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ep fibers substitute

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Been doing this for about 15 yrs, it works great. The rolled up paper trick is a new one on me though. Slick. I'm convinced that EP fiber is made from Bonnie Braid (BB) or both are made from the same stock. Years ago I saw a complete list of colors for both BB and EP and every color that EP was offered in was also available in BB (not the blends obviously). Not sure that BB is sold in as many colors these days, it's popularity in the crafting world seems diminished. I've found that both are identical after you brush out the BB. Unless there just isn't any white in the pattern I just use white BB and then just use markers to color. For $20 you can have a lifetime supply.

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I agree, there is effectively little difference, the only thing missing is flash, and while your at the craft store, you can get some Sulky Hollowshimmer which is a spool of fine flash ribbon or thread. Its much like Flashabou but finer. Both The Macrame cord, and Sulky material comes in lots of colors. I don't know how old this video is, but the last time I looked the price of Bonnie Braid has gone up. Right now on Amazon, I see 100 yard spools of it starting at 7.00 and going up to about 20.00. Even at 20.00 its still significantly cheaper than EP fibers. A single yard of Macrame cord will yield about the same amount of fiber as a package of EP Fiber.

 

When I shred mine, I don't worry about making the ends of the bunch even. The first thing you would do in tying in a section for any bait fish imitation is taper the ends by pulling out some strands. I find that 2 or 3 of the woven strands will make a good sized tail and then one more to cut into shorter strands and added for the body.

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what about Congo hair from fly tyres dungeon? A buck a pack is pretty affordable to me at least the price is worth the convenience

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what about Congo hair from fly tyres dungeon? A buck a pack is pretty affordable to me at least the price is worth the convenience

I agree, but its. It $1 each pack anymore its like $2.75 last I checked. Still good stuff at a good price, also you can get multiple colors that this method might not come in unless you want to die your own.

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Kanekalon and other wig materials. Waaaaay less expensive.

May not have as many colors or the flash but ready to tie one.

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Kanekalon and other wig materials. Waaaaay less expensive.

May not have as many colors or the flash but ready to tie one.

I really like using the Kanekalon. I sub it for Big Fly Fiber, EP Hair and a few others. The craft cord have been in my stash for a long time also,

 

Kevin

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Ep fibers (deleted content), no need to spend extra for a subpar material

 

Thanks for sharing and hopefully some people pick up on this...

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Thanks for posting, Norm; that's useful information. 25-30 years ago, a guy named Dick Nelson did something similar with acrylic knitting yarn, and called his creations "Aztec flies." Like the other guys, I've found that Kanekalon wig hair is a great substitute for Slinky Fiber, (or whatever they're calling it these days) at a tiny fraction of the price. I've got a lifetime supply of 20 colors or so that cost me $60 total. Blend it with flash (H2O twist from FTD) and you've got Steve Farrar blend. Most of the synthetics we use aren't manufactured with fly tying in mind. The market's just too small to make a profit; somewhere, somebody, is selling it in quantity for other purposes, and a little digging around online can save you a lot of $$$$. Another nice material is Angelina Fiber, which is a great substitute for Angel Hair flash. You can get a full ounce (that's a lot of flash) for $4 or $5 on Etsy or eBay.

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Aztec flies...I remember getting on that kick for a while. Those things were a nightmare, They were a magnet for tangling with anything bushes,thorns other flies etc,

 

And I remember the first time I saw some EP fiber patterns, I was like, those are cool I like to tie some of those.

Went down to the local fly shop to pick up a couple colors saw the price and went “F” That!

 

There is a long detailed thread on this subject on this board somewhere...Read it and went and got some macramé cord/rope .... yep same stuff.

 

About the same thing going on now with “Mop” material and “Magnum Dragon Tails”

You can find two lifetime supplies at the Hobby Store or Joann’s for $4-$7.

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LOL Mike - those Aztec flies were great if you could afford to hire somebody to stand by and keep them untangled while you fished. I wound up using that acrylic yarn for tails on epoxy minnows and saved the rest in case I want to take up knitting when I'm too old to do anything else. I concur on the "Sulky Holoshimmer." It's like a fine mylar tinsel - I use it for bodies on deceivers, bendbacks, etc., but it would make nice freshwater streamer/wet fly bodies. It has lots of sparkle and comes in 250-yard spools for not much money.

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Thank you Norm for the tip. I have always found it upsetting that certain people find it necessary to price gouge items specific to fly tyers. In this case, I have seen packs of EP fibers up near the $10 mark - knowing that the material in the package probably costs less than the packaging - I refuse to buy this stuff...at least now I have an alternative.

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The acrylics make nice wings on spinners, trailing shucks on nymphs, underwing flash on wets, and chopped fine and added sparsely give sparkle to fur dubbings blended in a coffee bean mill. And they also give some subtle colors/iridescence to complex dubbing loops,

 

And that still leaves a lot for knitting.

 

No Aztec I ever tied came out well!

 

Rocco

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