An Important Add to a Fly Tying Bench

When earlier this week I began anticipating a trip to the Ozark trout ribbon streams, I realized I was down to two San Juan worms. Versus multiple rows of squirmy worms. And most of the ribbon streams as well as winter catch and release at Meramec Springs aren't friendly to the squirmy worm-a worm tied of a rubber material so life like that real worms are jealous of it because they lose their partners to it when I toss it in the water, next to them. The squirmy worm catches more fish than the San Juan worm-a worm tied of fabric chenille. But rules are rules.

Poll a group of fly fishermen and the overwhelming winning color for the San Juan worm is brown, or red. I began digging through my chenille box-surely I had brown chenille, and red chenille. Mr. Always Prepared here, didn't have red chenille. Had the brown, olive, yellow, and a white with flash. All may catch trout, especially the olive, but the focus was brown and red. Still, to make a fly tying session worth it I decided to clip a couple pieces of (bright) yellow shennile, and the white, flashy chenille. Plan was to lightly hit the yellow with brown permanent marker to dull the color, and actually color the white chenille, red. I began testing my color application and noted the white chenille colored well, with the red permanent marker. But it still had that flash to it. My experience told me the trout wouldn't buy it. The brown colored my test piece of yellow chenille too well-turned it brown to match the already brown chenille on hand. Usually not a successful endeavor in the past, trying to color or dye over yellow in this case, I tested saturating the yellow with red permanent marker. Whoa! Now I have as much red chenille as I want!

I use markers primarily to keep from buying every color of tying thread made in the fly fishing industry. But have found it useful for touchups to yarns, feathers, bucktail, etc. The final product San Juan worms here are of the brown chenille that I had, a striped chenille I actually had on hand for insect bodies-I don't think the trout are buying that one-and then the yellow chenille dyed not as heavy handed as my test strip, almost brown with just that hint of yellow. That may be a killer idea! And finally, the yellow chenille colored with red permanent marker. No difference in color compared to the two smaller red San Juans I'm down to, in my fly box inventory.

Frankly, I can't remember all of the improvising I've done with the permanent markers spread out on my tying bench, and in a tying materials storage drawer. The only downside to improvising? It takes 2-3 times longer to tie the fly. Not a big deal if you aren't making flies for income. And I'm retired-I got time to color.