love tying with patterns Elk and deer. But hate using it. The end result is worth it though. Love tying with pheasant tail as well.

 

 

Foam. It has its uses but it often comes out looking guady an unnatural.

[Sandan 0]

Love the look of stripped hackle quills and stripped peacock and their ease of use for bodies, and with the addition of varnish or super glue or UV resin they are very durable.

 

Barry Ord Clark just put out a video tying the Screaming Banshee made basically with nothing but elk hair. https://youtu.be/Kikg492WZV8

With my lack of ability dealing with hair, I can only imagine what mess I could make trying to tie this fly!

 

Joe

I tied a few up those Screaming Banshee's up a while ago. I got it from Charlie Craven's site. "http://www.charliesflyboxinc.com/flybox/details.cfm?parentID=206" It's not that tough to tie. It works pretty well too.

Anyhow, stripped quills, biots (turkey and goose), Whiting saddle hackle and superfine dubbing are what I like to use if I can.

Calf hair, turkey flats and trilobal dubbing are not high on my list.

As for techniques, splitting a 3 fiber mayfly tail is a chore

[stabgnid 0]

I really don't a favorite Materials ...

 

But my least favorites are

Dubbing on thread

spinning deer hair ,

dry fly wings

classic wet wings

 

Steve-stabgnid

[zip 0]

I love tying with seal fur dubbing!It has a wonderful buggy look to it and spins well!Also love guinea hen hackle in place of partridge.

 

I hate synthetics.I know how to use them,but Im more of a purist.

[sandflyx 0]

I don't have a dislike for any material. raffia I still use it. craft fur since I can dye it now

[notenuftoys 0]

Not really a dislike, just more of don't know what I'm doing with it. And that's synthetics like Congo Hair and EP fibers. I have enough of both to fill a fly shop, but just don't have the knack for using it to make quality flies that work right.

 

That goes for spinning deer hair too. I don't like it because I don't know what I'm doing. But I've resolved this year to build some competence and confidence working with it.

 

My love: hen capes and partridge capes. I love soft hackles. I love the infinite variations available. I love the different feel of different types of capes and the little techniques required to make them look good. I love the very simple thread and hackle to the more complex to the buggy hare's ear or fox squirrel flymphs.

[Bimini15 0]

I have no favorite or least favorite materials, just some that I have used more than others, many that I have never tried and so much to learn about all of them.

 

One gripe I do have is that sometimes it feels like tying is loosing some of its creativity to premade fly parts. Store bought, ready made, tails, brushes, bodies, eyes, heads, shanks... next thing you know you have $5 in a fly that looks like everybody elses.

[tmartin412 0]

I do enjoy using ice dub. Need to find more patterns that would call for it. Believe it or not I love tying with heavy streamer thread. Something about seeing it come out of the bobbin. Weird, I know. I have some scud back that also looks interesting. Haven't tied with it yet but I should.

 

Hate spinning deer hair like some other folks have mentioned.

[zip 0]

I have no favorite or least favorite materials, just some that I have used more than others, many that I have never tried and so much to learn about all of them.

One gripe I do have is that sometimes it feels like tying is loosing some of its creativity to premade fly parts. Store bought, ready made, tails, brushes, bodies, eyes, heads, shanks... next thing you know you have $5 in a fly that looks like everybody elses.

I agree!I refuse to buy premade fly parts.To each his own though