Fly tying: How to hide your weight.

As a woman, when you gain a little weight you have 3 options:

1. You can lose it.
2. You can just deal with it and not do a thing.
3. You can buy one of those horrific sucker-inner-things that make you look 10,000 times thinner but make you cry trying to imagine how to pee out of it.

And your poor fly has to worry about the same thing. Well, not the peeing part.

You have 3 choices when tying your fly:

1. It can lose the weight and sacrifice action.
2. It can stay big and bulky and sacrifice appearance.
3. You as a fly tyer can conceal the weight.

Here are my favorite techniques to conceal weight in a fly without sacrificing appearance, or running up a Nordstrom card on some fly spanx.

1. Soft tungsten strips.

I love these things.

They can be cut in all shapes and strip sizes, and they provide a customizable amount of weight.

They can be tied in easier than lead wire, as they "smoosh" down better and don't result in a dramatic ridge where they begin.

They provide a great amount of weight in a small piece, and counterbalance flies quite easily.

As shown in this fly, you can easily add Spirit River Sof-Tungsten Strands to the body without adding any bulk at all.

2. Tungsten UV cured powder.

I have a love/hate relationship with Loon Tungsten Powder.

I love how easy it is to use and how it adds so much weight with such a small amount of product.

I hate that it costs 3 microbrews plus tip to refill when I run out (or spill the entire container on my now tungsten-heavy carpet).

All you have to do is add a touch of this powder to the UV curing liquid, mix it up, apply it to the fly, light it up with the UV lamp, and you're done! 

Granted, it looks like a bird pooped on your fly temporarily...

... but once it's set you can easily add your normal Fish-Mask and Living Eyes on top, or finish the fly off by wrapping over it.

3. Boring old cone.

I know, I know, flies have worked for years with boring ol' cones – why change that?

I like cones, but it doesn't mean I can't update the technique in which we tie them onto the fly. 

And like all other great inventions (cell phones, push up bras, and breathable waders to name a few), a little updating can be a very positive thing.

In the above fly, I've purposely hidden the cone one-third of the way down the shank. All you can see is a tiny bit of shine behind the Living Eyes, which works as an attractor too.

Quick review

A muffin top is just as unattractive on a fly as on a person.

Next time you want to add a little weight to your fly, try one of these techniques and give your fly a new look.

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About Brita Fordice:

Growing up on the Stillaguamish River in Washington state, Brita learned to fly fish at the age of 8, and taught herself to tie flies at 10. After living in both Alaska and Idaho for a few years, she moved back to Seattle in 2004 and has been an employee and guide with Avid Angler Fly Fishing Outfitters since. Her passion lies in guiding Puget Sound beaches and hunting cutthroat and salmon off the sand with baitfish patterns she's created. Follow her on Instagram: @seafly907. If you're interested in booking a guided trip, email her at: britaf@avidangler.com.