As fly tying materials become more
expensive, fly tiers have become much more innovative in the materials that
they are now tying with. Today when
shopping for materials, a fly tier is just as likely to go to a craft store or
supply store as he is his local fly shop.
One atypical material that has become more present
in many of my own flies is the needlepoint material Kreinik. Kreinik is a braided cord that comes in a
variety of sizes and finishes, and close to a hundred fishy colors. It has a number of practical uses, including
bodies on streamers, wingcases, shucks, midge bodies, wings, etc. The possibilities are endless. Virginia
fly tier extraordinaire, Harrison Steeves, originally popularized the
material. His excellent book,
"Tying Flies with Furs, Feathers and Foam," illustrates a number of
successful patterns that utilize it.
If you are interested in purchasing
Kreinik braids, ask about them at local craft stores such as Michaels or Hobby
Lobby, or even a store devoted strictly to sewing and embroidery. As Kreinik is becoming a more mainstream
tying material, a few fly shops are beginning to carry a sampling of their
products. You can also visit their
website at www.kreinik.com to view their full product line.
My favorite use for Kreinik is in
terrestrials, especially beetles and ants.
The following patterns demonstrate a number of my favorite uses for
Kreinik.
Kreinik Sparkle Beetle
Hook: Tiemco 100 #14-18
Thread: black 8/0
Wingcase: Kreinik 1/8-inch-wide flat braid, black, #005HL
Overbody: black foam
Underbody: Kreinik fine round braid, chartreuse, #015
Wings: Kreinik 1/8-inch-wide flat braid, confetti, #034;
tied in facing rear, frayed w/ needle, divided into two equal clumps, wingcase
is tied down in between
Indicator (optional): yellow foam
Firefly
Hook: Tiemco 102Y #11-19
Thread: black 8/0
Wingcase: Kreinik 1/8-inch-wide flat braid, black, #005HL
Overbody: black foam
Butt: Kreinik medium round braid, glow-in-the-dark Lemon
Lime, #054F
Body: peacock herl
Wings: Kreinik 1/8-inch-wide flat ribbon, mallard, #850;
tied in the same as the wings on the Sparkle Beetle
Kreinik Ant
Hook: Tiemco 100 #14-20
Thread: black 8/0
Wingcase: Kreinik 1/8-inch-wide flat braid, black, #005HL
Abdomen: black dubbing
Wings: white Z-Lon or poly yarn
Legs: frayed wingcase split in X fashion
Head: same as abdomen
Kreinik Slumpbuster
Hook: Tiemco 5262 #4-8
Weight: medium conehead and ten to fifteen wraps of .025
lead wire
Thread: black 6/0
Rib: chartreuse Ultra-Wire, brassie size
Body: Kreinik 1/8-inch-wide flat braid, confetti, #034
Wing and collar: zonker strip
K-Midge
Hook: Tiemco 2488 #18-22
Thread: black 10/0
Rib: small Ultra-Wire
Body: one strand of Kreinik 1/8-inch-wide flat braid, black,
#005HL
Wing/wingcase: CDC
Thorax: black dubbing
Bio Pending.