FLY TYING TIPS

[Scruffy_Fly]

Tubedud wrote:

[size 1]It can scratch it. Also if you tie rotary style, it is more difficult to do if you leave it in the bobbin. A spool of wire costs a buck. I trade the ability to tie faster for the waste of the wire. [/size]
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[#0000ff]Never had the scratched wire problem. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Well I did qualify my post by stating that I was a skin flint. [cool] [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Then I also have this very fine silver/clear varnish coated steel wire i us on midges, from a french fly material manufacturer. I found that my acidic fingers tended to tarnish the wire because of the amount of contact when using it in cut lengths. Because the base metal is steel it also was unruley when I would let loose of it. Solved both problems by using the bobbin holder. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]When you tie as slow as I do speed differential is minimal anyways. I could not distinguish that there was a time differential.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We each have our preferences. One must try different things to find what works best for us. [/#0000ff]

[#0000ff]Some of your preferences will change with time and what you are tying.[/#0000ff]
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[TubeDud]

[reply]Tubedud wrote:

[size 1]It can scratch it. Also if you tie rotary style, it is more difficult to do if you leave it in the bobbin. A spool of wire costs a buck. I trade the ability to tie faster for the waste of the wire. [/size]
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[#0000ff]Never had the scratched wire problem. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Well I did qualify my post by stating that I was a skin flint. [cool] [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Then I also have this very fine silver/clear varnish coated steel wire i us on midges, from a french fly material manufacturer. I found that my acidic fingers tended to tarnish the wire because of the amount of contact when using it in cut lengths. Because the base metal is steel it also was unruley when I would let loose of it. Solved both problems by using the bobbin holder. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]When you tie as slow as I do speed differential is minimal anyways. I could not distinguish that there was a time differential.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]We each have our preferences. One must try different things to find what works best for us. [/#0000ff]

[#0000ff]Some of your preferences will change with time and what you are tying.[/#0000ff][/reply]


Fair enough. I think we were talking about scratching the actual ceramic in the bobbin tube. If you have experienced a bobbin with a nick or scratch, then you know what it is to throw a bobbin across the room and into 1/4" of sheetrock.

I do a lot of midges, and I'm tying mostly with uni 17/0 thread. That stuff is awesome when matched with the right bobbin.
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[Dryrod]

[font "Pristina"][green][size 4]I had bought an extra Dr. Slick bobbin with ceramic inserts. Well much to my surprise my thread was hanging up apparently on a small burr within the tube. Got a replacement with no questions asked. I mean at BMs they don't give them away for peanuts.[][/size][/green][/font]
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[Scruffy_Fly]

[size 1][/size]
[size 1]Tubedud wrote: I think we were talking about scratching the actual ceramic in the bobbin tube.[/size]
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[#0000ff][size 1]Ceramic bobbin holders are expensive. I use cheap metal bobbin holders. Sometimes feather craft has good deals on cheap bobbins under their web specials. However, I do have one ceramic bobbin that I started using for wire only because it did get a scratch that would break my thread.[/size][/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff][size 1]Speaking of the scratch/bur. I read recently where you can take some kevlar thread and drag it back and forth through the bobbin holder and it will smooth out the scratch. I have not tried it yet though.[/size][/#0000ff]
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[macfly55]

...I love discussions like this.. you can learn so much just by reading of each others experiences.....

...I bought another ceramic bobbin the other day at bass pro. I thought for sure my wife was gonna yell at me about it since I have at one other ceramic and several other metal bobbins.. so far she has been calm.. []

... I have to agree with Scruffy on his comment (as I am sure most here agree).. everyone has to try different things and then settle in on what they are the most comfortable with.. I think that is one of the biggest lessons I got from the day Scruffy taught me some of the basics..

MacFly [cool]
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[macfly55]

... I am finding very quickly in this sport that even "peanuts" cost a lot.. [sly]

MacFly [cool]
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[Dryrod]

[center][cool][font "Pristina"][green][size 4]A couple of times while applying head cement I neglected to notice that I also caught the eye. So now if I am working real close to the eye I slip a dental floss threader into the eye. Occasionally I will give a wiggle to insure that the threader doesn't become a part of my fly.[/size][/green][/font]
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[macfly55]

...cool idea.. but just came up with an off the wall one..

I wonder if one of those threader could be tied into the fly and used as a loop for a drop fly.. ???

MacFly [cool]
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[Scruffy_Fly]

[font "Pristina"][#008000][size 4] FR wrote: I slip a dental floss threader into the eye[/size][/#008000][/font]
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[font "Pristina"][#4040ff][size 4]That sounds like a good thing. Failing to have that, a peice of peakcock herl or the stripped stem of another feather will work.[/size][/#4040ff][/font]
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[Scruffy_Fly]

Most beginners and some experienced tiers tend to crowd the eye when finishing off the fly; especially small patterns with hackle. I know cause I am one. The hackle and /or the glue can block or clog the hook eye area and yet you can not see it. So after completing all the flies I take a piece of 4x tippet material and see if I can pass it easily through the eye. If I can't I go to work with a bodkin and an xacto knive to clear the eye. Thats because I get very aggrevated at myself when I am stream side with a fly that I can not get the tippet into. With these old eyes it is hard to see the hook eye well enough to clean it out at the fishing hole.

