I remarked yesterday that you need to keep your eyes open for this and that, that might lend itself to fly tying where you least expect it. This morning, I was putting the finishing touches on yet another drop box, while cleaning up my mom’s home and came upon a coiled mass of fine gold wire. Not sure what it was intended for, but there it was in a pile of stuff, tangled and a mess. I immediately saw possibilities for a small sampling and use as either ribbing or a wrapped abdomen.

Fine Gold Craft Wire (SwittersB)
Craft Wire Pupa (SwittersB)

Simple pupa pattern to demonstrate the wrapped fine gold wire for the abdomen. I took five or six strands of the wire and tied it in as well as a single strand of the fine dark olive ribbing wire. Note how much heavier the fine olive wire is than the even finer gold wires. I wrapped the gathered gold wires up the shank and then ribbed that with the olive wire. A dubbed thorax completed the fly. Another example of salvaged materials.