Where do you get your materials??

[Mike McKeown]

Since Neal put me onto the Craft Shop for closed cell foam, I have found all sorts of other stuff there…

-Closed cell foam – lots of colors, $0.50 per A4 sheets
-Floss – lots of colors and sizes.
-Felt – lots of colors, $0.50 per A4 sheets
-Glass beads – all sorts of colors, $0.50 a pack of a couple of hundred.
-Rice shaped beads – pearls and whites, and more…
-Silk flowers – perfect for wings, lots of colors, $2 for 4 flowers, 40 to 50 petals per flower.
-Day glow paint – water based, but water proof when dry, $4 for a tub.
-Equipment – all sorts, scissors, bead pliers, blades and cutting boards.

Thanks Neal…

I have been meaning to start a thread on this, but on another board I visit, they just started one… There is a whole lot of stuff in that thread and I think I will compile that into some sort of document.

Here’s some more info…
-For the thinnest copper wire, strip a cell phone charger or an old small electric motor.
-For cheep lead, use soldering wire.
-For silly legs, bungee cord.

I know you guys have hundreds of other things, let’s see what we can get.

[Steve K.]

Clear Sally Hansen’s “Hard As Nails” fingernail polish in lieu of head cement. For those times when you don’t feel like driving to the flyshop for the real stuff.

I’ve found goose biots and maribou at Michael’s craft store for a fraction of the cost.

[Eric Weller]

I have found some of the best sissors, very sharp, at my local craft store.

[lee church]

The local fly shop first.

[Daryl Human]

Mike, I wouldn’t advise you to use soldering wire – its lead density ratio is not good enough, so you end up with too much “body” but no real weight benefit. Sure its a cheaper, more readily available option, but a better bet is to collect the lead sheets from wine bottles and use those. You’ll feel the difference, and be able to tie slimmer flies!

[Rob Snowhite]

Home Depot Foam

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100539941

I’ve picked up some nice rooster tails on ebay, a whole pack for a few bucks.

[Mike McKeown]

Maybe I worded this all wrong…

I would love to know what other materials you use and how you get your hands on them…

Like Christmas tinsel, crafters felt, wine bottle corks, foil chip packets, elastic bands, cellophane wrappers, etc…

[mick mccorcle]

For that list, it sounds like you should be digging in the dumpster just after the holidays!

[chris c. crane]

Mostly fly shops and online…

Fun stuff
For dubbing…Dog fur (after a good brushing)
Kids plastic and glass craft beads
Ostrich feathers from left-over New Years hats

[Michael Phillippe]

I’m a big fan of supporting the local shop when possible, but where I live it is usually more impossible than possible.

The best mail order place – and I’ve been buying materials for over 30 years – is Whitetail Fly Tieing Supplies (And, yes, he spells it that way!) in Toledo, OH, 800-579-5549, http://www.whitetailflytieing.com.

I could never tie good comparaduns until I started ordering from this guy. You call him up and tell him what you want to tie – he’ll send you the right hair, thread, etc.

[Shannon Drawe]

And then there’s the squirrel tails right off the squirrels in my back yard! Cost 0.00 – priceless. shannon

[Neal Osborn]

Maybe I worded this all wrong…

I would love to know what other materials you use and how you get your hands on them…

I frequent Michael’s and Hobby Lobby and the dollar stores – often stopping in after work.  As you get more patterns under your belt you will soon learn what you need and what is available at certain stores.

Here are some staples that I get from craft stores:

Foam – all sorts, all colors.

Glue – Zap-a-gap CA and brush-on-superglue (i.e. the Dave Whitlock special – I use this stuff a lot).

Leather bonding glue for my double bunnies and rabbit fur.

Straws – all colors, all sizes.  

Toys – it’s amazing how many $1 kid or dog toys have rubber junk on them that can be used for tying.

Glitter – sprinkle it on epoxy before applying to your fly or just sprinkle it on super glue after application to the fly or on UV Knot Sense (Loon) before curing with the light.

