Dying my own tying materials - worked great

[reelman]

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm so tight, I've named all my coins larger than a penny. I wanted to tie some flies, but I didn't have the olive hackles and hair I needed (an olive bugger that works really well on my most frequent lake). It disgusts me to have to buy every thing in every color I want to use, when it's just the color that isn't right.
I found a recipe for Kool-Aid dying online. It works, $0.20 a "dye pack". Here's a photo of the before and after.
It's easy, microwave quick, very color-fast, and cheap.

[Toni]

Wow. Which colors did you dye? I see the olive but did you do the chartreuse too? Are you showing the different media you used(fur, feathers)? Did you mixed the kool-aid colors?
Do they smell like kool-aid?

You said it was color-fast...sometimes on marabou the color comes off on my fingers while I am tying.
I am interested...

[reelman]

I have tons of chartreuse, but I wanted some olive. I dyed a clump of chartreuse olive. I mixed 1 entire lime Kool-Aid with a little grape and cherry. I dyed several pieces of deer hair, some grizzly hackle, and of course the marabou. No odor when it's done (I haven't tasted them yet).

1st step- wash the materials in a little warm water and dish soap, drain and rinse (removes the natural oils that would otherwise repel the dye).
2nd step- in about 8 oz of warm water mix the Kool-Aid (other brands supposedly do well too). For more vibrant colors add more Kool-Aid. Add 2-3 Tbs of vinegar (setting agent).
3rd step- place material in a jar with the Kool-Aid mixture. Cover with plastic wrap. Nuke in the microwave for 2 minutes.
4th step- When done nuking, the water should be fairly clear. If there is more color in the water, and you want the color more intense, put it back in for another couple minutes. When done "cooking", rinse in cool water, dry (I used a blow dryer and a tooth brush).
5th step- tie wicked-good fly
6th step- catch record fish because they like the taste of lime Kool-Aid.

[Marc Martyn]

Very interesting. I think that I will continue to go the the fly shop and buy from them. It looks like a lot of work. Besides, it keeps the local sporting goods and fly shops in business.

[Toni]

Does it matter about the wattage of the microwave (hotter less time)? Apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar?
Now I would just have to figure out color mixing.

Can you think of a way to do two toned colors for rabbit or the tip of marabou?

[reelman]

As for the microwave wattage, I don't think it's that hard of a science. I used white vinegar because there isn't any extra stuff. You can buy a gallon for less than $5.
I'll have to get creative to figure out the two toned thing.

I'm already planning a perch minnow pattern with the grizzly hackle dyed yellow.

[Shad_Eating_Grin]

Kool Aid is good stuff. I use it for color in my cured eggs, and the coho chomps on those eggs

[knotabassturd]

I like Toni's two-tone thinking So the dye did not come out when flyfishing with them reelman? You might know that JoAnn's Fabrics sometimes is a good place to pick up fly tying stuff on the cheap. I get some hooks at the small shops, there's a good one in Tacoma but it has been awhile.
Save the red wine vinegar for cooking! Yum. Shad- do you borax your eggs and just straight kool-Aid them (w/o vinegar)? I don't have any fish or eggs but may try that this year for when the coho come around in the river Octoberish. Thanx for the topic. I ahd not used Kool-Aid before but see people mentioning it.
NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!:-({|= I just looked to see the fly shop I was thinking of and saw they closed shop... Man I loved talking with Gary Sandstrom in the good old days and picking his brain for ideas and storiesat the store, along with the very well informed staff. A great guy. I am bummed hearing he had to close shop a couple/few years back... $%#@. Like I said, it had been awhile. Used to tie a few flies for them back in High School days so I could afford tying materials... Guess goes to show we really do need to spend some dollars at the local shops. Especially the ones thta hand out helpful info freely.

[reelman]

Coffee worked too. Just sub coffee for Kool-aid.

[afk]

I'm going to have to try this! Looks like a good trick. Thanks. Andy

[HillbillyGeek]

This is an awesome concept! Thanks for sharing it.

Hmm... I wonder if soft baits could be customized the same way.