Hareline Fly Tying Materials Quick Picks
Best Streamer Tailing Material: Hareline Extra Select Marabou Feathers - The go-to for tyers building big steelhead, salmon, and streamer patterns that need movement in the water. These are oversized plumes, so a single feather can palmer a whole streamer body or provide a full tail.
Best Flash Material: Hareline Krystal Flash - A staple for any tyer stocking a streamer or baitfish box, since a few strands add flash and lateral line without overpowering the pattern.
Best Weighting Option for Jigs & Streamers: Hareline Plummeting Tungsten Beads - Ideal for tyers who want flies that get down fast without adding bulk. Available across enough sizes and colors that most nymph and streamer patterns can be matched to a bead that will not stand out or under-sink.
Best Saltwater & Baitfish Wing Material: Hareline Extra Select Craft Fur - Built for tyers targeting striped bass, snook, and other species that eat baitfish patterns. The fiber length is long enough for full-size saltwater streamers, and the underfur doubles as dubbing when you need it.
Best General Body Material: Hareline Ultra Chenille - A dependable pick for tyers filling out a box of Woolly Buggers, San Juan Worms, and other chenille-bodied patterns. The velvety texture is consistent spool to spool, which matters when tying a dozen of the same fly.
How to Choose Hareline Fly Tying Materials
Natural Hair & Fur vs. Synthetics
Natural materials like bucktail and marabou: Move and breathe in the water in a way synthetics cannot fully match, making them the traditional choice for streamers and classic patterns.
Synthetics like craft fur and Krystal Flash: Hold up better to toothy fish, come in more consistent colors, and are often easier for tyers newer to streamer construction.
Flash & Body Materials
Flash materials: Should be used sparingly, a few strands at most, since too much flash makes a fly look unnatural and can spook wary fish in clear water.
Chenille and hollow tubing: Build bulk and profile quickly, making them efficient choices when you need to fill out a streamer or worm pattern without hand-stacking dubbing.
Weighting: Beads vs. Lead Eyes
Tungsten beads: Sink faster than brass or lead for the same size, which lets you use a smaller, less bulky bead and still get flies down in heavy current.
Lead or dumbbell eyes: Add both weight and a realistic eye silhouette, which is especially effective on baitfish and crayfish patterns for bass and saltwater species.
Materials & Storage Tips
Buy natural materials in Best Available grade unless color-matching: Hareline's grading options save money on materials like bucktail where exact shade matters less than bulk.
Store hair and fur with a cedar block or moth deterrent: Natural materials are food for fabric moths, and one infestation can ruin a whole material drawer.
Keep flash and synthetics out of direct sunlight: UV exposure over time can fade the sheen on materials like Krystal Flash.
Organize beads and eyes by size, not just color: A mixed bin makes it easy to grab the wrong weight under time pressure at the vise.
Complete Your Setup
Related Gear
Fly Tying Hair & Fur - Dig deeper into the natural and synthetic hair options beyond Hareline's lineup for streamer wings and bodies.
Fly Tying Feathers & Hackle - Round out your marabou and saddle hackle selection with capes and packs from other top brands.
Fly Tying Beads, Cones & Eyes - Browse the full range of weighting options to pair with the tungsten beads and lead eyes above.
Fly Tying Thread, Tinsel & Wire - Get the thread and wire you need to actually tie these materials onto a hook.
Hareline Fly Tying Materials FAQs
Q: What is Hareline known for in fly tying materials?
A: Hareline is one of the largest and most trusted suppliers of natural and synthetic fly tying materials, covering everything from bucktail and marabou to craft fur, flash, and beads. Most fly shops build their material walls around a Hareline core because of the consistent quality and huge color range.
Q: What is the difference between craft fur and bucktail?
A: Craft fur is a synthetic fiber that is softer, more uniform, and easier to work with, while bucktail is natural deer hair with more taper and stiffness that flares and stacks differently. Many saltwater and streamer patterns can be tied with either.
Q: Do I need lead eyes or tungsten beads to weight my fly?
A: It depends on the pattern. Tungsten beads work well for nymphs and jig-style flies where you want a compact, fast-sinking profile, while lead or dumbbell eyes suit baitfish and crayfish patterns where you also want the visual weight of an eye.