MORE Fly Tying Materials from Craft Stores

Another installment of "How to find and use fly tying materials from craft stores," with some examples of flies you can easily tie.
While I encourage everyone to support your local fly shop, I realize not everyone has a local shop, and understand that tying materials can be expensive. So please support your local shops when you can but don't let the high cost of materials be a detriment to starting on your tying journey!

[@toddslichter7831]

Thanks, Matt. My wife is rolling her eyes while listening to this video...she knows where I am going to stop when we go to town. She knows I feed my addiction wherever I can. Lol

[@SavageFlies]

I hear you Todd! My wife and I will be out in town and she'll ask, "Want to stop by Michael's?" She doesn't have to ask me twice. The last time we went, I only got some model paint to use for tying, but I did find a cool chalk board I'm thinking of using in my video background. There's always something to be had there. :-)

[@peterrebhahn1113]

A slightly off topic, but related suggestion aimed at storing materials: I've become a big fan of small plastic containers. My favorites are the shoe-box-size conatiners The Home Depot sells for $1 and the food-storage containers Dollar Tree sells. The later are translucent plastic with blue lids and come in a variety of sizes. I print out labels on paper with a laser printer (Flashabou, Nymph Hooks, Dubbing-Synthetic, Dubbing-Natural etc. etc.) and attach them to the boxes with clear tape. For half the price of a decent dry fly hackle cape you can buy dozens of these and organize your collection down to narrow categories, which pays off as your stash of materials grows. Organization is the key to storing materials, and segregation is really the key to organization.

[@SavageFlies]

I know what you're talking about Peter! I have about a dozen of those plastic shoeboxes from Home Depot. And yep, I used a label maker to label all of them. I haven't tried the food containers but that is a great idea too. Thanks for the note. :-)

[@jonjones2593]

I just found your channel. I’m pretty new at tying flies and flyfishing as a whole. I started learning from my local VA and the local chapter of project healing waters. Ever since then I’ve been looking at my local craft and dollar stores for materials and then I found your videos and was excited that I wasn’t the only one looking for massive bargains on fly materials. Also, I love the fact that you have videos on how to build these flys. Thank you so much!! Fast flies and tight lines!!

[@epsieblaine7968]

Good evening Matt.The rabbit pelts are great.Another thing I find useful is anti static bags,like what computer parts come in.Makes great tensel and wing cases,great stuff.Embordering thread makes great woven body flies.Great video Matt,have a great Sun. afternoon. Ken and Linda.

[@jimholland1592]

LOL! How fun was that, Joyce watched this with me and said I should shop in her craft room. You know where I will be this evening. Thanks for a fun and informative video🤪🤣🤣👍

[@SavageFlies]

Ha! Funny, I came back from Michael's one time with embroidery thread and bragging to my wife about the cool containers I found. She thought I was crazy and then she showed me hers. She had about a dozen already. :-)

[@jasonatkins1095]

I enjoyed your last video on craft materials and this didn't disappoint. Showing the flies you made from the certain materials was a great bonus 👌🏼I look forward to your next video

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Jason! I appreciate the kind words my friend. 😁

[@cjorde673]

Thank you Matt. I found bead chains in black and silver at Ace Hardware. They sell them as pull chains for lamps. Inexpensive and easy to use as fly eyes.

[@SavageFlies]

Outstanding to hear! I've never seen black ones, usually just brass or sometimes silver. I'll definitely check them out!

[@markfritch3168]

Another great video on DIY craft store stuff. If you think about it DIY is why we tie our own flies. Thanks for all the helpful tips.

[@SavageFlies]

I think you're right Mark; we're all kind of DIYers at heart. :-)

[@craigdebeer1444]

Thanks for the great tips, so hopefully, keep up with the great video, love watching them.

[@SavageFlies]

Appreciate it Craig! And thanks for the note my friend. :-)

[@richardkunz9004]

Plan on doing some tying this winter, thanks for sharing 😊

[@FlyTyer1948]

Another good one Matt. Gold & silver metallic thread make an excellent substitute for wire on streamers, nymphs or wetflies that are already weighted. Also good for the few dry flies that call for a wire wrap. It is cheaper & faster to use & a great help when you have to tie 6 dozen Wooly Buggers. Since I didn’t trust it when I bought it, a 2 week test in water proved it didn’t tarnish.

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Bob! I'm going to have to raid my wife's stash of threads... I'll bet she has some metallics. :-)

[@FlyTyer1948]

@@SavageFlies Be careful she doesn’t raid your craft store materials as payback. ;-)

[@dahutful]

Thanks Matt - been doing it for years. Started that way. You da man

[@SavageFlies]

Appreciate it David! As always, thanks for watching my friend. :-)

[@edwardthornton2156]

Great job Matt. Thanks for sharing. Another thing is nail polish for head cement .Thanks again Matt.

