It’s one of those odd-duck materials that fills a need – only the need is ill defined. It’s a warning klaxon to us life long accumulators – we’ve learned the hard way, define the need before reaching for the 6.5 lb bulk spool…
I’ve been struggling with a lucid description for days; it’s akin to the rubberized “snot” that attachs your credit card to it’s stiff paper backing when delivered in the mail. Wrenching the plastic off the paper you’re left with a long swipe of transparent rubbery slime on the back of the card which peels off as a single piece.
If that isn’t awe inspiring I’m not sure what is…
The most recognizable name is Stretch-Magic, available as a bead cord for elastic bracelets and necklaces. It’s the only reason I dared take a chance on a rubbery material – as I’m still smarting over the Latex Craze of the mid-80’s.
If you remember everyone was tying latex flies; peeling the skin off of golf balls and pestering their dentist for Latex Dental Dam – thin sheets of rubbery goodness that made spectacular caddis worms…
… spectacular that season, the next year you opened your fly box to find oxidized fragments and bare hooks. Like everyone else I’d succumbed and had a drawer that looked like the bottom of the potato chip bag after someone sat on it.
I learned a hint of caution around rubbery…
I dropped $2.50 to test a spool, then went to eBay to see what I should’ve paid – found a generic knockoff in Korea for $2.00 for 10 spools, in hot pink. I banged out a dozen Shad flies which were quickly ate – and buoyed by success I scored 8 more colors from China for a total of 99¢.
It’s available in 1mm, 0.8mm, 0.7mm, 0.6mm, and 0.5mm, and is a really tough gelatinous ribbing material. The fiber is round in shape and takes marking pen well, allowing smaller sizes to be used as rubberlegs on nymphs as well as traditional body material. (the flies shown above #8’s using 0.6mm and 0.5mm)
On most patterns I’ll stick a dubbing needle between coils and yank out the underbody. Slick and glassy looks great in a magazine – but I like scruffy and dirty, and have never had much luck on flies that seemed stiff and glossy.
No solid entomology to back my assertion just personal preference.
Whatever is underneath the material will influence the final result, factor the color of the underbody with the color of overlay chosen. On Shad flies I used silver tinsel to turn the body into a glowing pink, the above flies used gray dubbing as the underbody.
I’m working on solving a Damselfly dilemma for next week’s adventure, having a rubbery lifelike material appears to fit that paradigm as well – one of a number of damsel possibilities I’ve got to test.
Me fiddling with the material and it’s success on Shad does not a season make – so be cautious if you purchase some; start with small amounts of black or clear and try it on a few patterns. If it’s intact and remains supple after a year in storage, you may consider buying a few more colors.
Dude, you are endless with your use of cool materials. I used that same stuff about a year ago. I’m sure I can find the fly and tell you the results of the material after a year. I’ll have to find out if I left that fly in the house or the car, because that would make a huge difference.
Direct sunlight is the killer – but many polymers will still oxidize even outside of direct sun – exposure to oxygen is enough.
You’d think a material for bracelets wouldn’t oxidize … so I’m hoping…
stretch magic is nice, though sometimes it can be a bugger when there is too much tension on the hook shank and the cord wants to pull free. I’ve learned a good technique for tying in the cord from an issue of Fly Fisherman mag a few years back. It was probably a tip from whitlock or one of the beattys.
Dang it, I purchased a few spools of d-rib last month. It appears that I was ripped off once again.
Thank you again for passing along your outside the box thinking.
I wonder, do you ever think inside the box?
Best,
Don
Unfortunately, No. I suppose it’s endearing to some – but not many.
I’ve no apology.
OK, I checked out the fly, and it’s intact and looks good. I’ve recalculated the time when I tied that fly, and it was probably over 15 months ago. So, 15 months isn’t bad….of course, i’m not sure if I ever sent it for a swim.
That’s a mighty good sign, I may stick one in the visor of my truck for test purposes. It’ll keep the two year old Angelina company.
I forgot to mention, that when I took it out of the fly box from the van (it was in a dark place spot and saw no sunlight) I then placed it in my car that gets more sunlight, and it’s on the dashboard, so the testing can continue. Good luck!
I am a bit clumsy and its kind of impossible to make such a fly by myself, thats why i use ebay too to find/buy.
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It’s been a month since I put that fly on the dashboard of the car. it’s still just fine!
Mine are still flexible also – I think we may have a winner.