Great new fly tying material

[Lee Haskin]

FYI:

Many of you that come by to see me tie, at the Warm Water Expo, were interested in the new Ceal Fiber (Targus)[ Seel Fiber (Doug's Bugs)], so I thought I would put up some new patterns tied with this great material. :shock:
Unfortunately, the high sheen of this material does not come through very well in the pictures.
These flies are all about 4" long, and could be tied up to about 6" long with this material.


http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b382/LeeH/mackandmulletfliestext.jpg


http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b382/LeeH/mulletanchovy4ea3_07.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b382/LeeH/alftypeweb.jpg

I will have tutorials for these patterns soon.

Cheers,
Lee

[Hairstacker]

Wow Lee, those look REALLY nice! I'm definitely looking forward to your tutorials.

[Darian]

Hi Lee,.... Could you indicate the difference(s) between the new material and, say...., Polar Fiber or the fiber you used in creating the Neutralizer :?: :?: :?:

[Steve Potter]

Lee-
Nice presentation last night at our club meeting!!
Be sure to post when that material is avaiable. Its
mighty fishy looking stuff!! I always learn something
new watching you tie. Outstanding night.
Later
Steve

[Terry Thomas]

How would you compare it to EP fiber?

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Terry,

We just got some samples from Doug's Bugs if you want to try it.

Those are good looking flies Lee.

[Lee Haskin]

Hey Dorian,

The material used for the Neutralizer is craft fur. It is made using a backing material and has fibers of different lengths. It is limited to about 2-3" flies, but makes a naturally tapered body. It has no sheen. It is a perfect material for smaller flies, especially when you want to have a soft "maribou look".

Cearl Fiber is primarily designed for larger, saltwater type patterns.

Ceal Fiber is formed in a long "hank", or rope-like section. ALL the fibers are 6" long, and they are formed randomly within the "hank". This means that when you grab a bunch of material from the blunt, cut end and pull, you end up separating the fibers so that some remain and some are pulled free, leaving you with a perfect taper, with no need to shape or cut the fibers to form a natural body. The flies above were not shaped or cut in any way. This material has a very high sheen, and comes in 2 "weights" or deniers:123 & 125.
It is somewhat soft and flexible, and seems to "swim" naturally, yet is stiff enough to avoid tail-wrapping. :(

I must admit that this material is very new and I have had only a few opportunities to fish with it. Time will tell, whether or not is proves fishy or not. The initial reaction and appearance is incredible. :shock:

Most of the materials out there, that are similar, are linear; meaning that the fibers are all the same length. This makes them difficult to shape, and somewhat un-natural in the water.

Perhaps some guys that have watched me tie with Ceal Fiber will chime in with their reaction. :?:

I'm sure that Bill, and other shops, will be getting some in to try.

I hope this helps.

Cheers,
Lee

[Lee Haskin]

Hi Terry,

The fibers are much different that EP fibers. They are finer, and not as stiff. They tend to make a fuller looking fly, if that makes sense, and I think they "swim" more naturally than EP fibers.
One of my complaints with EP fibers is that when you catch a fish it takes some effort to untangle the fly, and you really need a comb to smooth the fibers.
This material might need some care after it is mauled by a fish. That might be an issue as well. Time will tell if Ceal Fiber will satisfy our criteria for "good material". Certainly, tying with this material is far superior to anything I've used for big flies.

Another benifit to this material is that it conforms to the Gary Borger "Color Match" system, and will be available in dozens of "fishy colors". This means you can blend similar colors, creating a darker front portion, as I have done in these pattterns. Most have at least 3 shades of the general color, added in one on top of the other.

Here is another fly that is tied with Ceal Fiber:

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b382/LeeH/SardinaFlyweb.jpg

Give it a try and let us all know how you like it! :wink:

Cheers,
Lee