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Butch! And I can't believe I forgot to mention nail polish. Good call. :-)

[@davehall2160]

Thanks Matt, lot of good info 👍 I will have to check it out Have a great weekend and see you next time

[@SavageFlies]

Appreciate it Dave; and you too my friend!

[@leemowers9395]

Thanks Matt for another informative video.

[@SavageFlies]

Appreciate it Lee. :-)

[@chevyguy6510]

Great ideas! Thank you.

[@crowdaddy8355]

Matt, another good place to go to is a place that sells hair products. You can get long grizzly feathers in a wide variety of colors. They’re with the hair extensions. Great video and thanks as always.

[@SavageFlies]

That is a great idea Chad. I've never even thought of that!

[@handcannon1388]

That's actually what caused the shortage of good genetic saddles a couple years back.

[@michaelburk9171]

I've gone through beauty supply stores too. Lots of potential in those places. My big scruffy 55 year old self stands out in those shops.

[@bruceacphoto5240]

Keep up the great work, Matt!🍻

[@karljones6594]

Thank you Matt another great video.

[@SavageFlies]

Appreciate it Karl!

[@Jd-yc3gw]

Enjoy these videos to see what you can find in your hobby stores. Our closest Michaels doesn’t carry much in the way of feathers or fur. I have picked up some wool and needle point yarn ( wool, thread or whatever they call it) and some beads. Up here it seems that each Michaels carries different stock so I’ve been checking out the stores we come across. I picked up some pink pipe cleaners thinking I could tie a version of a San Juan worm and I did but it was more of a rigor mortis version so they went on the scrap heap. I keep looking when we are near a hobby shop, just never know what you might find. Take care Matt.

[@SavageFlies]

Ha! A rigor mortis San Juan worm... that's funny. But I know what you mean. Pipe cleaners are pretty stiff. I think you're right that each craft store will have a different inventory. I've been in a couple that had next to nothing useful, but I'm lucky that my closest one has a whole aisle of feathers and such.

[@andyk914]

Hey, don't forget Joanne Stores and Hobby Lobby. Joanne Fabrics has multiple craft fur strips for under $5.00 each.

[@SCYCOFISHINGHUNTING]

First thing off this video I will get! The yarn looks exactly like polar chenille, and I could use that in some of my streamers! Thanks Matt

[@SavageFlies]

Absolutely! Another similar material is cactus chenille. But with a little shorter fibers.

[@bigdaddy99929]

Great ideas!!!

[@robertshelton3787]

Great video! Your creativity continues to inspire me

[@SavageFlies]

I appreciate that Robert! And thanks for watching my friend. 👍

[@martyrothman3933]

Thanks for the help Matt

[@SavageFlies]

You bet Marty; appreciate you watching my friend!

[@southernexposure123]

I'm just getting started and looking on line for materials kits. Prices are high for the amount of material in a kit. Plus it would take several different kits to get enough kinds of material to tie a good selection of dry and wet flies. Often reviews discourage me because of their statements about the material quality. I'll be taking a look at your suggested sources. At a glance it looks like its wiser to buy flies already tied. lol BUT it's a relaxing hobby sa I remember from when I was a kid. And there's satisfaction gained from catching a fish with feathers you tied onto a hook yourself. Thanks for the material source videos.

[@robkirkwood4504]

Thank you for posting. I do the same at craft stores and dollar tree stores. I would add the craft store Czech beads for midges. Dollar tree girls colored hairs for clousers. Baby hair braids for mop flies. Awesome video and comments from everyone.

[@SavageFlies]

Great ideas Rob! I've never even considered some of these things. Thanks for the note. :-)

[@jamestlustig]

awesome especially for some people that do not have local fly shops near by!

[@SavageFlies]

Yep, and unfortunately that's me too. My nearest fly shop (if I don't count the Bass Pro Shop) is two hours away. I do make it a point to stop in there every time I go to the river, but that's not often enough. Thanks for the note!

[@marksleeper9385]

and your vids are the best and info and Thanks Mark

[@SavageFlies]

Appreciate it Mark!

[@joeduca8582]

Ha! I must have every item you held up. Awesome!

