Micro Fibbet Substitute
- Thread starter lthrnk03
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Rip Tide
Well-known member
Fibers from a natural bristle paint brush
z-lon fibers, but its not as firm or straight
dean_mt
Well-known member
Ditto Rip Tide, paint brush bristles, and I don't think they have to natural. If you can find bristle fibers that are fine enough it doesn't matter the material. Micro Fibbets are synthetic.
L
Liphookedau
Guest
There are quite a few substitutes,some have been mentioned.
Some I have used are: Brissles from Shaving Brushes,Paint & Cleaning Down Brushes,Art Brushes etc,however you now have to check them all out to see if the new ones which are mostly made in China are suitable.
Also there are lots of other Synthetic materials which come in all colours & I see in The $2 Shops .
Brian
Some I have used are: Brissles from Shaving Brushes,Paint & Cleaning Down Brushes,Art Brushes etc,however you now have to check them all out to see if the new ones which are mostly made in China are suitable.
Also there are lots of other Synthetic materials which come in all colours & I see in The $2 Shops .
Brian
Hi,
What do you want to use these for?
What do you want to use these for?
fire instructor
Well-known member
Tail fibers on a couple of patterns.
L
Liphookedau
Guest
I've also used them for Tails on some of the Dry Spinner type Flies,like Goose biots for me they are now fiddly things to use as my fingers aren't as nimble & don't work like they used to.
Brian.
Brian.
silver creek
Well-known member
I have a cheap source for real micro fibetts. Micro fibetts are the bristles from artist brushes. That is their original source. Like many materials in fly tying, micro fibetts have been adapted from another purpose.
Wait for sale coupon for a Michaels or Joanne craft store. Both carry artist brushes that are about $5 for the beginner's brushes. With the 40 - 50% off coupon you can get then for $3 or less. Get the widest flat top brush and cut of the wooden handle. You will get micro fibetts whose tips are aligned and ready for tying in. Just cut out the number you need.
The bristles can by colored with markers but I think the tan works fine for most flies. The parachute adams has the paint brush fibetts for tail fibers, and you can see that at the the left base of the brush I have begun to cut off the fibers.
The dark tips of the fibetts really is not noticeable on the fly.
Essential Artist Brushes
Wait for sale coupon for a Michaels or Joanne craft store. Both carry artist brushes that are about $5 for the beginner's brushes. With the 40 - 50% off coupon you can get then for $3 or less. Get the widest flat top brush and cut of the wooden handle. You will get micro fibetts whose tips are aligned and ready for tying in. Just cut out the number you need.
The bristles can by colored with markers but I think the tan works fine for most flies. The parachute adams has the paint brush fibetts for tail fibers, and you can see that at the the left base of the brush I have begun to cut off the fibers.
The dark tips of the fibetts really is not noticeable on the fly.
Essential Artist Brushes
BigCliff
Well-known member
I believe microfibbets are actually synthetic paint brush bristles treated with Watershed.
Exactly. I want to tie up some Comparaduns and the recipes that I have seen call for Micro Fibbets for the tails.
Exellent material for tail splitting. I wouldn't substitute. [poke]
Classic Salmon and Trout Flies of Europe and the Americas
Classic Salmon and Trout Flies of Europe and the Americas
randyflycaster
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So I guess microfibbets float. Can they be used when tying nymphs?
Thanks,
Randy
Thanks,
Randy
calftail
Well-known member
Here is a picture of a bowl of water. That is a tuft of dubbing floating on the surface and to the right of the dubbing you have two micro fibbets underwater. The fibbets, according to the packaging were treated with watershed. Most of these fibbets are made of nylon and nylon is heavier than water.
As far as a substitute for micro fibbets ? Micro fibbets is a substitute for the hard to find spade hackle.
You can tie nymphs or dry flies with micro fibbets. Fear not!
randyflycaster
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Calftail,
Thanks. If microfibbets don't float so well then why use them on dry flies? I'm a bit confused.
Randy
Thanks. If microfibbets don't float so well then why use them on dry flies? I'm a bit confused.
Randy
calftail
Well-known member
I get confused to!
Your not alone.The micro fibbets are good enough as long as they don't break the surface.
Science is above my pay grade, but some elemental physics will help you understand a lot that goes on in this sport.
To start try looking at the properties of water, specifically "surface tension". You will read and hear fly fishers refer to the meniscus, it's the surface of the water.........[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Properties_of_water"]Properties of water - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]. See the floating paper clip.
After you understand surface tension you might look at hydraulic friction as it relates to the flow of water at the top, sides and bottom of the stream.
Temperature is a good one to know and so is refraction of light through water.
Try Buoyancy to...[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buoyancy"]Buoyancy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame].
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flytire
Well-known member
of course they can be used for nymphs but since they are MAINLY used for dry flies why would you when theres better materials for nymph tails
silver creek
Well-known member
Although nylon is a bit denser than water, it floats and even larger pieces that are larger than micro-fibbets are commonly used in dry fly fishing. Hint - what are monofilament leaders made of?
+1 on Calftail's answer of surface tension
You can even float a needle on water because of surface tension. Look at the video below which shows the effect of surface tension. I chose it because it also shows the effect of surfactants = SURFACe ACTive ageNTS. The soap is a surfactant which destroys the surface tension and allows the needle to sink.
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPT6yTxLPO8]The Floating Needle - YouTube[/ame]
The reason that surface tension exists is that water H2O is a polar molecule with a positive pole of the hydrogen atoms and the negative pole of oxygen. Water molecules are miniature bar magnets that link up and it is these weak molecular links that form surface tension.
Surface tension is also why water beads up on a surface.
As an aside it is this same polar quality of water that creates MRI images based on flipping these molecules in a strong magnetic field. That is why MRI machines use superconducting magnets. It is to force the alignment of all the water molecules in our bodies.
We use the polar quality of water to our advantage when we put on floatant. A floatant is a non polar molecule that repels water.
+1 on Calftail's answer of surface tension
You can even float a needle on water because of surface tension. Look at the video below which shows the effect of surface tension. I chose it because it also shows the effect of surfactants = SURFACe ACTive ageNTS. The soap is a surfactant which destroys the surface tension and allows the needle to sink.
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPT6yTxLPO8]The Floating Needle - YouTube[/ame]
The reason that surface tension exists is that water H2O is a polar molecule with a positive pole of the hydrogen atoms and the negative pole of oxygen. Water molecules are miniature bar magnets that link up and it is these weak molecular links that form surface tension.
Surface tension is also why water beads up on a surface.
As an aside it is this same polar quality of water that creates MRI images based on flipping these molecules in a strong magnetic field. That is why MRI machines use superconducting magnets. It is to force the alignment of all the water molecules in our bodies.
We use the polar quality of water to our advantage when we put on floatant. A floatant is a non polar molecule that repels water.
randyflycaster
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Folks,
Very interesting. Why didn't I think of all that myself, but at least now I get it, and now I'll feel better about using microfibbets on dry flies.
Randy
Very interesting. Why didn't I think of all that myself, but at least now I get it, and now I'll feel better about using microfibbets on dry flies.
Randy
