How to Shock Macrame Yarn for Fly Tying

Macrame yarn fibers are particularly well-suited to creating the elongated wing/body that streamer flies use to create the illusion of a minnowlike shape.

The use of macrame yarn in various fly patterns is a relatively new development. This yarn is quite versatile and can be used for tying purposes in cord form, blended as dubbing material or as brushed-out fibers. The yarn is available in an almost endless array of colors and just a small section of macrame cord provides a large amount of tying material.

Things You'll Need

• Braided macrame cord
• Scissors
• Bodkin (sharp needlelike point set in a handle)
• Metal pet comb

Instructions

1. Cut a short (2-5 inches) piece of macrame cord from the larger section of cord.

2. Unravel and separate the braided strands of yarn using the point of the bodkin.

3. Run the teeth of the metal comb through the unraveled macrame strands until the fibers in each of the strands have separated. The fibers should now run more or less parallel to one another.

4. Separate the portion of macrame yarn fibers that you need for the particular fly pattern you are tying. Store the rest of the brushed-out macrame yarn in a sealable plastic storage bag or similar container for future use.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are using the macrame yarn to tie dry flies, you may want to soak the yarn in fly floatant before brushing it out and incorporating it into the fly patterns. The floatant will significantly increase the buoyancy of the yarn.

• A little bit of macrame yarn will usually go a long way in fly tying. Don't use too much yarn on your fly patterns and recognize that a brushed-out section of macrame yarn will usually provide enough material for several flies.

References

• Harrison R. Steeves III, Ed Koch, "Terrestrials - A Modern Approach to Tying and Fishing With Synthetic and Natural Materials, 1994