Honey Bug Material

[Foxgap239]

Does anyone know where I can get some 4 stranded cotton chenille? I dye it up myself so I am perferrably looking for white. I can find 2 strand but I prefer 4. Yes, I know I can double it up but the flies don't look the same or as good.

 

[CathyG]

bigmeadowsflyshop.com

 

[beeber2]

+1

Get if from Sandfly at bigmeadowsflyshop.com

 

[JohnnyUtah]

Sounds like you tie a lot of honey bugs. I dont know what of deals sandfly can do for you. But you can get the stuff in bulk on the big e auction site.

 

[beadhead2]

The real deal
http://bigmeadowsflyshop.com/

 

[shakey]

i'd love to see a picture of a honeybug .i don't know how it differs from a green weenie

 

[afishinado]

shakey wrote:
i'd love to see a picture of a honeybug .i don't know how it differs from a green weenie

Sandy has you covered:

http://bigmeadowsflyshop.com/Honey_Bug_Page.html

HTH

 

[JohnnyUtah]

Honeybug- cotton chenille
Green weenie- Rayon chenille.

honey has tags, weenie has a loop.

 

[Foxgap239]

As a point of full disclosure, I use honey bug material to tie flies other than honey bugs. I only use honey bugs as sucker spawn and don't really tie too many of them. When I tie them I use pale yellow with red thread and I use no tag or loop. I tie something that I call an inchworm with this material that I dye green. I tie hundreds a year because I tie for me and all my friends. People tell me I'm tying a green weenie but to Mr. Utah's point, a weenie has a loop but I use no loop. I also tie it much bigger than green weenie's I've seen used.

 

[gfen]

shakey wrote:
i'd love to see a picture of a honeybug .i don't know how it differs from a green weenie

All aside from tails, no tails, strands, and "translucency of cotton in water," well, the truth of the matter is tradition is tradition.

You're the sort of guy who I think gets that pretty well. Its a honey bug.

In addition to Sandfly's page, someone once sent me the original Honey Bug flyer.

If you PM me your address, I can email it. It would appear I cannot link it as a file to this post, but between that and Sandy's original material, you can be delightfully oldschool PA fishin' in no time.

FWIW, I received some of this in green from the Little Lehigh Fly Shop before it closed out. Its not the usual chenille, and I don't profess to know or care the difference between the stuff you buy in skein from the Internet and Sandy's stash, but this is a far cry from off the shelf rayon chenille. Sandy's samples seem to match up with mine quite nicely.

Frankly, this thread makes me inspired to order some as I only have the thicker one, and its just too much for the size flies I like to use.

 

[sandfly]

the cottin chenille on "E" is not honey bug material, has to be honey bug to get the wet look just right. what ever the properties are, it has never been copied...

 

[JohnnyUtah]

Sorry to burst bubbles and I dont mean to ruin anything sandfly has going but cotton chenille is cotton chenille. There are no textile materials made for fly tying specifically.

The gentleman that started the thread asked for a source for cotton chenille. I dont think you'll be pulling the wool over his eyes.

Sandfly, You offer a great product with lots of color options.

I recommend to anyone who wants a variety of colors or just a couple of cards to use your product.

 

[Heritage-Angler]

Foxgap - Several years ago, there was a discussion here about honeybugs, and the "inventor" of the honeybug. That would be the late Paul Berger. I used to list my email address in my profile, and I actually got several emails from Paul Berger's nephew. Nice guy.

The honeybug inchworm is a pattern that Don Douple came up with. He used the 4 strand stuff to dye his own material. The original color was Rit neon green. This dye is still available, but only in bulk, not the little boxes or bottles commonly found in stores.

If you want a skein of the undyed yarn, sandfly can get you one (got ya covered, Bob). Unless Hille's gets going again, sandfly is the only source that I know of for the original material.

 

[Foxgap239]

Don Douple taught me everything I know about fishing and tying. I still fish with him as much as I and he can although his health is not good. Yes, you are exactly right. I want to find a skein of 4 strand to dye it neon green. You cannot actually buy neon green any longer in RIT packs and I had to go on the internet and find a pound jar. I think Don bought dozens of packs when he heard they were discontinuing it. If someone has a skein, please PM me and we can work out a deal. Thanks everyone.

 

[gfen]

JohnnyUtah wrote:
Sorry to burst bubbles and I dont mean to ruin anything sandfly has going but cotton chenille is cotton chenille. There are no textile materials made for fly tying specifically.

The gentleman that started the thread asked for a source for cotton chenille. I dont think you'll be pulling the wool over his eyes.

Actually, he asked for "Honey Bug material," which one can only presume means the original stuff. For better or worse, niche products come and go, not unlike the Lafontaine called for sparkle yarn which is gone. Does regular yarn work as well? Maybe, but there's people who swear by the real stuff.

You want the real stuff, it would appear Sandfly has a stock. So do, or did, other shops here and there. Cotton chenille might be just as good, or maybe not.

Sometimes the magic is in believing.

Kinda like your fancy fly, eh? "No one uses my material but me!" Hopefully when you're dead and gone the last few cats who knew you will furtively trade whatever your secret stuff is in the shadows of the local fly shop backroom proclaiming it to truly be the magic, while outfront someone blows hard about how you can just use any old plastic bag etc?

-shrug-

 

[JohnnyUtah]

Actually, he asked for "Honey Bug material," which one can only presume means the original stuff. For better or worse, niche products come and go, not unlike the Lafontaine called for sparkle yarn which is gone. Does regular yarn work as well? Maybe, but there's people who swear by the real stuff. You want the real stuff, it would appear Sandfly has a stock. So do, or did, other shops here and there. Cotton chenille might be just as good, or maybe not. Sometimes the magic is in believing. Kinda like your fancy fly, eh? "No one uses my material but me!" Hopefully when you're dead and gone the last few cats who knew you will furtively trade whatever your secret stuff is in the shadows of the local fly shop backroom proclaiming it to truly be the magic, while outfront someone blows hard about how you can just use any old plastic bag etc? -shrug-

Lafontaine sparkle yarn is antron yarn. If you cant find that then I dont know what to tell you. There never was such a thing as sparkle yarn. That is a name Gary gave the yarn. The yarns he used are gone but the material in the yarn is not gone. Perhaps you should watch tying caddis flies with Jack Dennis, Gary Lafontaine and Mike Lawson. Then you can hear it right from Gary's mouth. If you want the same thing Gary used then mix clear antron with your color you desire. This is how the yarns were composed.


Now chadwhicks 477... Thats gone.

Sandfly have you looked into Cotton/rayon chenille? It was made around the time the honey bug was developed. Its not to common of a material still made. However it is still made. Look for a cotton acrylic chenille. They were also producing a cotton antron chenille at the time as well.... Now that blend is a good luck. But with some digging im sure it could be turned up.

 

[Foxgap239]

For those of you looking for the true "sparkle yarn" that Gary wrote about, I do believe it is still available from Gary's website. http://www.thebookmailer.com/Supplies/SparkleYarn.html.

God rest his soul and I hope he found some great streams to fish in his new world. I loved his books even though I disagree with some of his theories.

 

[sandfly]

The original antron was bought up by a supplier...but is still available. Also the correct hare's ear is still around too. Not the rabbit dubbing most shops carry but the Hare's ear that started it all..theres a difference between rabbit and Hare..

 

[JohnnyUtah]

Oh you guys are priceless. Thanks for the humor.

 

[sandfly]

you make us laugh...thanks