What it is
Hareline Chartpak Ad Markers are permanent, waterproof, quick-drying markers used at the vise to add ink directly to fly materials and finished flies. The ink lays down bold, consistent coverage, and the tri-nib tip lets you go from a fine edge to a broader stroke without changing tools.
What to tie with it
Use them to draw crisp detail lines and segmented body marks, shade heads, add wing-case accents, and build realistic mottling or sharp contrast edges. They’re also handy for subtle feather barring, foam color shifts, and little gill-flash marks, and they work on both natural and synthetic tying materials. The tri-nib makes smooth shading and clean edges easier than a single-tip marker when you’re trying to control exactly where the color goes.
Flies and the fish they're for
You’ll see markers like these come into play any time you want to “finish” a fly with realism after it’s tied: mottled backs on baitfish streamers for trout and smallmouth in rivers, gill accents on saltwater baitfish patterns for redfish and stripers on the flats, and barred/shaded details on nymphs fished for trout in tailwaters. They’re also useful on foam terrestrials where small shifts in tone and segmented marks help sell the silhouette to trout and panfish in ponds and creeks. Even when the base materials are right, a few ink lines can add the kind of contrast that fish key on in clear water.
How it compares
Because the ink is permanent and quick-drying, you can get detail and shading without switching to paint, mixing dyes, or waiting through long dry times. The tri-nib tip gives you more line and fill options than a single-tip marker, especially when you’re bouncing between fine barring and broader shading on the same fly.