Crystal flash and tinsel are great for tying flies—particularly patterns that need to attract attention, like baitfish patterns, Woolly Buggers and other streamers. But handling those shiny materials can be a real pain. I can’t count the times I’ve found strands of crystal flash that have managed to make it through the laundry cycle and turn up on my clothes as I fold them (or, more likely, pile them on my couch and glare at them ruefully).
Above, Tim Flagler offers a great method for working with these materials that can save you the hassle of having strands of flash just sort randomly hanging out on the fly-tying bench (or in your dryer’s lint trap). It’s simple, ingenius … and I’m off to Staples for a hole punch.
— Chris Hunt