Sure I was moving a little fast for my own good, but I was convinced I’d discovered the Holy Grail of Cloisonné (klaus-un-nay), that multifilament braided mylar tinsel we’ve adopted for steelhead flies. It is great stuff, available in silver and gold, never tarnishes and was a fly tier’s dream compared to all the thread-cored mylar tinsels of recent manufacture.

My $39.95 covered a lifetime supply plus postage from Asia.

… Oh, it’s a lifetime supply sure enough, only I missed the yarn sizing and wound up with 45000 yards each of Dark Olive and Pearlescent superfine tinsel-thread…

… that’s eighteen miles of each color.

Now I’ve got to figure something that uses a ^%$# ton of it.

It runs contrary to my ethics to invent a couple dozen patented killers, then claim how much of a favor I’m doing you by selling you some teensy dust mote of the stuff … the fly shops have plowed that ground thoroughly.

But it does represent the last unspeakable variant of fly tying creativity, the collision of Imagination and Desperation. Us “scroungers” have been here many times and can only be thankful it’s not a full Bull Elk hide dripping in my driveway.

It’s too wide and breaks too easily to use as thread, but it would lend itself to being doubled over and used to replace all the other pearlescent components we’ve accumulated over the last couple of years. I could make a spun round tinsel, shellbacks for nymphs, wingcases, Easter basket dressing …

… or I could tie the entire blessed imitation out of the stuff and hope for the best.

It’s dry, doesn’t stink, and can be stashed away from prying feminine eyes eager to pounce on my mistakes (after the obligatory lecture or two).

Trout flies come to mind and I managed to burn a foot building the little mayfly nymph above … 149,000 more and I’ll wish I’d bought two cones instead of the single …

I prefer the term unrepentant – society locks up those other fellows.

Tags: mylar thread, bulk fly tying materials, ice yarns, Turkey, mayfly nymph, Cloisonné, tinsel, fly tying