Copper Braid
This type of braid is found in electronics stores, but is a great new addition to the fly tyer’s arsenal of useful copper products
Copper wire has been used for constructing flies for a long time, often as a protective rib and sometimes as a major component. Fine copper wire is a key material in Frank Sawyer’s Pheasant Tail Nymph and Killer Bug, substituting for tying thread in the original patterns. The Brassie, a very popular midge imitation in the US dating from the 1960s is not quite as old and is almost entirely copper wire with a few turns of peacock herl at the eye. The Copper John, another very popular pattern in the US has a prominent copper wire abdomen.
I’ve used a lot of copper wire in different thicknesses and colours over the years. Last autumn I discovered a different form of copper wire with a lot of potential for fly tying. I was watching a TV program about repairing an antique radio using copper braid to suck up molten solder from wiring connections.
I didn’t know there was such a thing, but some research revealed that copper braid is available in a range of sizes for desoldering and shielding electrical wires. You can find it online for around £1/metre for the 2-3mm widths which are the most useful for fly tying. That’s a not a bad price given that you can pay more for mylar fly tying braid. It cuts easily and cleanly with scissors (just don’t use your fine tying ones) and the ends don’t fray when tying in.
Braid Brassie
The Brassie is about as simple a fly as they come, so a copper braid version seemed a logical choice to try out the new material and see how it handled and looked on hook.
Copper Shrimp
Wrapping around a hook worked fine so a shrimp shellback was next on the list. I stuck to a simple recipe, just some pink yarn with the copper braid pulled over the top.
I found the neatest way to tie in the braid at the head is to use a couple of thread turns to crease the braid as a marker for cutting. This allows the shellback to be tied in without any stray wires messing up a neat head. The same technique also applies to tying in copper braid thorax covers.
Fold forward, tie down
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Untie and cut
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Tie down
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I tied up a few and put them in my Grayling box to try. They worked just fine.
Nick Thomas
Copper Braid Pupa
A small copper bead compliments the copper braid back in this one and adds a little weight.
Copper Braid Nymph
Adding more braid to a pattern adds a little more weight, making useful flies for fishing fast water and this one is exactly that. Put it on a dropper above the heavier FMJ Perdigon described below and you have a good combination for water that is fast, deep, or coloured, or all three at the same time come to that.
Full Metal Jacket Perdigon
The Full Metal Jacket Perdigon is tied using monofilament thread. This disappears when the body is coated with resin leaving only the metal components visible.
Nick Thomas
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