The Next Best Dubbing of the Decade?

July 18, 2025

The Next Best Dubbing of the Decade?

above: A Kapok dubbed BWO loop wing emerger, I tied this using Kapok colored with Prismacolor Marker. Alcohol dyes work very well with this fiber.

Who would have ever thought there would be a great dubbing made of seed fibers? This silky incredibly thin and gossamer material is a plant fiber from the seed of a tree known as the Kapok tree. It has been used traditionally in life jackets and its known for its outstanding buoyancy. Each fiber is encased in a waxy sheath and the fiber is much lighter and buoyant than Superfine Dry Fly dubbing.

By mixing Kapok with squirrel, muskrat, and beaver belly you can create outstanding combinations of hair and natural fiber that is completely water resistant. For the dry fly its a game changer. What I have found over time is that this fiber takes alcohol dyes very well. You can either purchase alcohol dyes or simply get an alcohol based marker such as COPIC, or Prismacolor markers. Each fiber of Kapok has a micro layer of wax that covers the outside sheath and traditional dying methods are very difficult, I have experimented with Veniards and Ritt with epic failure. The good news is that if you buy Kapok in a very light value (which most of the colors are) like a very light tan you can colorize it either once its on the fly or while you are handling it. Simply put down a swatch of wax paper on your table and lightly touch it with the marker, It doesn't take much. The color range of the Kapok is somewhat anemic, for a lack of better words, so as usual I took matters into my own hands finding the results very successful with the use of Prismacolor markers.