[@SavageFlies]

That's funny Joe! One thing I forgot to mention... clear fingernail polish. :-)

[@joeduca8582]

@@SavageFlies Ha! Got about 30 bottles, different colors, a $ or less each. Should open a salon ;o)

[@pauldonnellan6799]

Thanks Matt…I have a number of yarns like you have shown…saved a fortune…Pauly at Wilderness Coast on Fly in Australia 🤓👍🇦🇺

[@SavageFlies]

You're welcome Paul! Thanks for the note my friend. :-)

[@johnnylightning1491]

Something I pickup from my wife when she was done with it is some pearlescent mylar of some type. I don't really know what it's called but it's white when you look at it but when the sun hits it it has purple highlights. Pretty cool looking, I'm glad I've got a lifetime supply. I guess my point look if at stuff through a fly tyers glasses, but not mama's cat. Keep the good cheap stuff coming Matt.

[@SavageFlies]

Ha! In my house I think all the animals are “mine.” At least the dog, cats and rabbits. My wife calls me Dr. Doolittle. I let her have the chickens. 😁

[@stevetrybalski3082]

Matt , great tutorial! Another sub for getting into using UV resin in the clear UV top coat our wife/girlfriend uses for their nails. Usually readily available and works in a pinch.

[@SavageFlies]

Whoa! Are you saying they make UV resin fingernail polish? Seriously? And they have to put a UV light on it to harden it up? This would be an amazing find. :-)

[@stevetrybalski3082]

@@SavageFlies Matt. I can't remember if it was made by Sally Hanson or Revlon. Readily available with the nail polish. I used Sally Hansen clear Top Coat after setting UV. Another product is Lazer Bond. UV adhesive and mini uv light in one package under $5.00. Have several in my traveling tying kit and keep a few for minor emergency repairs. Harbor freight had a 395nm UV flash light for under $5.00 at one time. Works well still using it for several years now.

[@stevetrybalski3082]

@@SavageFlies Matt, follow up. The uv cure polish is called Sensational clear top coat. If you catch it right it comes with it own uv light . Also used Lazer Bond uv glue. I got on a clearance rack for $5.00. It worked great for sealing head of flies. Great for travel, as it has a mini uv light with replaceable battery. Still keep on in my travel bag.

[@montyhunter2260]

Thanks Matt, I've picked up Organza ribbon from hobby lobby, multiple colors, very fun to tie with.

[@SavageFlies]

Cool to hear Monty! Now it's going on my shopping list for my next trip to town. :-)

[@handcannon1388]

Try looking on ebay, too. I got six feet of organza ribbon sent direct to my door from China (pre Wu-Flu) for $.17 with FREE SHIPPING. If anyone knows how they make money doing that, please let me know.

[@jeffcollins1172]

You need to do a video on using these materials, thanks, great videos!

[@paulobainz1210]

Some good ideas there :) I use the embroidery thread for woven nymphs.

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Paulo! I haven't tied many woven bodied nymphs yet. I'm going to need a bit more practice before I can make one good enough to record for a video. :-)

[@icefisher1171]

Thank you, Matt. I always appreciate the tips and tricks, as I'm just getting into fly tying and I m always looking for materials to use for different patterns. Love the channel.

[@SavageFlies]

Appreciate it Kyle! I'm glad to have you here and always excited to see a new tier getting into the sport. :-)

[@sigurdurmarolafsson4183]

I found this in a craft store in the UK. The longer one is EXACTLY the same as the Semperfly extreme string ( aka their version of polar chenille).

[@sirtango1]

For a dubbing brush an old gun bore brush works excellent. Or a piece of velcro.

[@Check-Your-Fly]

Great information! I have not had much luck with ribbon materials. Never seen the guilt eyelash yarn material. Going to get some of that material! Ocassionally, some craft stores have a Swiss straw substitute called Wraphia. It's great for nymph wing cases or fry streamer patterns. It comes in many colors like white , copper, Apple green , pearl and metallic pearl. Some colors are on line only at the craft store of your choice or at Amozon . Lastly , great advise to support and or patronize your fly shops locally and or abroad thanks to the www! My top fly shops for materials are Cabelas, JS Stockard, Schultz's Outfitters and Jann's Netcraft.

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks John! I appreciate the note. I've never heard of Wraphia but will definitely look it up. I've already got a few packs of Swiss straw (or sometimes called raffia grass I think) so I don't need any at the moment. But it does make some pretty cool nymph wing cases. I shop at J. Stockard, Fly Shack and Caddis Fly Shop mostly, but I'll check out Shultz's and Jann's. I'm always looking for new places to shop. :-)

[@seanbeck1370]

That first yarn looks exactly like palmer chenille which I use as a support on feather game changers. Neat!

[@SavageFlies]

Great call Sean! I have yet to try the Game Changer but it's on my to-do list for this year. :-)

[@seanbeck1370]

@@SavageFlies I'd be happy to do a guest tie! 😂👌

[@shawnkiesel5349]

Love this channel that black and chartreuse striped yarn would make a great snake fly.. I'm sure lots of bass would love to hit on that...

