I tie a lot of my flies for snook and largemouth with Puglisi or "EP" fibers. These long, soft fibers come in a huge array of colors and are amazing for crafting a plethora of flies imitating baitfish and other morsels. At the vise, the material is very easy to work with, and on the water it produces an excellent breathing/swimming action underwater.

The one downside I do encounter is that larger patterns tied with these fibers can become a big tangled wad after a fish is caught. You can do a decent job of picking out these messes with just your fingers and perhaps the help of a spare hook, but using a comb is so much more efficient. Even at the vise when crafting a baitfish fly, it is beneficial to comb out the fibers. This gets everything nice and straight, cleans out loose fibers, and kind of "teases" the fibers out to their full lengths for easier and more accurate trimming and/or coloring with markers.

For a while, I just used a simple plastic hair comb to get my flies into prime fishing shape. It worked relatively well, but the numerous bristles spaced close together made it tougher to comb large amounts of fiber without hanging up. Also, the plastic bristles flexed somewhat when pulling through the fibers which made combing through them not quite so fluid. That comb got the job done, but I finally gave in and looked for one specifically made for flies......that's when I found the Loon Outdoors Ergo Comb.

The Ergo Comb features an ergonomically-shaped powder-coated handle that's bright yellow for easy visibility on a cluttered desk or in the depths of a tackle bag. Extending out from that is a stainless steel shaft with 1-inch teeth that are both rigid and have good spacing between them to comb through thick fibers much more easily than a typical comb. The overall size is around 4 1/4 inches long so it'll fit into a vest pocket, sling, or even a pants pocket easily. Additionally, the ends of the teeth are slightly rounded, so there's no sharp edges anywhere to stick or scrape you.

I make sure to bring the Ergo Comb with me anytime I'm fishing larger streamers that can foul badly. I've had some real messes—particularly with my largest bass patterns—and the Ergo Comb does a great job of getting a fly back in order to present to the next fish. As the name implies, it's also real comfortable to hold and manipulate.

Priced at $12.95, it's most definitely costlier than my cheapo plastic hair comb, but it's a far more efficient and precise instrument. If you're a streamer junkie like I am, it's a must-have tool!

Support Demystifly by Purchasing an Ergo Comb at

Trident Fly Fishing

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