Fly Tying Chenille & Fritz
Wrap a compact nymph body or build the fuller profile of a lure. Find chenille and fritz by diameter, texture and colour, with the existing size ranges kept easy to reach.
Choose with confidence
Chenille and fritz: choose the texture
Chenille carries fibres around a core so you can wind a body quickly. Fritz commonly uses more conspicuous or reflective fibres for a fuller finish. Product names overlap, so compare the photograph, diameter and fibre type rather than relying on the label alone.
Diameter and the finished body
A nominal diameter is a guide to the loose material, not a guarantee of the final body thickness. Tension, fibre length and the number of turns change the result. Use fine material for compact bodies and fuller fibres for larger lures, keeping the hook gape clear.
Winding a neat body
Expose a little core at the tie-in point where practical, secure it with thread, and wind controlled turns. Sweep fibres back as you wind to reduce trapping. Stop before the eye so there is room to secure the core and finish the head.
Colours and fly styles
Choose natural shades for more restrained dressings or brighter fibres for attractor patterns such as blobs. Chenille can also form streamer and nymph bodies where the recipe calls for it. Let the intended fly profile guide the amount of material; brighter or bulkier is not always better.
Build your pattern with fly tying materials, hooks and tubes and tying threads.