Orvis Spectrablend Dubbing - Review

Over this past long (but not nearly long enough) weekend, I wandered into the local Orvis store. If you've never been to one, you get a Macy's feel, but it's for "fly fisherman." Since 90% of the store is geared towards lifestyle merchandise and not gear directly related to fishing, the outdoors distinction is somewhat dubious.


I clicked a few reels and wiggled a few rods, kind of feeling like an outsider doing so. For a company geared toward fly fishing the sport seems to be an afterthought in their stores; which is a damn shame.

When all was said and done, I grabbed some size 26 hooks and some dubbing. The hooks because I have a delusioned fantasy of tying a size 32 Adams(traditional style) and the dubbing because 1) I've seen tons of cream midges all over the place and needed some tannish dubbing and b) this dubbing looked smooth like butter.

The dubbing is Orvis's Spectrablend dubbing. According to the Orvis site:

Spectrablend incorporates translucent and reflective trilobal Antron fibers to add needed sparkle to any fly body

Whatever all that means. I just know that this dubbing is great to work with. Dubs tight to the thread. Rolls on to the fly nice and tight with little to no "dub-bumps."

I whipped up a couple flies and also found that I'm using about 20% less dubbing I can tie more flies per bag. So for $3 a bag, it's a quite the steal. Here's the fly:

The Red Shillelagh
Hook: Size 12 Dry Fly
Tail: Grizzly Hackle Fibers
Abdomen: Tan Spectrablend Dubbing
Wing: Dyed Red Squirrel Tail
Hackle: Grizzly Hackle
Thorax: Purple Peacock Herl