How to Tie a Fly With Mega Mushy

Mega Mushy is a synthetic hair-style fly-tying material comprised of shredded flash fibers. The synthetic flash strips found on most fly shop shelves is shredded into a fine material that feels like a soft patch of hair. The material was developed by Dave Skok and is used in numerous fly-tying patterns. The soft texture of the material is ideal for baitfish bodies and it is easy to manipulate on the hook. Mega Mushy is available in multiple colors and is ideal for fresh and saltwater streamers. The material may also be adapted to large dry flies and nymphs but the bulky nature limits the use for imitating petite insects.

Things You'll Need

  • Vise
  • 2/0 saltwater hook
  • Gel spun thread
  • Mega Mushy fibers
  • Stick-on eyes
  • Scissors
  • Whip-finish tool
  • Super glue
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Instructions

    • 1

      Clamp the hook in the fly-tying vise. Start the thread at the eye of the hook and wrap it forward a short 10 turns. All of the materials are secured near the head of the fly.

    • 2

      Pull a bunch of white Mega Mushy from a patch. Stroke the material into an elongated form. Hold the material on the bottom of the hook shank and make seven tight thread wraps to secure it to the hook.

    • 3

      Cut four, 10-inch strips of synthetic flash. The flash is sold through fly shops as strands of silver material in a plastic bag. Hold two strips on each side of the hook and make seven tight thread wraps to secure the materials. The flash imitates the lateral lines of a baitfish.

    • 4

      Pull a clump of black Mega Mushy from a patch. Stroke the fibers into an elongated form and make seven tight wraps to secure the material on top of the hook shank.

    • 5

      Brush the sides of the fibers into a flat profile with a soft dubbing comb. The small comb features a handle with stiff bristles on one side and soft bristles on the opposite side. It is sold through most fly shops with a fly-tying retail section in the store. Use scissors to trim a round head and taper the top and bottom of the fly to a point at the tail. The length is adjustable depending on preference with several inches in length being common.

    • 6

      Remove the adhesive backing from two sticky eyes and push one eye on each side of the head. Use a whip finisher to knot the thread at the hook eye and cut the thread flush to the shank. Add a small drop of Superglue to add durability to the fly.