Andy Dear | Monday, 11 November 2024
Several years ago a friend mine told me about a place he had been buying fly tying materials from, that had their own versions of synthetics like EP fiber etc. Since then, The Fly Tyer's Dungeon has become my go to source for unique synthetics and now hooks, for some seriously discounted prices.
Today's Front Page really won't be much of an essay as it is a reccomendation. I first stumbled onto The Fly Tyers Dungeon many years ago through a recommendation from a colleague in the rod building industry. I do a lot of tying with synthetics like EP fiber, and my friend recommended FTD as a source for the generic version of this polypropylene material sold under the FTD brand name of Congo Hair. It's a fantastic material that does appear to be similar if not identical to EP fiber. Of course, I have since moved into combing out my own polypropylene material and making my own, but Congo Hair has been my go-to fiber for many years. FTS also has many other unique synthetic filaments that are worth checking out. Lately, I have been mixing Congo Hair and Crystal hair in a dubbing brush platform, and the results are STUNNING.
A year or so ago, the owner, who goes by the nickname of "The Mad Scientist" decided to add hooks to his lineup of material. I purchased several different styles, of what he had available, and for the price, these simply can't be beaten. Even though they are budget-priced, these are some of the sharpest and strongest hooks I have ever fished with. I normally tie on Tiemco SP600 or Gamakatsu SL12S, and I would put the FTD hooks right up there with those in terms of out of the box sharpness and strength. Just last month we took several Redfish in the 33"-36" range and the hooks showed no sign of deformation, even when using the Stu Apte "down and dirty" fighting technique.
In the interest of full disclosure, I have no affiliation with FTD in any way shape, or form....just a satisfied customer who is always surprised that more people don't know about The Mad Scientist and his unique product line. If you've never ordered from them, I highly recommend you check them out.
https://www.flytyersdungeon.com/index.htm
Hope everyone is having a great week,
Andy