The materials used in the tying of flies for the "Salt" are basically the same as in any other area of tying in that we use natural and synthetic materials. Some of the materials can be used in numerous areas of tying, such as squirrel tail, buck tail, calf tail and the like but other materials are not applicable for the tying of saltwater flies. Such a case would be a Dry Fly Neck. While some of the feathers might have a use, it is a waste to spend the money for a dry fly neck when you actually need a different type of neck.
I have an article that I did some years back on my web site that gives photos of some of the various materials with a small write up about each of them. To see this article go to:
http://www.branhamssaltwaterflytying.com/flytying/knowledgebase/materials.asp
What used to be considered an undesirable neck for just about anything is now highly sought for the tying of saltwater flies. These necks and saddles had wide, stiff, long and very webby feathers. They were of little use in the trout area except for some of the smaller feathers that were used on wet flies. The same can be said for the saddle hackles.
You can generally get a neck or saddle that is considered "Bass" or "Saltwater" grade. For the most part, these necks and saddles will do nicely for saltwater flies.
Whiting Farms has and continues to develop a line of necks and saddles for saltwater. These are their "American Hackle" line of necks and saddles and are available in most natural colors as well as dyed colors.
Capon necks and saddles are excellent for saltwater flies. A capon is a rooster that has been neutered and grows fast and has wide, dense and stiff feathers. For the most part, grizzly (natural and dyed) Capon necks are more readily available than other natural and dyed colors.
Depending on what type of flies that you will be tying, you might consider buying neck hackle that is strung. These feathers are perfect for flies requiring larger neck feathers such as tarpon flies. By buying the neck hackles "Strung" you get exactly what you need without the expense of a neck with feathers that you will not use. You can also do the same with saddle hackles.
I have not found a good source for strung Grizzly neck hackle or Saddles so I buy necks and Saddle Patches. I use the smaller feathers for smaller flies as Grizzly is one of the more used feathers in the "Salt".
Marabou is an excellent material for use on saltwater flies. It has excellent movement in the water and it readily absorbs water, helping to make the fly sink faster. I like to use the longer plumes that have a lot of fluff. Marabou can be tied on several ways, depending on the pattern you are tying. You can tie on a full plume and remove the tip or you can palmer the plume.
Recently, I have started to palmer the marabou plume on some of my patterns. By palmering the marabou, you get a more natural look (the tips are not aligned and end abruptly) and it adds to the profile of the pattern that I am tying.
Cree necks and saddles have a lot of use in the "Salt" but they are getting harder and harder to find so a Red Variant is an acceptable substitute.
Buck Tail is used on numerous patterns. You will need to select tails that are not greasy and have long and straight hair. Generally the upper half to 2/3 of the tail can be used for flies that sink. The lower part of the tail contains hair that is hollower and tends to flare and not readily absorb water. That is not to say that this section of the tail has no use, as it can be used to add bulk, large profiles and for keeping the fly on or near the surface. The finer the hair, the better it is for these flies.
Calf Tail is another natural material that has a lot of use in the "Salt". It is the primary material for wings on bonefish flies and is used on small Deceivers and even small Clouser Minnows and tarpon flies.
You will want tails that are not greasy and have long and straight hair. The ones that have short and curly hair are not really good choices for saltwater flies.
Squirrel Tails are another material that has applications in the "Salt". Most of the patterns you see using this material are the Stu Apte series of Tarpon Flies but you can use squirrel tail for wings on various flies and to add effects to such patterns as Deceivers.
Deer Hair, Sculpin Wool and Rabbit Strips are also used frequently in the tying of saltwater flies.
Deer Hair is mainly used for crab bodies and baitfish type flies. The wool is used for crab bodies and making various baitfish bodies. Rabbit Strips are used for tails and collars on various patterns. Use the standard cut strips for tails but use the cross cut strips for collars on your flies.
Numerous other natural materials are used in the tying of flies for saltwater and they are too numerous to list. Just keep this thought in mind - Use and experiment with various natural materials to see what happens.
Recently there has been a huge influx of synthetic materials on the fly tying scene. It is hard for me to keep up with all of them, much less try them all to see what I can come up with. I receive numerous samples and as time permits, I play around with them to see what types of flies that I can come up with.
I will not attempt to list all of the synthetic materials that are available but I will mention a few that are extremely popular and some that I have that have just come on the market.
Various types of flash materials have been incorporated into saltwater flies. Speaking generically, they are crystal flash and flash a bou. Numerous companies market this type of material under various names but it is all basically the same.
There are all sorts of materials used for winging, tailing and bodies on flies that are not necessarily unique to saltwater. Craft Fur is an excellent material for wings and bodies. There is Polar Fiber, Polar Fur, DNA Products and the list goes on and on.
About the only thing I can say for certain about any of these materials is; that there is a place for them but you wil have to decide how to use them.
I received a large packet of materials from Pacific Leisure Products. They manufacturer the DNA line of synthetics and, while I have not had a chance to play around with them, I can tell that they have a great potential for baitfish and minnow type patterns. They manufacture the DNA Powder Fish Fiber: a very fine fiber that looks to be excellent for winging and tailing saltwater flies and seems to be a good material for small baitfish imitations. DNA Holo Fusion is a blend of the Holo Chromosome Flash and other DNA fibers giving a semi transparent tone and emits just the right amount of glimmer without a glare. DNA Holo Chromosome Flash is a high effective supported Mylar in a pearlescent finish. This material emits flash that is not too bright but still retains a translucency that enables it to be blended with other fibers. DNA Frosty Fish Fiber is a material that changes tones depending on the amount of light hitting the material.
Eyes are another material that has been gaining use in the "Salt". While bead chain and the lead Bar Bell eyes continue to have a lot of use, several companies now have non toxic bar bell eyes, cone heads and eyes that accept the stick on eyes, either tape of molded 3D. Some of the eyes even have irises and pupils that are guaranteed to not chip, peel or come off.
Stu Dickens of Bestco Enterprises has sent me numerous samples of his eyes, Jiggy Heads, Krystal Eyes and Krystal Jiggy Heads. The Jiggy Heads come in an oval and round and have really impressed me. The Krystal line has eyes already on them and they have a crystal powder mixed with them and makes for some very nice effects.
The Jiggy Cone Heads come with a machined recess for accepting the stick on eyes.
Stu is an old time fly tyer and has really spent some time and effort in developing this line of eyes and heads. You can see his full line of products at http://www.eyesforflies.com.
To sum all of this up, most materials have a place in saltwater with some more than others. Do not exclude any material that is used for other areas of tying for use in the "Salt". You can never tell when you might come up with a very effective pattern using some material that is not currently used.
Fly tying is supposed to be fun and part of the fun is experimenting and trying various tying techniques and adapt them from one area of tying to another.
Have fun, enjoy your tying and EXPERIMENT.
Joe Branham
Joe Branham is one of the world''s best saltwater fly tiers, and his remarkable career has earned him the respect and admiration of his fly tying peers.
"Joe Branham, a professional fly-tier/friend from Georgia, who ties more flies in a week than most of us do in a year, sent me some terrific information on the tricks involved in using epoxy. The following are his suggestions. If you run into Joe, you can shake his hand for helping solve your tying problems."
- Lefty Kreh
"... the best of our contemporary saltwater tiers such as Bob Popovics, Joe Branham, Bill and Kate Howe, Terry Baird, Richard Stoll, Ralph Kanz, and Bob Johns, to name a few, produce results both dazzlingly lifelike and effective."
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