Buying Synthetic Hair

[flashback max]

I was looking just now on Bearsden.com for some fake hair for some bunker flies, silversides, sand eels, etc. Only problem is, I look and them and I don't know what would be good for what. This is really the first synthetic hair buy I will make. Is anybody willing to lend a little advice?

 

Any other types of hair or places that are good to get it, I would appreciate you passing it along. Thank you!!!

[dwilliamsceg]

Your first link is the Farrar blend. It reflects a ton under water and holds up nicely. The only problem I have with it is that it tangles with itself and gets wrapped around the hook. This may be a product of my tying but I have had this happen on saltwater streamers and spinning tackle that I have used it for. I use the misty blue frequently, it really mimics local baitfish.

[dwilliamsceg]

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[Wendell]

If you're looking for synth, the Farrar's stuff is a great product. Seeing that you've already mentioned Bear's Den, give the a call and ask for Scott. Tell him what you want to tie and how you want to tie it. Scott's gets it and he'll steer you straight.

[flashback max]

Does anybody have a certain kind they prefer over others? I'm just looking for an assortment of types an colors.

[Wendell]

Depends on what you want to do with it. I personally don't have much use for the synthetic stuff. That's me. Other people derive great enjoyment from tying wig hair clousers and those stuffed animal EP minows. Still others are wild over the big Farrar blend bait fish. Epoxy shrimp made out of Ultra Hair?

 

What do you want to tie? How do you want to tie it? What's it going to look and act like when it's done? Answer those questions and then talk to Scott at the Bears Den. He'll suggest the right material for the job.

[aweiss4428]

farrar blend is nice stuff.

[crashq]

I use Slinky Fiber and Slinky Flash which are both the same thing as the Farrar blends. They work great for most standard flies like deceivers and clousers. The only drawback (as dwilliams pointed out) is that they can tangle on the hook if you extend them way past the hook. I solve this by first tying a short length of (stiffer) Ultra-Hair on the shank that extends past the hook shank a little ways. This keeps the Slinky fiber from tangling without really eliminating its flexibility. I think that the flexibility gives the flies a more realistic lifelike action.

 

There was a mention of the material tangling with itself, too. I don't consider this a problem. The tangling is minimal and allows the fly to have bulk with a minimum of material (and weight)

[M. saxatilis]

Max,

 

The synthetic material marketed as Slinky Fiber and Kinky Fiber are great materials have and IMO offer several advantages to the novice fly tier. First off, it is an inexpensive material that, when used properly, can create a highly durable fly. Second, there is a wide variety of colors in two different lengths available for your tying needs. Third, go to the ASWF web site and look the link to Steve F's Flash Blending. With the addition of Angel Hair, and other colors of Slinky & Kinky fiber, the possibilities of colors is only limited by your imagination! Fourth, you can purchase hanks of it right here on SOL at an even LOWER PRICE THAN IN MOST STORES!

 

I love blending my own colors. The shear number of individuals posting their approval of SteveF's Flash Blend tells you how popular it is. I find I get more material for my dollar blending my own colors, than if I buy the pre-packaged hanks. If you decide to Flash-Blend your own here is a list of the Angel Hair colors that make up the core of mostly all my blending.

 

Listed in order of most used are:

 

1. Pearl Gold - Absolutely goes with any/every color kinky hands down!

2. Pearl Purple- For purple iridescent species

3. Cotton Candy - Pink color w/splash of purple iridescence.

4. Damsel Blue - Blue iridescent w/splash of gold flash

5. Pearl Green- For green iridescent species

 

The Pearl "X" (Gold, Purple, green) are tough to beat. Herring, bunker, any iridescence hue can be created with these colors.

 

Preferred Slinky / Kinky Fiber colors:

(I blend these with each other to get diff't shades BOLD are core / goto colors).

Chartreuse

Sea Foam Green

Gray

Dark & Lt Purple

Pink & Lt Pink

Royal & Sea Blue

Olive

Shrimp

White

 

A few pictures of my blends. Instructions as per SteveF ASWF, only I blend up less, so I don't do the recommended 3:1 Angel Hair:Slinky. Plano Storage container. Polypropylene bags for storage. And yes, I'm way too organized for my own good.

[lostncentralma]

bearsden also has the devlin blends same nature as the ferra blends but not mass produced, and comes up with some great color schemes, or just buy a bunch of kinky and a bunch of mylar/flash and make your own blends for the colors you want to tie with

[JRT]

Farrar blends are great for larger translucent patterns, just remember less is more! Also because the flash is blended flies take only a few minutes to knock up..

[flashback max]

Sax, I'm in love! My wallet isn't going to be so happy but too bad!! Thank you!

[C. Regalis]

Kevin that is beautiful stuff! (And I think of you as "Mr. Natural Materials"

 

For those tying large baitfish imitations, fouling can be reduced with judiciously sparse applications of a product like Flex-Loc to hold the shape. If I'm not mistaken Jonny King even does the same thing (for some flies) with good old clear nail polish ("Hard as Nails").

 

With any product like that you need to apply SMALL amounts thinly and ONLY stroke the materials one way, towards the tail. One stroke in the opposite direction and you have an ugly snarled mess.

[Bruce in RI]

I like tying bucktail flies, would this work for that application or is it too soft?

 

Could you use either of these materials for an underbody with a bucktail "collar"?

[Philly]

I use three different types of hair.

Started with Ultra Hair and when I discovered flash blending, found I could taper it and give it a bit of flexibility by blending with a flash material like SparkleFlash. I still like to use this for Jiggies and Surf Candies, or when I need a fairly bullet proof fly.

 

Next material I use is Fuzzy Fiber, similar to Kinky/Slinky Fiber, but a bit thinner and longer. With this I'll flash blend either Angel Hair or Sparkle Flash. I'll use this for larger flies.

 

My main material is Mirror Image which I blend with Angel Hair.

 

As far as color selection for artificial hair and flash material. M. saxatilis's color selection pretty much mirrors mine. Also I tend to down play the flash and usually do a 1 to 1 ratio.

 

I haven't had to much trouble with the materials wrapping. I used Flex-Loc but haven't been able to find any locally. I found out a really thinned out Flexament will do the same thing as Flex-Loc.