Custom Dubbing Hack

As fly tiers, we are all artists in our own right.  We take a certain pride in making flies and catching fish on our personal creations. Initially, we begin following recipes that someone else says works or that look interesting to us.  we begin getting comfortable at the vice, we begin adding elements to our flies to solve fishing challenges and our creative side takes over. Just catching a fish on a fly that we tied is no longer enough. We want our flies to look good to us, and soon start adding our own flair to each pattern. Many seasoned tiers eventually develop their own styles that become easily recognizable.

Being limited to the dubbing that the commercial world of fly tying makes available to us limits our creativity and our ability to solve problems and create perfect flies. There are many ways to mix dubbing using coffee grinders and even compressed air, this is one of our favorite methods that uses water and thoroughly mixes every fiber. The result is a virtual endless palette of colors and a which the guard hairs are well blended with underbody fur. The next time you can’t find just the right dubbing, give it a try.