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weird fly tying material?

3K views 2 replies 3 participants last post by  chromedome 
#1 ·
Hello, I´m not tying my own flies yet but I´m planning to do so in the near future. Is there any alternatives to the expensive feathers and rabbit fur, etc.? I´m thinking of cheaper stuff I can find around the house, even if they don´t last as long. I´m interested in only tying simple nymphs (like a hares ear). Dont laugh, but I was thinking maybe regular lamb wool, color threads, bits and pieces of old carpets, etc. Is that an option? thanks.
 
#2 ·
All of those things will work.

Carpet material is a good substitute for animal furs, especially antron. Also if you wife, mother, girlfriend is into knitting you have a goldmine.

In fact most of the natural materials - furs, feathers etc. are pretty cheap and last a long time. Unless you are planning on tyeing classic salmon flies, you can a-find a cheap substitute that will work on almost every pattern.
 
#3 ·
While I more or less agree with Adrian there is this aspect of authenticity that is something like brand name recognition. If the pattern of a certain fly calls for bunny, for example, you might find a substitute material around the house that comes pretty close. But I'd then be asking the question "Well if this cheaper and more readily available material can be used in place of the bunny, why wasn't it specified in the pattern in the first place". I would imagine the inventor of the pattern had considered this cheaper material and rejected if for some reason. But if you're in a position, as I was in my youth tying my earliest flies, where you don't have a lotta money for materials then your approach is probably a good one.
 
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