1.Pear Sheet 2.Panti Hose 3.Aire-flow 4.Fabri-wing 5.Zing-wing 6.Lure tape 7.Dubbing 8.Thin Skin 9.Pearl Damselfly 10.Medical Tape 11.Fly film

A great story about synthetic wings involves Jay Buchner, the creator of the Jay-Dave's Hopper. At the peak of his commercial tying career, he couldn't find any turkey quill for his hoppers. He took a paper shopping bag, colored it to look like turkey and then coated it with clear spray paint.

Fabric Wings. Fabric wings have been used for many years. Wings made of pantyhose were popular in the 1950s and 1960s. This nylon material has also been laminated to turkey quill to make them more durable. The European market still has some "stocking" wing patterns and materials.

Different uses for wing materials.

A fabric known in the textile industry as non-interwoven facing is used to make the popular Aire-Flow, and Perfect Cut Wings. This is used in the real world to back the collar on your shirt. These pre-cut wings are flexible enough to use as mayfly dun and spinner wings and are sold by Spirit River, Rocky Mountain Dubbing, and BT's Fly Fishing Products. Dan Bailey's Fabri-Wing is a mottled, coated fabric used for hoppers and caddis. It can be folded to make a muddler wing too.

Plastic Wings. Plastic materials make some great fly wings. More than 20 years ago John Goddard was tying his Upside Down Spinners with clear plastic bags as the wings. Since then many other plastic materials have surfaced. John Betts brought us Zing Wing. This translucent material makes nice midge wings. Clear medical tape makes good cicada and stonefly wings. Spirit River sells Fly Film. This is a good substitute for turkey on caddis and hoppers. Wapsi markets Thin Skin, which can be used as a wing and wing case.

Pearlescent sheets are sold by Scintilla, Rainy's and others for use as wings. They spice up many traditional flies. Witchcraft Tape Products diecuts damsel and dragonfly wings out of scaled pearl mylar and many of there lure tapes can used to make wings. Materials such as Stretch Flex and Scud Back can also make wings.

Dubbing Wings. Ken Ligas of Scintilla uses a wing burner to create wings out of his dubbing. The synthetic dubbing will seal itself off when melted. It makes a very translucent wing.