Sili DNA baitfish

[Jim Miller]

Some experiments using sili skin bodies and dna fiber tails

[KMM]

Dear Jim:

Nice work with the sili-skin.

The bodies are so tight and well proportioned they almost look like they were "molded".

Provide us with a couple of "body cover" or "body build" tips in your experiences working with sili-skin, if you please.

Sincere regards,

KMM

So Cal

[Jim Miller]

KMM
i just started working with this stuff this week. Order arrived Monday.What I am finding is that if you stretch the siliskin, it goes on as a thinner layer. This allows for a cleaner "molded" look. For instance, on the thin profile sandeel : I made 1 wrap w/ the material around the shank and then another wrap with the material stretched thin. I trimed w/ a sharp scissors and squeezed the profile till it was totally smooth. It is somewhat pliable. You can also build up the profile and then stretch the final layer smooth (like the second photo of the single fly)
What you want to be careful not to do is to let the material adhere to itself (before you want it to :eek: ). Once it adheres to itself it is difficult to un-adhere and reuse.
Hope this helps ;)

[ruge13]

Jim or anyone out there....any preference for th ethickness of the skin? Aren't there different thicknesses? Are there different applications for different sizes?
I fooled around with it a little this winter but with just ugly results.

[Jim Miller]

Hey Shaun
I ordered mine from saltwaterflies.com.....I don't believe different thicknesses were offered.
hope this helps.

[Eddy Merckx]

I've been fooling around with Siliskin with mixed results, I'll try to post pics later.

It is definitely offered in two thicknesses, at least in some of the colors available. I have both the thin and thick mother-of-pearl color. I like the thick for forming heads on baitfish patterns.

[Eddy Merckx]

Here are a few examples of how I'm using the siliskin.

The first four are mine, some better than others but none as nice as Jim's. The last one (single fly) was tied by some guy named Murphy who knows a thing or two about tying saltwater flies ;) .

[KMM]

Eddy:

I can't tell the difference between Rich's fly head and your fine ties, so no worries there. Great look to them indeed!

Thank you for posting.

I can see now the differences between Jim's thinner skin body wraps and the thicker variety utilized on your baitfish pattern heads.

Has the durability been tested in the salt extensively? After a good water soaking "off slips the head?" or how about a "good striper chomp?"

Thanks to all for a nice thread statred by Jim.


KMM

So Cal

[Eddy Merckx]

I haven't had any problems with the durability of siliskin on my flies. Two of the four in the pic I posted have caught multiple fish, incliding a couple of blues.

Eyes did peel off of one of em', though. Now I put a dab of softex over the eyes to keep them in place.

[Jim Miller]

Thanks
for the comments and photos. I think there are alot of possibilities with these new materials. Especially the blending w/ other materials like bucktail, fishfiber, superhair etc. ;)

[BobG]

I played around with the stuff this spring myself, and ditto for me on the crappy results. :mad:
However, I can think of a couple small sand eel patterns where sili-skin would lend itsely famously. But, this will remain a winter project for 2005. :brow