King Kinky Muddler

“I stumbled onto my own Muddler variation by accident. I was tying a synthetic baitfish in the style of New Jersey’s Steve Farrar, with blended Kinky Fiber high-tied on the top and bottom of the hook shank. I had been a little sloppy in inadvertently distributing much of the hair to the sides of the shank, and then got a little overly aggressive in trimming the fly. The Muddler Minnow, of course, needs no “improvement,” but there are benefits to creating a “spun” head with synthetic hair. Unlike hollow deer hair, synthetic hairs like Kinky Fiber (variously sold as Slinky Fiber or Synthetic Yak Hair) are solid and non-buoyant, so you can create a fly that sinks without adding weight. And unlike opaque deer hair, Kinky Fiber is translucent. The colors typically sold as “white” or “off white” visually wash out in the water, effectively mimicking the see-through characteristic of so many prey species.” — Johnny King