[@SavageFlies]

Great idea Shawn! And thanks for the note my friend. :-)

[@randycampbell3628]

I have that fur from the dollar store , great looking on a fly.

[@SavageFlies]

Outstanding Randy!

[@graygbill2037]

I've been experimenting with using the brown & orange striped pipe cleaners for crayfish legs. They're too difficult to be used as a chennille replacement. Michaels has some thin elastic bead cord that's great for bug legs on ants, beatles & poppers. Comes in black and pink spools. The transparent thread from sewing stores in good to use in a bobbin. Black & clear cover most needs but it's a little more fragile than good tying thread so you have to be careful to not pull too hard. I also use spooled embroidery thread to tie if I can get it thin enough. It comes in some great neon & metallic colors.

[@peteyarrington582]

I had no idea that hobby stores might carry rabbit pelts! I have gotten all mine at the Maryland Renaissance Fair. I'll have to see if there is a Hobby Lobby around me somewhere. Thanks Matt!

[@SavageFlies]

That surprised me too Pete. I forget which section it was in, I think in the back with the leather crafting stuff. Like the kits you can make belts and wallets and such. Here it is online: www.hobbylobby.com/Crafts-Hobbies/Leather-Crafting/Leather-Pieces/Rabbit-Skin/p/24371

[@WheresTheFun]

I've been using pipe cleaners both tinsel and normal ones for salt water large flies for beefing out the bodys

[@randymorris8740]

A good source of synthetic hair is Barbie's and girl's unicorn toys... (don't ask how I know this) 🤣 When my daughter's either out-grew or broken a toy with hair on it, or the toy was being thrown out, I would "extract" what I need for the fly tying bench first... This also included any "toy" that was left out where it could step on during the night... Just for an "un-official" statistic, a Little Mermaid Barbie could yield over 30 streamer wings... 😂

[@mikeking453]

Great video, the yarn you was showing at the beginning of the video is very similar to polar chenille which works great for streamer bodies and if some of the fibers are too long you can just give it a trim. Pom Poms I trim them up and super glue them to a hook for mulberry imitations which I use to fish for carp. Jo-Ann fabrics usually as pheasant tails.

[@SavageFlies]

Holy cow, Mike! You're the first person I've ever heard of who fishes for carp with mulberry flies. And you know, I'll bet we could superglue some small pom poms to a hook for egg patterns. That would be a simple fly indeed. Thanks for the note my friend. :-)

[@handcannon1388]

@@SavageFlies I've been doing some salmon egg flies with pom poms from Hobby Lobby. I found several useful colors, segregated by size and color, for $1.99/150.

[@michaelmerlino6753]

Good advise in cheaper materials,Matt.You never know what may be useful.I have been using loop rug yarn for my crab patterns for a long time,already cut,bundled,and lots of colors to choose from.

[@SavageFlies]

No kidding Michael! It makes me wonder who was the first one to use a mop for fly materials. :-)

[@jamesvatter5729]

Organza. A whole bunch of possibilities...winging, gills, etc.

[@SavageFlies]

Good call Jim! Is any of it stiff enough to use as-is, or do you have to reinforce it with some kind of glue or tape?

[@mikeboule1967]

thanks matt

[@yepyepuhhuh]

I'm a new tyer. One thing I have thought to use is medication organizers. The weekly storage container. They are even free at many pharmacies. You can keep beads, smaller items and such.

[@SavageFlies]

This is a great idea and one I haven't thought of. They would be perfect for beads!

[@michaelburk9171]

I'm a fairly new tier and can't rationalize spending top dollar on flies I'm trying for practice. Craft stores have been my friend also. Here's a few things I've found. Fabric glues like tear mender can be handy. There are very shear translucent glittery ribbons that work well as body wrap on streamers. Coat them with clear nail polish and they give a deep pearl look. There a spools of semi transparent gummy string for stringing the big kids' beads on that I've used as body wrap to give a segmented look to crazy Charlies. The thinner stuff can be used as legs. I haven't tested them for durability but there are spools of pearl beads like the Mardi gras beads in a couple sizes. They don't add weight like metal dumbbell eyes but they look pretty good with a dot of nail polish as a pupil.

[@Ghosthawk332nd]

Dollar stores have been good for me, especially in colored Mylars, tapes, ribbons. And Feather Boa's. My best find was an atrificial flower lei. Snip one circle of petals, a minutes worth of work with a bodkin and you can seperate the cloth back from a clear/blue thin plastic layer. This can make awesome bodies for any pattern imitating Minnows. Or they can be used as wings.

