An enticing selection of custom dubbing color blends were showcased on Saturday, April 4th at the Caddis Fly by Jackson Nicholas with a little help from his parents, Jay and Lisa.
Zowie Dub is a series of a dubbing blends created by the Nicholas family with support from Hareline Dubbin. Zowie Dub’s roots go back to when Jackson, then age 6, stuffed Jay’s coffee grinder with multi-colored chunks of Anton yarn, blending piles of weird-colored fluff, covering the kitchen counter and pretty much everything within a 30 foot radius of ground zero. Fluff was fun to make, but it was better suited to padding bird nests than to tying flies.
Eventually, dad offered access to his inventory of commercially packaged dubbing. The creative imagination of a 7 year old combined with the experience of the seasoned tyer elevated the product from bird-nest material to a real advantage at the fly vise.
The first public unveiling of Zowie Dub occurred at the FFF Expo at Albany in 2007. Starting with a half-dozen colors of dad’s dubbing in fresh-from-the-rack-packets, Jackson began creating wild color combinations and handing out free samples to curious onlookers. Jay sat at the next table, tying Clouser Minnows. More people were attracted to Jackson’s table than dad’s.
The artistry and utility of Jackson’s custom blends has grown over the past 3 years, to the point where Jackson has a dedicated following of EXPO tyers who have been back three-years-running, telling fish stories, asking for more of last year’s blend, and requesting new color combinations.
Straight-off-the-peg dubbings are perfectly functional, and a great selection is available. But some fly tyers want more. More what? More variety. Different color shades. Dubbing that incorporates complex color highlights. More sparkle. Greater allure.
We want to say thanks to Hareline Dubbin and Marcos Vargara. First, Hareline provided the raw materials that we experimented with the last two years. One day, I was talking with Marcos about people’s reactions to the blends Jackson was creating, how great the color/texture combinations were, and, for lack of a better word, I just paused and said: Zowie! Days later, Marcos suggested that we name a dozen of our most enticing blends and name it Zowie Dub. Wow, Marcos, what a great idea. So here we go. Jackson’s Zowie Dub – The Lucky Thirteen blends. Note: We hope this Key Ingredients list will help jump-start your creative grinding. Enjoy!
JN & JN
Zowie Dub ingredient list:
Regal Roe No. 1 Fresh Roe
A translucent orange cast; creates the impression of fresh eggs.
• Hot Orange Trilobal
• Fl. Cerise Trilobal
• Red Trilobal
• Fl. Pink Trilobal
• Red-cast Pearl Ice Dub
• Chartreuse Trilobal
Regal Roe No. 2 Dead Egg
Choose creamy pink blend when the water is cold, clear, or when everyone else is fishing bright colors.
• Hot Pink Trilobal
• Cream Trilobal
• Hot Pink Hareline
• Fl. Yellow Hareline
• UV Minnow Bally Ice Dub
Ultimate Egg-Head
A dazzling palate of fluorescents; a perfect complement to any egg-sucking Leech. By the way, this blend makes a great Sea-run cutthroat fly too.
• Fl. Pink Trilobal
• Cream Trilobal
• Fl Shell Pink Trilobal
• Fl Red Hareline
• Fl. Yellow Hareline
• Red-cast Pearl Ice Dub
King Salmon Green
Fishing big Kings or Chum salmon? Your big Intruders deserve to be dressed with this is the mother of all greens.
• Chartreuse Trilobal
• Kelly Green Trilobal
• Chartreuse Ice Dub
• Kingfisher Blue Trilobal
• Fl. Orange Hareline
• Red-cast Pearl Ice Dub
Lisa’s Voluptuous Violet
Summer steelhead love this shimmery violet blend. Swim it, skate it, the fish will eat it. Believe in it. You will be rewarded.
• Purple Trilobal
• Cream Trilobal
• Kingfisher Blue Trilobal
• Fl. Yellow Hareline
• UV Minnow Belly
• Steelie Blue Ice Dub
Hypnotic Blue
Blue is the new purple. Steelhead, kings, silvers, half pounders, and Atlantic salmon all go for blue flies. This custom blend isn’t just blue, it’s the living, breathing blue these fish can’t resist.
• Blue Trilobal
• Black Trilobal
• Red Trilobal
• Purple Trilobal
• UV Minnow Belly Ice Dub
• Steelie-Blue Ice Dub
Ultimate Steelhead
If you must choose one blend for tying dark steelhead, salmon, and trout flies, this is it. Not quite black, purple, blue, or claret – or is it? Tie it, fish it, hang on.
• Black Trilobal
• Purple Trilobal
• Kingfisher Blue Trilobal
• Fl. Flame Trilobal
• Stonefly Brown Trilobal
• Steele-blue Ice Dub
New Millennium Skunk
This blend elevates black to a new level of excitement for fly tyers. Your traditional salmon and steelhead flies will look better and fish more effectively than ever before. A hint of fluorescence and a sparkle of silver add to the magic.
• Black Trilobal
• Purple Trilobal
• Kingfisher Blue Trilobal
• Silver Ice Dub
• UV Minnow belly Ice Dub
Perilously Purple
Not your father’s Purple, this enticing blend is a dark purplish that shimmers like it is alive. Egads!
• Purple Trilobal
• Black Trilobal
• Gold Ice Dub
• Red-cast Pearl Ice Dub
Gathering Storm
Can’t decide whether to stick with tried-and-true black or experiment with a claret fly at dusk? Here ya go. This subtle blend isn’t quite black or claret, and looky here, is that a hint of copper too?
• Black Trilobal
• Claret Trilobal
• Stonefly Brown Trilobal
• Copper Ice Dub
• UV Minnow Belly Ice Dub
