Plastic tubing.

Larva Lace and Shane Stalcup's Tubings are examples of tubular clear vinyls. Larva Lace comes in two sizes; standard and midge. Stalcup's tubing is available in three sizes. These tubings can be stretched to make them smaller or to taper bodies. The more you stretch the thinner they get. Without tension, they return to their original diameter. Wire or flash can be fed through the center to give an under glow. They can also be pushed over the eye of the hook to form a body. I use larger vinyl aquarium tubing for the carapace of my shrimp and for the body of my Lipstick minnow. This is just a larger version of Larvae Lace.

Scud Back, Edgebright, and Stretch Flex are translucent plastic ribbons that can be used as shell backs or bodies. These materials are strong and elastic and have replaced the latex sheets formerly used in tying. They come in different widths, several colors, and can be cut to shape.

This midge pupae imitation was made from twisted food wrap.

Plastic bags and food wrap can also be used as scud backs and plastic bodies. Food wraps now come in colors. I've wrapped vinyl shower curtains for minnow bodies and I have seen stonefly bodies made from bicycle tires tubes. The late Bing Lempke used cassette tape on his salmonfly adult bodies.

Woven Tubing Bodies. Woven tubings made of monofilament, mylar, or a combination of both have a scale-like appearance and are very popular as baitfish bodies. They have also extended their way into insect imitations. One of the great properties of tubings is that you can expand and contract their diameter. If you push it together the diameter will expand, and when you pull on it, it will shrink. This allows you to put it over shaped underbodies and to push it back over itself to form large heads or other shapes. It will also make extended bodies.

Flashabou Minnow Body was one of the first mylar products to be marketed in the fly-fishing world. It is made of mylar filaments and is available in many sizes and colors. It is usually pushed over the hook shank and tied down in the front and back. This is the classic Zonker body. Holographic and luminescent versions can also be purchased.

Monofilament tubing ranges in size from the small diameters used on braided butt leaders to the large cords originally made for surgical arterial reinforcements. Gary Borger's braided body damsels are made of dyed braided butt material. Shane Stalcup sells a very nice dyed version of this that has colored segmentation on it. Other insects can be imitated too.

Jack Gartside and the east coast striper and bluefish anglers popularized the tooth resistant Corsair. This was the first of the large-diameter braids. Other tiers found sources for this type material and Flexo, Gudebrod and Spirit River E-Z Body are the primary brands of this product. They are sold in clear mono, dyed mono, and mono with a mylar mix. It is generally used as a baitfish body or head, but some interesting crab, and nymph bodies can be made. Because of its hollow nature, legs can be pulled into it with a needle, and foam can be inserted into to it for poppers. These products can be colored with permanent marker or coated with epoxy.

A very fine tubing is Frog Skin from World Specialties. It can be used as shucks, wing cases, spinner wings or as a body wrap.

Another type of woven body material can be made from common cords and rope available at your local hardware store. I have used braided nylon cords for barracuda flies and bonefish crabs. Wading shoe laces make a nice golden stone nymph. Al Troth ties his MacSalmonflies and MacHoppers with polypropylene macramé cord. It is important to burn, tie or glue the ends of any of the woven bodies to prevent them from unraveling.

Pre-made Bodies. If you want to make extended bodies very easy, pre-made bodies are the answer. Christian Billard at Scientific Anglers sells Tube Bodiz. These pre-made bodies are available for hook sizes #8 to #28 and in styles for mayflies, caddis, midges and stoneflies. Tails and shucks are built into some of the bodies. Add a wing and hackle and your fly is done. Dan Bailey's and Shane Stalcup now sell a similar product. Shane Stalcup produces very realistic damselfly nymph bodies out his vinyl tubing. The tubing is creased to form segmentation, and tails are already inserted into the tubing. Other nymphs could be imitated with these bodies.