[@SavageFlies]

That's a great tip Bill! I'm sorry I just saw this comment. :-) I know the flower leis you're talking about but I've never considered using them for body or wing materials. I'm definitely going to give it a shot. Thanks for the note!

[@RyanAshley419]

Well, I thought I posted a comment and it appears to have disappeared into the ether. Let me try again. I love the big packs of foam in the scrap book sections of Hobby Lobby. A high pack in all colors for a few bucks. Great for foam flies or linings for DIY fly boxes. I usually make little box pouches out of leather and line them with that foam. Great for sticking a few flies in when you want to attach it to your belt when out fishing by don't want to get your box out.

[@SavageFlies]

That's actually a great crafty idea Ryan! A DIY fly-drying patch. I bought a bunch of tin boxes from Amazon, kind of like those Altoid mint boxes, for about fifty cents each. With a piece of this foam in it, they make for passable (and very cheap) fly boxes. Here are the ones I'm talking about: amzn.to/38ntS2V

[@RyanAshley419]

@@SavageFlies oh, I use Altoids tins for all sorts of things. I keep one in my truck with dryer lint and matches in case I get stranded and need to light a fire. I keep one with fish hooks and some fishing line for emergency fishing. I keep one with basic first aid supplies. They have so many good uses.

[@ph2738]

For wire, I have several pieces cut from old lamp cords. Cut into 3 to 4 inch pieces, leave the insulation on, strip a quarter inch of the insulation on one end, then pull one piece out with needle nose pliers when I need a piece. The best smallest wire I found is in the cheap RJ-11 cable included with PC communication equipment. I finally find copper colored wire, which is OK because I fish a lot of copper johns. Sometimes you can find silver, red, or gold. At the bulk wire section of a hardware store, you can clip off a couple inches of electrical cord or speaker wire that looks good, and it is so short that they can’t figure out what to charge you. Red wire can be found on the armatures of old electric motors.

[@SavageFlies]

That's another great idea Paul! I just threw away a frayed lamp cord that probably would have been a good source of wire.

[@edherrmann182]

When I think about the money I spend on materials from numerous fly shops this year, I don’t feel the slightest guilt for buying from craft stores. Yarns, embroidery floss, small Pom poms, and craft fur cam make many flies. I usually buy lots of materials throughout the year. I have even went to sewing shops and found a lightweight material to cut mayfly wings. I found small Pom poms in the cream and yellow and orange color that made excellent egg patterns. I have been buying some feathers from feather merchants when I benefit for duck quills, peacock, ostrich and occasionally jungle cock. So along with all the fly shops, craft stores, sewing shops, and dollar stores, fly tying materials abound. I couldn’t do any justice to this consuming activity without also mentioning fresh road kill animals and birds. You need to cut costs somewhere!

[@mikelundrigan2285]

I got Christmas tree Mylar tinsel strands about a foot long and 1000 strands per package in silver, embossed style silver and embossed style gold also semi clear sorta pearl one. At a dollar per pack you could make about 5000+ streamers per pack. I bought a couple of each for a lifetime supply!

[@SavageFlies]

I did the same think Mike! And I've had the same pack in one of my drawers for about five years now. :-)

[@sinelocum]

I love this! I’m saving this video for later. Have you considered creating a sort of PDF shopping list or checklist for essentials? I’m thinking about putting something together in Excel or Numbers as I create a fly-tying station in my garage. I’m happy to purchase something like that from you if you’ve gone to the trouble of creating it. I doctor up soft plastics and spinning lures, and often use scrap materials from around the house. I like the salavation army, church thrift stores, and the goodwill for exactly these things. Crocheted blankets and sweaters are often available for next to nothing, and are great sources for yarn. The Army or Navy surplus sometimes has USA made high quality black, white, green, blue, and orange nylon and Dacron threads.

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks for this comment Mark! I don't really have a list of essentials, but I did have a GSM materials giveaway back in 2020 where I listed a ton of materials for tying a bunch of different dry flies. It's a pretty quick watch so check it out if interested: kzbin.info/www/bejne/i6LHeKukg9Vmea8 As for crocheted blankets and sweaters, that's a great idea for yarns! You could get a ton of yarn from one sweater. :-)

[@robertgreen5217]

I am in the very same mind set as yourself.👍

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Robert! I appreciate the note my friend. :-)

[@jameswallace5830]

I would tie the pipe cleaner in green, blue or black from tale to eye to resemble a dark back of a bait fish pattern

[@jimkinzer5155]

Love the yarn bee scrub ology. Also spools of floss anchor brand for .75 cents for 10 yard spool.