Feathers and marabou.  

Brushes on the cheap – cut them up for dry fly tails.

Beads – be careful here because the craft beads don’t have a wider open hole on one side needed to make it around the bend of the hook.  However, small beads are wonderful to glue on for eyes and for a bubble head on midges.

Markers!  Go get a full pack of waterproof markers to color your flies.

Craft Fur!!!!!  You can get white, brown, and black at Michael’s.  Just use your markers to color them (or more effectively, mark up your fingers, spit on them, and rub it in to the white craft fur to give a “faint” gradient coloration.

Doll eyes for the “poor-man’s” bait fish patterns or for soft poppers (you can actually cut out the center black piece and glue it on your fly to avoid the bulk).

Yarn and Wool – especially at Hobby Lobby.  Look for Mohair (awesome stuff for leaches) or any billowy yarn that can be cut up and spun in a dubbing loop to make your own textured cord.

---

Quick shots of some crap I’ve picked up at the craft store

These little dollar store toys and centipedes make great wiggle legs for saltwater and bass patterns.  

The uni-yarn, at Hobby Lobby, is a cheap way to get a pre-spun dubbing loop, just tie in at the back like a wooly bugger then palmer forward and trim to the desired length.

Sparkle foam balls – the sparkle is similar to flashabou

Yarn (especially Moh-Hair).  Pull the fibers out and spin in a dubbing loop for leach patterns or anything else you think up.

Leather bonding goop – This is at Michael’s and is the equivalent of Tear Mender http://www.tearmender.com/. Essential for bonding rabbit strips together (super glue or Gorilla or Zap, etc will never work on natural hide – trust me).

I am a NERD :-/

[Neal Osborn]

Green Zima – tied with craft fur from the hobby store (colored green).

Craft Fur crabs – they were killer in Belize.

Tying craft fur crabs before a day of fishing.

Bead Head Leaches – tied with Moh-Hair from Hobby Lobby – these are “Fuzzled” around chenille – (tails are marabou) – the 60 degree hook gives a jigging motion to the fly.

[Neal Osborn]

Don’t forget about Walmart or your local conventional tackle shop (i.e. Bass Pro).  There are a ton of deals to be had if you think outside the box.  You can even buy bargain basement spinner baits on clearance and them cut off the rubber to use in your own fly patterns.

I get packs of Jig skirts at Bass Pro (or from my brother) in all colors and simply cut them up for silly legs.

I get some (just a few) of my warm water hooks from Walmart.   A lot of fly tiers don’t know that Mustad and Gamakatsu make hooks for “the other fisherman” as well.  In fact, you can get a full set of warm water hooks for cheap at walmart – perfect for bluegill/crappie patterns.  The Mustad 37361 hooks are super sharp and cost $4 for 50!!!!

For the adventurous types – you can even get micro spinner blades for $0.49 at Walmart and also micro swivels to make your own spinner heads for warm water patterns.  

[keith b]

I can tie wooly buggers 🙂

I must be thinking inside a very small box!
This is just a glimpse of taking my tying to the next level. It must be similar to showing a wanna be pilot the inside of a cockpit of a jumbo jet, a bit overwhelming but I can’t get there if I never see where to go.
Thanks Mr Osborn

[Mark Schafer]

Great pictures Neal.. I picked up a few ideas. “Found” materials flies might be a good idea for a thread.

After this hunting season I have an abundance of squirrel and rabbit tails along with plenty of pheasant parts if anyone is interested. I thought I might try dyeing some of it.

As Michael said Whitetail tieing is the best and it’s only a mile from my shop. Chris is world known for his deer hair spinning prowess. You walk in his place and your there for hours,he is a very very nice man and always willing to help answer questions. http://www.glennriver.com/ has some nice kits and most of the materials come from Chris

[keith b]

well I made it over to Michaels today and found a couple of things, but was still hesitant to get too much, for fear of it not wirking.
I didi get

[Mike McKeown]

Thanks Neal… 🙂

[Author]

Posts