Anyone else have this problem?

[Margaretann 0]

I am having a problem with my flash wanting to curl. I have some crystal blue flash that I use in almost every fly, and it keeps curling on me. Not sure what I am doing wrong. I have kept it in the original Baggie. I have also hung them and either way it will start curling. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to fix this?

[Piker20 0]

I had/have the same issue with a pink flash material. In bigger flies I hide it between other wing material and its not so obvious. In smaller flies I gave up and switched to a different make.

[Stippled Popper 0]

If you are talking about flashabou, I have the same problem.

 

With Krystal Flash if it gets a kink in there, it stays a problem.

I also have to watch stretching taking out the twists.

 

Just the nature of the stuff?!

[tidewaterfly 0]

I've had the same issue from time to time with the regular Flashabou, but frankly never saw it as much of a problem. Have no idea why it curls, and have packs of different colors, some curl while others don't seem to. It still does what it's supposed to do when using the fly, it just doesn't look all that good. After catching a few fish the Flashabou is often mangled anyway. I tie with the holographic Fashabou quite a bit too, and I think it's a slightly thicker mylar, so have not had the curling with it.

[SCOwens 0]

If any stretch is put into the flash at anytime it will curl, when you are tying it in be careful not to pull on it. even if a package has fallen into the floor and been stepped on it can stretch it out. At least thats from my experience, unsure if it is curling before you tie it in or before while it is still in the package. Maybe that will help

 

SO

[mikechell 0]

Hinted at, but not stated by tidewater is the action IN THE WATER. What does it do in the water? A lot of my flies don't look too good hanging in the air, dry and curled every which way, but in the water it looks wonderful.

[Peterjay 0]

I've never seen the actual Krystal Flash brand curl, but other brands and types of flash sometimes will. You might check out H2O and H2O twist at the Fly Tyer's Dungeon. I've had good luck with that stuff although color selection is limited. Just be aware that some of his other products will curl something wicked. I bought some samples of his fiber/flash blends a while back and the stuff curls to the point of being useless as soon as it's cut.

[tidewaterfly 0]

Mike, that's what I meant to say, thanks!

 

Here's a few flies, all tied with Flashabou, and all have been used. The first one did not show any signs of curling until after it had dried out. The rest, although there are some kinks don't seem to have any curl. Seems to me the dyed colors or dyed over pearl colors curl the worse, while metallics don't seem to curl at all. However, as SCOwens mentioned, I'm careful not to stretch it when tying. My curling issues have been after the fly was used.

 

Pearl & Silver, only the pearl has curled. The silver is kinked from use, but not curled.

 

Pearl & Silver, no curling.

 

Copper, no curling.

 

Bronze & Copper, no curling.

[Margaretann 0]

Well at least I am not the only one! Was getting worried.

[riffleriversteelheadslayer 0]

store them in original package inside the center of a heavy book

[Capt Bob LeMay 0]

Since I tie, fish, and work in a tropical climate I pay lots of attention to how the materials we use behave in the heat... I've noted that Flashabou (the original) is very heat sensitive and will begin to curl up on a finished fly much sooner than strands of Flashabou Accent (the Fat Pack...). Just the nature of the material (the same things that make it so attractive in the patterns we use.

 

By the way, Tidewater, those first two pics of yours would make perfect tarpon flies for working deep (when fish are holding in and around rivers in six to ten feet of water...).

[Kirk Dietrich 0]

Like Capt Bob said, thin mylar flashabou is very heat sensitive. Often, it comes out of the package like that from the dying process where the dye bath is hot water to make the dye stick. With colors that take extra long to sink in, those materials in that bath will be exposed to the heat longer and in the case of flashabou, it will come out curly.

If it comes in the pack nice and flat and straight but curls once its tied on the fly in the house with no exposure to heat, then I have no idea what could be causing that.

 

Kirk