[@SavageFlies]

I've never tried it Jim, but it looks like a pretty cool yarn. Lots of different color options too! For anybody reading this note, here's what Jim is talking about: www.hobbylobby.com/Yarn-Needle-Art/Yarn/Yarn-Bee-Scrub-Ology-Scrub-It-Yarn/p/SI02604

[@chrisingram9798]

My wife works at Joann, so I get a sweet discount and put it to use regularly.

[@SavageFlies]

You're a lucky man Chris! Thanks for watching my friend. :-)

[@alexhendrick8288]

Just saw these at hobby lobby..the yarns ...they look great! Also the giant pom poms work really well as a lazer dub substitute. They are at Michael's. Creatology brand

[@SavageFlies]

I am definitely going to look for the big pom poms the next time I'm there Alex! Thanks for the note. 👍

[@alexhendrick8288]

Love theses videos!

[@chasselynch5733]

Hobby lobby ivr found some decent priced wire and alcohol markers ,sometimes ostrich hearl

[@gdreilly]

The use of the needle working thread can be used from nymphs. Midge Magic is a great book that gives great patterns that catch lots of fish! Plus they are easy to tie!

[@SavageFlies]

I know George! Someone else recommended that book, or maybe it was you? It's still a bit pricey on Amazon but I've got it in my "To buy someday" list. Thanks for the note. :-)

[@gdreilly]

@@SavageFlies Matt, I know it is but it's worth every cent!

[@handcannon1388]

They are exactly what is called for when making bodies for woven Polish nymphs.

[@gdreilly]

@@SavageFlies I think from what Don told me that it might be out of print. You can get it for kindle from Amazon

[@alexn8345]

I buy feather boas from the dollar tree. They sometimes have them in white which is great to use for various patterns, especially streamers and all sorts of wet flies. They're already half stripped so they're super easy to wrap around a hook. You can dye the white to all sorts of colors as well. They also have black, pink, and greens during specific holidays like st Patrick's, Halloween, or vday. The other thing that they have is the mylar tubing substitute. They have white, orange, yellow, and black which I use along with the feather boa to make minnow patterns. Very effective and will catch a lot of bass. The other thing is beads. They have a 4 pack of glass beads that will last months for a buck. I found one that had a pearl sheen with dark black which works great, along with pink and clear. It's much more manageable than the huge pack at hobby lobby or craft stores. The last thing that I also buy are these jewel stickers in red. I put a little black dot in the middle and I use them for eyes. Also have them in yellow as well. Haven't seen clear ones yet. Thanks for these videos, I will have to checkout the pelt as I love rabbit zonker strips for lots of patterns.

[@SavageFlies]

Alex, thanks for the great comment! Lots of tips in here that other tiers will appreciate. I haven't tried the feather boas from the dollar stores yet, but I'm going to on my next trip. :-)

[@adamredden2007]

My goodness. I just found this man's channel, and watched both of the videos in this great series. I've learned at least as much in the comments. We have a Hobby Lobby, Joanne's, AND a Dollar Tree within a quarter mile of each other. About to hit them up!

[@thelurewasher]

Hobby lobby has Christmas tree tinsel before Christmas and It's virtually the same as flashabou

[@SavageFlies]

Great tip! I picked up a couple of packs at Walmart after Christmas for next to nothing. :-)

[@barbaraemerich1921]

I have found lots of stuff at craft stores also thrift store too!!

[@ThePorpoisepower]

I've made wooly buggers with shiny pipe cleaners for the body instead of dubbing/chenille.

[@SavageFlies]

Cool! Where did you get pipe cleaners small enough that it didn't look too bulky?

[@tadpole53]

I spin yarn and a lot of things that you can add into yarn are similar if not the same thing as what you use to tie flies. I kept looking at the fly supplies every time I went to the hunting store with my boyfriend, and today I decided to get my first fly tying kit 👀 I have no idea how to fly fish but I really want to try making them 🤣

[@SavageFlies]

That's great to hear! I hope you stick with it as it can be a really fun hobby. :-)

[@tadpole53]

@@SavageFlies My dad gave my a bunch of his old fly tying stuff to use and I'm learning now with your tutorials! 😁

[@nickvargasfishinfool9612]

He embroidery thread can be twisted then laid on top of itself for a really quick and easy twisted worm body.

[@SavageFlies]

Great tip Nick! Thanks for the note. 👍

[@crittertrapper7657]

Embroidery thread makes great floss, single or all strands depending on hook size.

