03/05/2026
The Slurpee Buzzer is highly versatile because
Buzzer Flex (and its equivalents such as Spanflex or Super Floss) comes in a wide range of colours, allowing you to match specific chironomid species and their various life stages.
Popular Colour Variations
Using different colours of Buzzer Flex allows you to imitate everything from the bright red "bloodworm" larval stage to the dark, gassy pupae. According to Flylife Canada, at least 17 common colours are used in these patterns.
Bloodworm Red / Ox Blood: Used to mimic the high-hemoglobin larval stage found in oxygen-poor depths.
Dark Olive / Picric Olive: Excellent for mimicking the natural green-hued pupae common in many stillwater lakes.
Black: A staple for mimicking mature pupae, often used with a silver or red rib for contrast.
Claret / Wine: Mimics a deeper purple/red hue that remains visible at greater depths where red light is absorbed.
Golden Olive / Sunburst: Great for matching lighter, more translucent pupae in clearer water or shallower depths.
Advanced Tying Tips with Flex Materials
Tapering Control: Because these materials are extremely stretchy, you can control the thickness of the fly's body. Applying less tension as you wrap toward the head creates a thin, slim profile, while decreasing tension as you move toward the thorax creates a natural taper.
Mottled Effects: You can achieve a mottled look by wrapping two different colours of Spanflex simultaneously, colouring the body with a Copic Marker before wrapping the rib, or spacing the wraps to let an underbody thread or the flashback material colour show through.
You can add an extra rib material and gently wrap it between the spanflex ribbing, as long as the spacing is slightly wider to create a more segmented, interesting appearance.
Translucency:
Buzzer Flex
is often translucent. Applying a clear UV resin like Solarez Bone Dry over these materials makes the colours "pop" and enhances the fly's lifelike, watery appearance.
https://flylifecanada.ca/products/buzzer-flex?variant=43896274452735
