What it is
Flashabou Weave is a flash weave tying material made from tinsel strands in a three-strand weave: two Flashabou strands wrapped around a center strand. It’s stiff and resilient, so it holds its shape on the hook, and it throws a shimmering, sparkling, variable flash in the water. The weave is durable, so it stands up better than a lot of loose flash when fish teeth and rocks get involved.
What to tie with it
Use it in streamer wings and over-wings where you want flash that won’t collapse, foul, or disappear into the profile. You can tie it in as a wing component, as a topping over hair or synthetic fibers, or as a flash lateral line along each side of a baitfish pattern. It also works well in jig patterns where the stiffness helps keep flash kicked out and visible.
Flies and the fish they're for
Flashabou shows up in simple “Flash Fly” style steelhead patterns that are fished for summer and winter steelhead in rivers, where the whole point is a tough, flashy profile that keeps working after a few grabs. It’s also used in Flashabou Prince Nymph-style patterns, a bright nymph variation that gets fished for trout in rivers and tailwaters when you want a little extra visibility and attraction. In saltwater bonefish patterns, it’s added as a wing or accent for bonefish on shallow flats when you want flash without a limp, collapsing material.