[@SavageFlies]

You're absolutely right! My wife just gave me a couple dozen of packs she didn't need and I've made some slick bodies with it. Thanks for the note. :-)

[@alexbutler6147]

You can use the small poms to make salmon egg patterns

[@jameswallace772]

I like supporting my local fly shop 1st still ,some cool stuff in craft stores though .

[@SavageFlies]

Same here James. And I certainly buy enough from online fly shops as well! But I hate to see someone not get into tying because it's too expensive. Thanks for the note my friend.

[@davidmcnicholas5941]

The small pom poms he shows in this video… I make glow bugs / imitation eggs with them. Simply use super sharp barbless hooks, pierce the pom pom right near the center, build a thread dam in front of & in back of the pom pom on the hook shank, - then hit the thread dams with Zap -a - gap…Ive been doing this for over 10 years.

[@SavageFlies]

Great tip David! That sounds like an easy way to make egg patterns. I'm definitely going to give it a shot. Thanks for the note. :-)

[@krissyverstad6204]

Hi Matt, in your first version of this I believe I mentioned 'jewler's wire" or something for articulated streamers. That was a bad description. What I was referring to is actually called 'bead stringing wire.' The brand Beadalon makes a stainless multistrand wire in various gauges. If you haven't tried it, this product is great for articulated streamers. Thanks.

[@SavageFlies]

I do recall that Kris! Thanks for the clarification. I’ll definitely keep that in mind. 👍

[@Three_Rivers_Adventure]

The puff balls in small I use for steelhead egg patterns and egg sucking leeches

[@wdtaut5650]

I found a package of small corks just the right size for bluegill poppers.

[@Hunter711pa]

I can’t remember which craft store it was but it was one of the big names I found UV resin. It was half the cost of fly tying resin for twice as much and I use it all the time very good quality.

[@SavageFlies]

Wow, that would be a great find! UV resin is kind of pricey, even from non-fly shops. Thanks for the note David.

[@icefisher1171]

If you remember that store, let us know please. Thanks.

[@Hunter711pa]

Kyle I remember that Uv resin was from Michaels the brand is blue moon studios it called uv resin craft hard type.

[@icefisher1171]

@@Hunter711pa Thanks. I don't believe we have that store around here, but I'll check the ones we do have.

[@thomaswalls123]

I need to get to the craft store more.

[@SavageFlies]

Oh yeah Thomas. You can definitely find some useful materials.

[@chipblanton753]

Thanks Matt . Great video as usual. Have you ever tied a Speck Wet Fly ? I’ve done a few and watched Walter Babb tie them, but I would love to see a video sometime.

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Chip! I have tied a Speck wet fly, and use it from time to time here in Maryland. Is the one you're talking about a deer hair body? That's the one I'm thinking of. If so, I'll add it to my to-do list. Thanks for the note. :-)

[@chipblanton753]

@@SavageFlies yes Matt that’s the one I am thinking of. Thank you

[@PENFOLD1962]

What about the crazy coloured Wigs and Feather Boas from the FANCY DRESS SHOPS!

[@rossrichards5936]

Another suggestion. I use generic UV resin that I purchased from Amazon. I got 200 grams for $20. It works great! Sometimes a little tacky but I blame my UV light. If I place it in the sunlight it dries hard.

[@SavageFlies]

That's a great tip Ross. I'm going to have to check this out and give it a try. I use UV resin a lot, but wow, I think 200g would last forever. I just looked it up, and my tubes are 20 ml, which for water is 20g. So this would be close to 10 times the amount. And I think I've been using that same 20 ml of resin for a couple years now!

[@jimmyanderson2144]

Matt could u tell me exactly what materials u used to make the craft fur fly it is a very beautiful fly well done

[@joshh6227]

Glad to see you guys support your local fly shops….

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Josh. Most everyone I know from the channel does support their local fly shop. And if they dont have a local shop, they at least support online fly shops. (I actually give out gift cards to J. Stockard most every month on here.)

[@kalikasurf]

This really is perfect for the newer guys!!! No reason to buy a 60 dollar hackle saddle only to end up being too embarrassed to show your buddies the monstrosity you made… Any fish that would be dumb enough to have eaten some of my early flies deserved to be eaten and taken out of the gene pool!!! Plus there’s the added benefit that it’s a cheap way to experiment in making the next ‘one cast fish getter’!

[@SavageFlies]

You're exactly right Eddie! I've tied plenty of monstrosities in my day. In fact, I've probably tied a few as recent as the last couple of months. Experimenting is all part of the fun. :-)

[@markmartinak2089]

I went to Garage sales or Is goodwill store I found a Coat made out of rabbit And you can find hats with feathers And most of the stuff is cheap

[@SavageFlies]

That's a great idea Mark! I have never even thought of looking for fur coats at thrift stores. I'm definitely going to now. :-)

[@alpobc1]

DMC embroidery floss can be separated, I think there are 6 strands. Individual strands are for fine detail work in embroidery/cross stitching.

