Hedron Flashabou Quick Picks
- Best All-Around: Hedron Flashabou - The original soft mylar flash, for a few strands of lateral line in a streamer or a wing accent on a nymph. The 1/69-inch cut blends into bucktail and marabou without overpowering the fly.
- Best Holographic: Hedron Holographic Flashabou - Ideal when you want a 3D, multi-angle sparkle instead of a flat metallic sheen. The same soft, flexible strand as the original, in colors from Copper and Olive to Fire Tiger.
- Best for Big Flies: Hedron Magnum Flashabou - A wider, stronger cut for musky and pike streamers, bucktail skirts and large saltwater patterns. It holds up to teeth and still moves because the strand stays soft.
- Best Color-Shifting Flash: Hedron Mirage Flashabou - Built to mimic the iridescent scales of a baitfish rather than throw a single color. Roughly 600 strands per hank at 1/69 inch by 10 inches, in Opal and Opal-over-color blends.
- Best for Baitfish Bodies: Hedron Flashabou Minnow Body Tubing - A braided tubing for flashy, realistic bodies from small bonefish flies to pike streamers. Three sizes and a range of tones.
How to Choose Hedron Flashabou
Pick the strand width first
Action: Match the width to the fly size and how much flash you want per strand. Hedron Micro Flashabou 1/100in is 30 percent thinner than the standard cut and belongs on nymphs, small streamers and anywhere you want a hint of flash. The standard 1/69-inch strand (Original, Holographic, Dyed Pearl, Mirage) is the all-purpose width for trout and inshore streamers.
Best for: Hedron Saltwater Flashabou, Hedron's widest cut at 1/16 inch by 10 inches, when you are tying large herring, pogy and striper flies and want bold color. Magnum is the 1/32-inch cut, and Holographic Magnum comes in 20-inch lengths with about 400 strands per hank for the largest predator flies.
Then pick the finish
Best for: Original for classic metallic flash, Holographic for 3D sparkle, Mirage for color shift, and Dyed Pearl when you want a pearl base that picks up the color of the materials under it. Glow In The Dark and Pearl A Glow Flashabou add phosphorescence for night fishing and deep water.
Action: Use the textured versions for a more natural look. Hedron Lateral Scale is Flashabou crimped so it flutters and reads as scales on minnow patterns; Grizzly-Barred and Speckled Flashabou break up the flash with barring or speckles; Hedron Flashabou Accent is a tightly twisted strand that works well as a sparse topping.
Beyond tinsel: Hedron synthetic hair and fibers
Best for: Hedron Supreme Super Hair on Surf Candies and other epoxy baitfish, or as a stiffener on long, soft wings that tend to foul. Unique Hair is the thinner, softer version of the same fiber in the same colors, and both take permanent marker well.
Action: For large-profile pike, musky and saltwater flies, use Hedron Big Fly Fiber W/ Curl; the curled ends add bulk and an erratic action without weight. Neer Hair is a fine fiber that floats and suits parachute and small streamer patterns, and Strung Fuzzy Fiber builds compact heads quickly.
Why Trident Carries Hedron
Hedron introduced Flashabou in 1982, and the company, based in Stillwater, Minnesota, still makes the flash most tyers picture when they hear the word. The strands are soft mylar, so they move with the fly, and the width and finish options let you dial the flash from a whisper on a size 16 nymph to a full skirt on a musky fly. It is the flash line we restock most.
Materials & Durability
- Less is more: Two to six strands usually look better than a clump. Tie it in sparse and slightly shorter than the wing so it does not foul.
- Store hanks straight: Keep Flashabou in its sleeve and hang it or lay it flat. Kinked strands never lie right again.
- Keep it away from heat: Mylar deforms near a hot lamp or on a dashboard. Store flash in a drawer, not on the windowsill.
- Rinse saltwater flies: Flashabou does not corrode, but salt crust dulls the finish and stiffens synthetic hair. A freshwater rinse and air dry keeps the sparkle.
Complete Your Setup
Related Gear
- Fly Tying Flash - Compare Flashabou with other flash across brands.
- Fly Tying Synthetics - Synthetic hair, fibers and blends to build the body around your flash.
- Streamer Hooks - Long-shank and heavy-wire hooks for streamers.
- Saltwater Fly Tying Hooks - Corrosion-resistant hooks for Clousers, Deceivers and baitfish patterns.
Related Guides
- How to Tie a Surf Candy Saltwater Streamer Fly
- How to Tie Lefty's Deceiver Fly
- How to Tie The Standard Clouser Minnow Fly Pattern
- How to Tie the Synthetic Clouser Minnow Fly Pattern
- How to Tie the Murdich Minnow Fly
Hedron Flashabou FAQs
Q: What is Hedron Flashabou made of?
A: Flashabou is a soft, flexible mylar strand with a metallic, holographic, pearl or color-shifting finish depending on the version. Because it is soft, it moves with the materials around it instead of standing out like wire.
Q: What is the difference between Flashabou and Magnum Flashabou?
A: Standard Flashabou is cut at 1/69 inch; Magnum is a wider 1/32-inch cut that is stronger and shows more color per strand. Use standard on trout and inshore flies and Magnum on pike, musky and big saltwater flies. Saltwater Flashabou is wider still at 1/16 inch.
Q: Holographic or Mirage Flashabou, which should I buy?
A: Holographic throws a bright, multi-angle sparkle in one color family and is the louder of the two. Mirage shifts color as the fly turns, closer to real scales, and is the better choice for clear water and imitative baitfish patterns.
Q: How many strands of Flashabou should I put in a streamer?
A: Start with two to six strands on a trout or inshore streamer. More helps in stained water or low light, but too many can put off fish in clear water.
Q: Is Hedron Flashabou safe for saltwater?
A: Yes. Mylar does not corrode, and Saltwater Flashabou and Magnum are cut for big saltwater patterns. Rinse flies after a trip so salt crust does not dull the finish.
Q: What is the difference between Hedron Super Hair and Unique Hair?
A: Both are the same synthetic in the same colors. Super Hair has a slightly larger diameter, so it is stiffer and better for Surf Candies and reinforcing long wings; Unique Hair is thinner and more pliable.
Hedron Warranty & Resources
Hedron does not publish a product warranty for flash and fibers. On its own web store, Hedron states that items may be returned within 30 days for replacement, credit or refund with the receipt. If something you bought from Trident is wrong or damaged, contact us and we will make it right.
Learn More from Hedron
- Hedron Inc. - Manufacturer site with every Flashabou family listed.
- About Hedron - The 1982 origin of Flashabou and the company history.
- Flashabou Product Family - Original, Holographic, Dyed-Pearl, Glow and Grizzly Barred versions side by side.
- Hedron Shipping & Returns - Hedron's stated 30-day return terms.