Uni-Stretch/Nylon-Stretch Alternative

I found this tip while surfing on the world wide web, so its not my idea and lay no claims to it!

Uni-Stretch/Nylon-Stretch comes spooled on the standard sized bobbins and costs about $1 for 30 yards.

The alternative I found during that surfing trip is a product called "Wooly Nylon" and costs about $3 for 1000 meter bobbins or $3 for 1093.61 yards (I'll let you do the math). "Woolly Nylon" is used in the garment industry for rolled hems and edges, ruffles, swimwear, aerobic wear, kids clothes, knits and lingerie.

This material works great for

Caddis Larva

Streamer Bodies

Soft Hackles

This material can be used for an under body filler to build up fatter fly bodies.

You can use your favorite marker and on the thread itself or after the body has been wrapped. The caddis larva was coated with an apple green Sharpie marker, followed by a coat of bug bond and the sally hansens

Not everybody is going to use this material or even use Uni-Stretch/Nylon-Stretch but at least there alternatives to use.

One more alternative is a tread called "Bulky Nylon" which is approximately the same as "Wooly Nylon" but slightly thinner. "Bulky Nylon" can be purchased at Joann Fabrics stores. This product also is 1000 meters long and comes in a rainbow of colors.

Wolly Nylon was bought on amazon.com

Thanks for looking

Direction of your tips

In order to minimize handling the material or misalignment of the material, always point the tips of the material in the direction they are going to be applied to the hook

Example

If I am tying in hair for the wing, I want the tips to come out of the stacker pointing in the direction of bend

If I were to tie a hair wing for let's say a Royal Wulff, I want the tips to come out of the stacker in the direction of the hook eye

I used the same hair for this example, but you get the idea

Using the methods above eliminates the need to turn the hair around in your fingers and making a mess out of the hair or whatever material you used. 

This method can also be used with wood duck, hackle fibers, calf tail etc.

Even if you don't use a hair stacker this method still applies

Hope this isn't confusing

Thanks for looking

Reuben R Cross Bucktails

Beaverkill

Hook - Mustad 3665A or equivalent

Thread - Black

Ribbing - Flat silver tinsel

Body - White wool

Throat - White bucktail

Wing - Black bucktail

Catskill

Hook - Mustad 3665A or equivalent

Thread - Black

Ribbing - Flat silver tinsel

Body - Red wool

Throat - White bucktail

Wing - Brown bucktail (Outside brown hairs of a white bucktail)

Jack Schwinn

Hook - Mustad 3665A or equivalent

Thread - Black

Ribbing - Flat gold tinsel

Body - Orange wool

Throat - Yellow bucktail

Wing - Brown bucktail (Outside brown hairs of a yellow bucktail)

Ken Lockwood

Hook - Mustad 3665A or equivalent

Thread - Black

Ribbing - Flat silver tinsel

Body - Red wool

Throat - White bucktail

Wing - Black bucktail 

Ray Arden

Hook - Mustad 3665A or equivalent

Thread - Black

Ribbing - Flat silver tinsel

Body - Red wool

Throat - White bucktail

Sides - A few black bucktail hairs

Wing - Brown bucktail (Outside brown hairs of a white bucktail) 

Reference

All recipes per the description in the book

Head Cement in Your Hook Eyes

Don't despair! Use this age-old technique for clearing them out. Take an old, discarded feather and simply draw the feather through the clogged-up hook eye to remove any wet head cement.

Thanks for looking