Over the past few months, I’ve  given you snippets  from my latest eBook called Selecting Natural Materials. Simply click the icon above

for the complete Deep Dive in to What To Look For & Avoid When Selecting Hair, Fur & Feathers or click the link,  and download today for $7.99.

Otherwise, read on and I’ll recap all of the material covered.

1.  Cherry-Picking Saltwater Capes

2.  Caveat Emptor

3.  Plucking the Perfect Bucktail

4.  Choose Your Zonkers Wisely

5.  Zonker Strip Cutters…Try This at Home

For more information on how  you can improve your own saltwater fly patterns check out my website www.saltyflytying.com or;

• Download our other eBook 
• Subscribe to the monthly newsletter Salty Fly Tying Chronicle .

For a deep dive into the world of saltwater pattern development, look for my new book Feather Brain – How to design better saltwater flies coming next August. You can Pre Order a copy by clicking here.

Thanks for reading!

~Drew

This is the fifth installment of  Selecting Natural Materials which can be downloaded from www.saltyflytying.com

Zonker Strip Cutters are pretty rudimentary tools, basically they are a handle embedded with razor blades spaced to the desired thickness of cut. They are difficult to find in fly tying shops, so most avid fly tyers end up fashioning their own. The process of cutting the skin is a little tricky, and should be approached with an abundance of caution. Obviously when ever you are working with a handful of razor blades it can be a little dangerous if you are not paying attentions.

The easiest way I have found to cut the whole pelts is to secure one end by clamping it between two boards fur side down. Stretch tight the other end with your non dominant hand and slowly drag the razorblades across the skin with your dominate hand.

For the complete Deep Dive in to What To Look For & Avoid When Selecting Hair, Fur & Feathers click the link, or icon to your right and download today for $7.99.

-35 page downloadable pdf. illustrated Read More

This is the forth installment of  Selecting Natural Materials which can be downloaded from www.saltyflytying.com

Zonker strips are thinly cut strips of fur with the tanned skin still attached. They are very popular for saltwater fly patterns thanks to their remarkably fishy action in the water. Soft and supple, their fur seems to comes alive when submersed, and the leather strip magically snakes along as it is drawn through the water. Unlike feathers or bucktails, there are not as many pitfalls or glaring differences between the bags of materials found on the shelfs of your local fly shop. However there are some minor differences that you need to be aware of.

Leather Thickness

As you work with more and more with Zonker style materials, you will start to notice subtle differences in the pliability of the leather. This is due to the slight difference in the leathers thickness. When given the option to compare, I try to choose the Zonker strips with the thinnest leather possible.

For the complete Deep Dive in to What To Look For & Avoid When Selecting Hair, Fur & Feathers click the link, or icon to your right and download today for $7.99.

-35 page downloadable pdf. illustrated Read More