dubbingblock

[Mataura mayfly]

Doug, agreed to all the above, apart from the "two toning". Would be a simple matter of touching the "thorax" thread with a permanent marker pen and leaving the "abdomen" thread. Not so easy with wire..... and maybe the ink would not take so well with well waxed thread..... but might be worth an experiment or two.

I have used some pretty dang fine wire and as long as you allow the brush to shorten as you twist and do not apply to much in the way of "pull" strain, you can use wire in a similar gauge to size 12 tying thread.