The Dangers of UV Resin in Fly Tying

Fly tying manufacturers have been outright lying to us about the safety of their products for years. Light cured UV resins came onto the hobby around 2009-2010 with Dave Edwards Bug Bond and we've seen numerous companies launch similar products since. Some of the most popular UV resin brands in the world today are Loon, Solarez, Raidzap, Gulff, and (way back), Clear Cure Goo. 

In this article I"m going to show you the real dangers of using UV resins on your fly tying bench, how to better protect yourself if you choose to continue using them going forward, and show you the manufacturers actual documented safety sheets. At the end of this, I hope you can avoid being one of the growing number of fly tyers that are experiencing real symptoms from these products, and how deep the danger actually goes. 


Part 1: The Marketing Lies About "Non-Toxic and Eco-Friendly"

Several of the big UV resin brands including Loon have marketed themselves as being eco-friendly and non-toxic , and that would be incredible but you can't take that at face value. When UV resin brands slap a "non-toxic" or "eco-friendly" label on their bottles, it is a massive, dangerous lie. They get away with this greenwashing by exploiting a flawed legal loophole in art supply regulations—specifically the ASTM D-4236 standard—where a toxicologist only reviews the formula for chronic, long-term hazards like cancer, completely ignoring immediate, acute dangers. Because there is absolutely no pre-market government testing required, brands legally twist this paperwork compliance into marketing gold, falsely claiming the product is safe based entirely on the fully cured, inert plastic. In reality, the raw liquid resin and its airborne fumes are highly reactive sensitizers packed with hazardous compounds that cause severe respiratory irritation, painful chemical burns, and permanent contact allergies, while their "eco-friendly" badge is just a marketing spin on the fact that light-curing uses less energy than mixing traditional two-part epoxies.


Loon: Where Is Your Conscious?

Loon is one of the bigger brands in the UV resin space that has been using these marketing lies for years now. Here are some elements of their published safety data sheet- entirely prepared by Loon (full report is available for any fly tyer that wants to see it).  



The 2nd page is even more concerning. Sure, general health and fire hazards are probably not great, but how bad is it really? Here are their own published warnings. 

GHS Phrases:
 H313 - May be harmful in contact with skin
 H315 - Causes skin irritation
 H317 - May cause an allergic skin reaction
 H319 - Causes serious eye irritation
 H361 - Suspected of damaging fertility or the unborn child
 H373 - May cause damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure




So, Loon has been selling a "non-toxic, eco-friendly" bullshit statement with serious health risks, without telling anyone, and without packaging the product with the required personal protective equipment to remain safe while tying flies. That doesn't seem cool or hip to me. It seems more than slightly concerning when you see phrases like "damaging fertility or to  the unborn child, and may cause organ damage". The risks do not stop at skin irritations people. Loon's Help Center/Knowledge Base says "develop all of our products to be as safe as possible for fish, fisheries, anglers, and tyers," specifically adding that their "UV resins are no exception to this. They are non-toxic and don't produce the same fumes or odors as other UV resins."

Solarez: Tack Free, Not Hack Free

This is a growing brand in the fly tying market, especially with their Bone-Dry formula. When I looked into their Safety Data Sheet (available in it's entirety), I found a marked contradiction, and a scary one. For example, here is their actual first page of the sheet. 

Here is the opening paragraph of their sds: 

4. FIRST AID MEASURES
DESCRIPTION OF FIRST MEASURES
Eye Contact:
Rinse immediately with plenty of water for at least 15 minutes. Obtain medical advice if there are persistent
Skin Contact:
Remove contaminated clothing and shoes without delay. Wash immediately with plenty of water. Do not reuse contaminated clothing
without laundering. Get medical attention if pain or irritation persists after washing or if signs and symptoms of overexposure appear.
Ingestion:
If swallowed, call a physician immediately. Only induce vomiting at the instruction of a physician. Never give
anything by mouth to an unconscious person.
Inhalation:
Material is not expected to be harmful if inhaled. Remove to fresh air.
Material is not expected to be harmful if inhaled. Remove to fresh air.
MOST IMPORTANT SYMPTOMS AND EFFECTS,
INDICATION OF ANY IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ATTENTION AND SPECIAL TREATMENT NEEDS
General Information
In all cases of doubt, or when symptoms persist, seek medical attention. Never give anything by mouth to an unconscious person.


Sounds promising- but, when you dig a little deeper it's actually a contradiction aka LIE. In their Safety Data Sheet for Bone Dry, Solarez reassures users under the first-aid section that the material is "not expected to be harmful if inhaled" and simply advises to remove the person to fresh air. However, this boilerplate claim is completely undercut by the mandatory regulatory disclosures, which legally classify the chemical under the H335 hazard code—explicitly warning that it may cause severe respiratory irritation.