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Al! I learned that recently when my wife gave me some. She actually gave me some metallic kind, that the main strand would separate into three strands, and each of those would also separate into three strands.

[@alpobc1]

@@SavageFlies I'm not sure if all colours are colourfast. Reds, purples and blues particularly.

[@RackCrossStudio]

Like #1K 👍🏻

[@briansimpson6681]

I have 4 dogs and 2 cats and a lifetime supply of material. My Olly fur copper bead leach made by my Bernese mountain dog Oliver AKA Bubba is absolutely deadly.......

[@seanbrennan3824]

Have any recommendations for scud back/ nymph skin materials?

[@MayheM_72]

When I got my fly tying kit for Christmas 2020, I find myself looking everywhere for tying materials. I got my first batch of feathers, thread, yarn, and foam from Michael's. I basically tried to stay with natural colors (olive, tans, browns, Grey's, etc). I made my own dubbing with yarn and a pet hair brush. I use a pool noodle and a metal tube to punch out my own foam popper bodies. I have recycled automotive wiring looms for copper wire. My next door neighbor is a big time hunter, and I've been asking for fur and feathers from any game he gets. One of my coworkers has an African Grey parrot, and if he drops any feathers, he's supposed to bring them in. Would that be considered an "exotic" material?

[@SavageFlies]

We've all been there my friend! I find myself noticing all kinds of things I could use for materials. Just recently I discovered a new potential body material. You know those red or orange mesh bags fruit comes in? I saved my last bag and am dreaming up something I could make with it. :-)

[@marksleeper9385]

Hi Matt , I have and we don't have many left

[@dillon4903]

I am brand new to tying flies and fly fishing altogether, and maybe this is a dumb question, but can you use regular craft thread when making flies? I don't have any fly shops near by and am looking for some more colors. Also, can you use regular superglue instead of head cement? Any advice is much appreciated.

[@SavageFlies]

These are perfectly reasonable questions Dillon! We've all wondered them. :-) As for Superglue, yes you can finish a fly's head with it but it won't be as pretty as varnish or UV resin. But it won't take as much either. You just put a little bit of Superglue on the thread and put a few wraps around the head, and then whip finish over the glue. That will give you a pretty durable head. As for regular sewing thread, it doesn't really work that well for tying. Most threads you might get at a sewing store, or a place like Walmart, are made of cotton which just isn't strong enough to really bind the materials down. While you can get lots of materials from craft stores, thread is the one thing you'll probably need to get that is specifically for fly tying. But it doesn't have to be expensive. Tigofly has some on Amazon that's about $10 for a dozen spools so that ends up being less than a buck a spool. A pretty good deal for some decent thread. Check it out here: amzn.to/4b29vY4 And welcome to the sport my friend!

[@dillon4903]

@@SavageFlies Thank you for the reply! I wasn't expecting such a quick response from an older video, very much appreciated! Great advice too, I will definitely use that link, thank you!

[@dennisdudley4936]

Put salt in the water with the material and let it set and the color will not leach out.

[@handcannon1388]

Many of they places have bags of wiggle eyes quite cheap.

[@SavageFlies]

Great call! I have seen those in the "doll" section I think. :-)

[@dill3056]

to me, using urban materials/craft supplies for fly tying is a sub art form of the art of fly tying

[@SavageFlies]

Definitely is Dill! It can be a lot of fun just playing around with all kinds of crazy materials. :-)

[@keales9564]

Hi,I'm a new tyer, can you use the Christmas tinsel for lateral lines?

[@SavageFlies]

You can certainly use Christmas tree tinsel in fly tying, but usually lateral lines are from something dark, not really reflective and shiny. But yeah, save a handful of tinsel from your tree and use it for ribbing, or bodies of streamers and wets. If it's the width you need, it's pretty much the same stuff we buy on spools from fly shops. :-)

[@keales9564]

@@SavageFlies thank you! I forgot to say I'm tying only saltwater water flies, it's more as a attractant...

[@mariojacob791]

What is the best artificial fly for mullet fishing

[@SavageFlies]

It's hard to catch mullet on a fly rod but there are a few videos on how to fish for them in general out there. Also, I answered this question in more detail when you asked it last week. Please see that answer.

[@wg99er]

Could you use polyester sewing thread for tying? I would imagine so

[@SavageFlies]

I would think so but I imagine it will have even more stretch than nylon would. Which is not necessarily a bad thing, but would just take some getting used to.