How to Shock Macrame Yarn for Fly Tying

The use of macrame yarn in various fly patterns is a relatively new development. This yarn is quite versatile and can be used for tying purposes in cord form, blended as dubbing material or as brushed-out fibers. The yarn is available in an almost endless array of colors and just a small section of macrame cord provides a large amount of tying material.

Things You'll Need

  • Braided macrame cord
  • Scissors
  • Bodkin (sharp needlelike point set in a handle)
  • Metal pet comb
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Cut a short (2-5 inches) piece of macrame cord from the larger section of cord.

    • 2

      Unravel and separate the braided strands of yarn using the point of the bodkin.

    • 3

      Run the teeth of the metal comb through the unraveled macrame strands until the fibers in each of the strands have separated. The fibers should now run more or less parallel to one another.

    • 4

      Separate the portion of macrame yarn fibers that you need for the particular fly pattern you are tying. Store the rest of the brushed-out macrame yarn in a sealable plastic storage bag or similar container for future use.