And if you think it's safe from causing skin irritants you clearly haven't been on a fly tying forum, Reddit, or have spent much time in Facebook fly tying groups because there are tons of people with photographs of rashes, hives, etc. 

Lastly- Never microwave Solarez Bone Dry because it can trigger a violent chemical reaction, releasing dangerous toxic fumes that permanently contaminate your food-prep appliance. Instead, safely dissolve the crystals by placing the sealed bottle in a warm water bath on a dedicated craft desk or garage workbench.


**Gulff Fly Fishing to be Included Later-

They do not openly have their Safety Data Sheet available for the public. I have emailed them directly as well as one of their distributors to attain this to include the relevant chemical warnings that are inside of it. Until then, here is a blanket statement that applies

Universal Liquid UV Resin Disclaimers

Because GULFF resins fall under the broader polymer category, standard chemical safety baselines still apply to their uncured liquid state:

• Uncured Toxicity: In its liquid state, UV resin is a chemical irritant. Direct contact can cause skin inflammation, eye discomfort, or respiratory irritation if fumes are directly inhaled.
• Risk of Sensitization: Prolonged or repeated skin exposure to uncured monomers can cause users to develop an irreversible chemical allergy (sensitization), resulting in rashes or poison-ivy-like bumps.
• Standard PPE is Required: Working with any liquid UV resin requires basic personal protective equipment (PPE)—specifically nitrile gloves, safety glasses, and operation in a highly ventilated workspace.

As for their "Biodegradeable Raw Resin Material" claim, it seems to be true in part. Because the marketing specifies that the main raw material is biodegradable, it does not automatically guarantee that the cured, solid plastic on your finished fly will safely dissolve in water or soil within a standard timeframe, which is misleading. But, until I can see their SDS this is all I can say. 



Breathe Easy: Raidzap is the Safest Big Name in UV Resin

Raidzap is a brand that I have a slight history. I've used it in the past, and while it was fine and good I couldn't see the differentiator at the time. Well, now I know what I was missing. SAFETY. 

Part 2: UV Resin Personal Protective Equipment


So what should fly tyers do if they want to continue using UV resins (any)- well, first, you should SERIOUSLY consider switching to Raidzap if you use them often, but beyond that there is additional PPE that you should have around your fly tying bench. 

1. 3M Reusable Respirator equipped with Organic Vapor (OV) cartridges   $64

You must use a respirator that, at the bare minimum, uses changeable Organic Vapor cartridges, although the Magenta and Black cartridges is a better option. The primary advantage of the magenta and black cartridges strictly for UV resin work is dual-phase protection against both the liquid curing process and the post-cure cleanup.

2. Black Nitrile Gloves: $17/100pack. 

These gloves offer superior protection to uv resins and uv lights in comparison to latex gloves. They are chemically more resilient, and they allow you to see the typical clear uv resin if you get it on your fingers or hand when contamination happens. Lastly, the black color helps to cut down on the exposure from your UV torches. UV torches trigger a violent heat reaction that forces volatile chemical fumes and ozone directly into your breathing zone. Additionally, high-intensity beams can cause instant thermal skin burns on stray resin or ignite highly combustible tying materials on your bench. 

3. Professional UV Lite Safety Shop Glasses with Wraparound Shield:  $15-20

Most of the commercial uv resins in the fly tying or craft industry fall within this range. The reason you want to wear these protective glasses when torching your UV resin because they emit high-intensity UVA radiation that causes permanent cellular damage to your eyes. For example, nail technicians face a high risk of early-onset macular degeneration and cataracts because they constantly peer downward directly into the unshielded glare of high-intensity UVA curing lamps, and fly tyers are at risk as well. 

4. Fume Extractor:  $40-80

When you choose to use a UV resin, using a fan and opening a window isn't enough especially if you choose not to wear a respirator. However, if you are tying in your house and YOU are wearing a respirator, , those fumes are going to dissipate throughout, which can present dangers to your family, pets, etc. While not for everyone, serious fly tyers should consider one of these devices. 

5. Microbrush Applicators: Perfect for you perdigon fly tyers, but I've found them to be useful in a range of applications. For you perdigon tyers out there you definitely 

I hope you learned something about UV resin and the dangers and risks associated with using them. I have no relationship with any of the manufacturers in this article, including Raidzap although from MY research they are clearly the safest if you want to continue using UV resins in your flies. Now, most of you probably aren't going to experience any of the dangers of these products, but the concern is real and we simply are too early to be being cavalier about these products. They are CHEMICALS and should be treated with respect to their dangers. In 50 years who knows what the health effects of continued UV resin usage is going to be. I really hope someone out there that is much smarter than me can weigh in on this as well. It's a product category that I have used for about 8-10 years. I hope somebody at the Federal Trade Commission or the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission can investigate these misleading marketing claims of "eco-friendly" and "non-toxic" because the Safety Data Sheets don't lie. 


I wish you solid whip finishes and tight lines friends- stay safe out there. 


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