Fly tying is so sophisticated these days, that sometimes it pays to take a step back and really examine the materials we use as we conjure up the next great pattern at the vise.
Take dubbing, for instance. This is the material used in both dry flies and nymphs, generally to craft fly bodies for various patterns meant to imitate anything from a stonefly nymph to Blue-winged Olive dry fly.
Above, Tim Flagler of Tightline Productions walks us through the various natural dubbing materials, and which materials are best used for dry flies and which are best for nymphs.
It’s a good primer, and one worth checking out, if for no other reason than to ensure that you’re using the right dubbing material for the flies you’re tying.