Original: $20.00
-65%$20.00
$7.00The Story
Squimpish Steelhead Brush transforms the way modern anglers tie large, articulated patterns by combining the flowing action of natural hair with the durability of a wire-core synthetic blend. Designed primarily for swinging flies to anadromous fish, this material streamlines the creation of broad, sweeping shoulders and collars on intruders and large streamers. It bridges the gap between traditional bucktail tying and modern synthetic applications, making it ideal for the spey angler targeting aggressive coastal steelhead or resident brown trout in heavy currents.
Manufactured by Squimpish, this specific brush integrates a custom blend of fine synthetic fibers and subtle flash that accurately mimics the translucent properties of polar bear hair. The fibers maintain their volume without absorbing water, allowing large-profile flies to cast easily on light spey or switch setups. Because the material is pre-spun into a stainless-steel wire, tyers can simply wrap the brush around the shank rather than meticulously stacking and spinning loose fibers.
How to Use It
To apply the brush, tie the wire tip securely to the shank just ahead of your hook or stinger loop, leaving enough room for a distinct head or cone. Wrap the brush forward in touching turns, firmly stroking the fibers back after each wrap to prevent trapping the material beneath the wire core. Once you reach the desired collar thickness, tie off the wire firmly with tight thread wraps and trim the excess wire with designated wire cutters to protect your tying scissors.
After securing the brush, aggressively brush out the collar using a stiff dubbing brush or a comb to release any trapped fibers and integrate the flash. If the profile appears too bulky, you can trim the synthetic fibers with thinning shears to taper the collar into the trailing materials. This brushing and tapering process ensures the fibers will pulse individually in the current rather than swimming as a solid, rigid block.
Example Flies
Squimpish Intruder: This pattern utilizes the Steelhead Brush to form a broad, water-pushing front shoulder that flares a trailing marabou or ostrich herl wing. The brush acts as a prop, maintaining the fly's teardrop profile in heavy swing currents while the underlying flash adds subtle attractant for resting winter steelhead.
Articulated Spey Streamer: Tied on a multi-shank platform, this streamer features a rear collar of craft fur and a dense head crafted entirely from the Steelhead Brush. Wrapping the brush tightly behind a heavy tungsten conehead forces the synthetic fibers outward, creating an erratic darting motion that triggers strikes from predatory brown trout.
Why We Like It
The Squimpish Steelhead Brush dramatically cuts down the time required to build complex, voluminous fly profiles at the vise. Instead of individually selecting, stacking, and tying in clumps of bucktail or synthetic hair in multiple stages, you can achieve a perfectly proportioned, 360-degree collar in just a few wraps. The stainless-steel wire core also adds undeniable structural integrity, easily surviving vicious takes from toothy fish or accidental impacts with river rocks.
Furthermore, the specific fiber blend sheds water immediately upon lifting the line, drastically reducing the water weight of large flies. This ensures your casting stroke remains smooth and efficient, reducing shoulder fatigue during long, multi-day swinging sessions on large rivers. The built-in flash is metered precisely, eliminating the guesswork of adding individual flash strands and preventing the fly from looking unnatural.
Senyo's Chromatic Brush vs Squimpish Steelhead Brush
While both materials streamline the creation of large intruder-style collars, Senyo's Chromatic Brush features heavily textured, crinkled fibers mixed with a much higher density of bright, UV-reactive flash. This makes the Chromatic Brush stiffer, allowing it to push more water but offering slightly less undulating movement in slower currents. The Squimpish Steelhead Brush relies on finer, straighter synthetic hairs that better replicate natural bucktail and polar bear, providing superior lifelike pulsation and a more translucent, subtle appearance suited for clear water or highly pressured fish.
Description
Squimpish Steelhead Brush transforms the way modern anglers tie large, articulated patterns by combining the flowing action of natural hair with the durability of a wire-core synthetic blend. Designed primarily for swinging flies to anadromous fish, this material streamlines the creation of broad, sweeping shoulders and collars on intruders and large streamers. It bridges the gap between traditional bucktail tying and modern synthetic applications, making it ideal for the spey angler targeting aggressive coastal steelhead or resident brown trout in heavy currents.
Manufactured by Squimpish, this specific brush integrates a custom blend of fine synthetic fibers and subtle flash that accurately mimics the translucent properties of polar bear hair. The fibers maintain their volume without absorbing water, allowing large-profile flies to cast easily on light spey or switch setups. Because the material is pre-spun into a stainless-steel wire, tyers can simply wrap the brush around the shank rather than meticulously stacking and spinning loose fibers.
How to Use It
To apply the brush, tie the wire tip securely to the shank just ahead of your hook or stinger loop, leaving enough room for a distinct head or cone. Wrap the brush forward in touching turns, firmly stroking the fibers back after each wrap to prevent trapping the material beneath the wire core. Once you reach the desired collar thickness, tie off the wire firmly with tight thread wraps and trim the excess wire with designated wire cutters to protect your tying scissors.
After securing the brush, aggressively brush out the collar using a stiff dubbing brush or a comb to release any trapped fibers and integrate the flash. If the profile appears too bulky, you can trim the synthetic fibers with thinning shears to taper the collar into the trailing materials. This brushing and tapering process ensures the fibers will pulse individually in the current rather than swimming as a solid, rigid block.
Example Flies
Squimpish Intruder: This pattern utilizes the Steelhead Brush to form a broad, water-pushing front shoulder that flares a trailing marabou or ostrich herl wing. The brush acts as a prop, maintaining the fly's teardrop profile in heavy swing currents while the underlying flash adds subtle attractant for resting winter steelhead.
Articulated Spey Streamer: Tied on a multi-shank platform, this streamer features a rear collar of craft fur and a dense head crafted entirely from the Steelhead Brush. Wrapping the brush tightly behind a heavy tungsten conehead forces the synthetic fibers outward, creating an erratic darting motion that triggers strikes from predatory brown trout.
Why We Like It
The Squimpish Steelhead Brush dramatically cuts down the time required to build complex, voluminous fly profiles at the vise. Instead of individually selecting, stacking, and tying in clumps of bucktail or synthetic hair in multiple stages, you can achieve a perfectly proportioned, 360-degree collar in just a few wraps. The stainless-steel wire core also adds undeniable structural integrity, easily surviving vicious takes from toothy fish or accidental impacts with river rocks.
Furthermore, the specific fiber blend sheds water immediately upon lifting the line, drastically reducing the water weight of large flies. This ensures your casting stroke remains smooth and efficient, reducing shoulder fatigue during long, multi-day swinging sessions on large rivers. The built-in flash is metered precisely, eliminating the guesswork of adding individual flash strands and preventing the fly from looking unnatural.
Senyo's Chromatic Brush vs Squimpish Steelhead Brush
While both materials streamline the creation of large intruder-style collars, Senyo's Chromatic Brush features heavily textured, crinkled fibers mixed with a much higher density of bright, UV-reactive flash. This makes the Chromatic Brush stiffer, allowing it to push more water but offering slightly less undulating movement in slower currents. The Squimpish Steelhead Brush relies on finer, straighter synthetic hairs that better replicate natural bucktail and polar bear, providing superior lifelike pulsation and a more translucent, subtle appearance suited for clear water or highly pressured fish.
