Copic markers are well known by professional illustrators for their range of color, replaceable nibs, long life, permanent inks, and refillable ink cartridges.  Copic markers come in 214 colors, which cover just about any shade you can think of and for fly tying they offer shades to cover the most discerning patterns (for example they have at least 35 different shades of green).



Each Copic marker has two nibs.  A broad nib for large patterns and for using the ABS (Air Brush System) and a small nib for delicate work such as coloring the head of a Czech nymph or coloring the shell back of a scud. 



The quality of ink is a huge selling point!  Copic inks are permanent and of all the markers I have tried (including Edding) the Copic markers rank among the best.  You can even buy refills and replace the marker nubs if you wear them out.  For an extra layer of protection I treat all colored surfaces with a thin layer of Bug Bond to ensure that even the harshest conditions will not smear or fade the fly.  When working with the ABS on foam poppers the ink dries in about 15 second and you can apply 5 min. epoxy or whatever sealer you use and the ink does not smear. 


For tier's who like to work with foam poppers the Air Brush System (ABS) will revolutionize your bass bugs. The ABS consists of an air brush gun that hooks up to either a portable air tank or a small compressor.  Here is how it works:


To turn your Copic markers into an air brush all you do is insert a marker into the gun press the trigger and a small amount of air hits the tip of the marker nib and sprays a small pattern of ink.


The picture above shows the marker nib and just below is the air port.  You can control the amount of ink sprayed by either adjusting the air pressure on the unit or by lightening the pressure on the trigger.


With a little practice you can create two, three, four, and even five tone bugs by applying light colors and blending them with the air brush feature.







You can also spray a fine mist to accent a lighter color. 


Perhaps the best part of the ABS is that it requires absolutely zero cleaning.  When you are done with one color you simply remove the marker from the gun and pop in the next color.  When you are done coloring turn off the air and you are done! 

In Sum: The use of markers in fly tying is nothing new in Europe and over the last few years has really started to catch on in the U.S.  Copic markers offer the widest range of colors, permanent inks, and are refillable.  The wide and narrow nibs can handle just about any tying need and the ABS will take your poppers to the next level.  I have used Copic markers to color crab patterns, bass bugs, scud backs, darken Hendricksons, blacken wing cases, and add barring to large pike flies.  The range of colors is stunning.  You can even create light, medium, and dark blue-wing olives by touching up white dubbing to customize your flies on the water.  If you are looking for a set of markers to add to your tying arsenal, then without hesitation I recommend Copic.

Disclosure- Copic provided the featured products free of charge for me to review. I was not compensated in any other way for this blog post.