I don't have the problem on flies I use bigger tippets so on them I don't bother.
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[Dryrod]

[font "Pristina"][green][size 4][cool]Oh Yea Scruffy_Fly that is another use for my dental tool. Cleaning out an eye full of sleep if I forget to insert the floss threader. [You know that sticky stuff that you find in you eyes in the morning] The tips of those dental tools are very sharp. A flick or two and the eye is clean. Oh yea another use for DT is recycling screwed up flies. No problem cutting the thread and materials away.[/size][/green][/font]
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[match-hatch]

One Problem I have had in the past was opening my hook containers and having then scatter on the floor and desk. I have some round magnets tapped to my desk with the hook sizes printed on the magnet, and when I need a hook I simply grab one. No more hooks in the bare feet. Works great!
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[Dryrod]

[font "Pristina"][green][size 4][cool]Thanks match-hatch. I hear what you are saying. There must be a fortune in fly goodies lying around my chair. My chair sits on a plastic mat and when a bead drops it will bounce in any direction whereas hooks lie pretty close to home.[/size][/green][/font]
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[macfly55]

hehehe superball beads there Dr????


MacFly [cool]
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[Scruffy_Fly]

I use some clips I saved from temporary window shades; such as Readishades. If you know someone who has moved into a new home or done some remodeling they very well may have some. I use them to hold pieces of light weight materials from blowing away or getting lost on my desk top while waiting to be used: such as dubbing, marabou, mylar strips, strands of crystal flash. The clips work great because they are light weight, have wide jaws, don't have sharp edges, and just enough spring tension to hold the materials.


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[Dryrod]

[font "Pristina"][green][size 4][cool]Hey there Scruffy_Fly now that is a timely tip. Had recently replaced several window and had covered them with those temp shades until my shutters were installed. Thanks to you I can now put those [flat clothes] pins to good use.[/size][/green][/font]
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[Scruffy_Fly]

[left]I posted a note about clips to hold material. See above posts. It works great for just holding materials just sitting on the bench.

To keep materials like several strands of crystal flash clumped together while I tying them in and dangling off the back of the vise I use a electronic test clip. You can get test clips at Radio Shack, Frys, Micro Center, etc. You can also probably get them at industrial supply stores such as Grabar, also.

[/left] [center][/center] [left]

The one pictured is one I keep on my fishing vest to hold small flies i am fishing with while I tie them on or while tying new sections of tippet on.

They work well as hackle pliers, also. You may have to use a mini file to file the beryllium copper's edge because they can be quite sharp.

Guys use the mini-test clips to display thier flies in photos and during demonstrations also.
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[tailgrabber]

In regards to finding material outside of the tackle store. I had posted about some popper flies I made. They are made out of a foam sheet wich sells for 4.00-5.00 for 2 4x7 strips. Then I found full 9x11" sheets at Walmart in every color of the rainbow for .37. Not only is it great for making flies but it works for an insert for a flybox.
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[Brook]

You know what makes this kind of thread difficult? It's the fact that we all do what we do, without thinking it's anything special; that, surely, everybody already knows these things.

The extra bobbin thing is a great idea, if your fingers are geared that way. I have friends who use them for all sorts of material---floss, for instance. Basically, anything that comes on a roll can be applied with a bobbin, and thus minimize wastage.

For me they don't work all that well, as my thread bobbin gets in the way. It's simpler for me to cut a section of wire--floss--other body material---long enough to tie several flies, and work with that. Do I waste some? You betcha. But I shrug it off as a cost of the hobby.

One tip I can offer is to get one or more exacto-type knives to keep on your tying table. Even with the finest scissors it's all but impossible to truly cut thread etc. off flush. Instead, put some tension on it, and touch the exacto blade to the materal. A clean, flush cut every time. This works for most soft body materials, like thread, floss, estaz, chennile, etc. For hard materials, like wire, lead, etc., twist the material back and forth over the tie-down wraps. Metal fatique will cause it to break at that point, without leaving a sharp, pointy edge.

Another tip: To assure sparkle material (tinsel, krystal flash, etc.) used for bodies or ribs is locked down; bend the material back over the tie-down threads, and make another wrap or two over it before trimming off.

If you use epoxy a lot, and don't invest in a drying wheel, shame on you. I've done them one at a time, holding the hook in a pliers and rotating it slowly. To me that ranks with the old Chinese water torture.

To assure spun deer hair is compact, without hurting your fingers, just take the barrel of a ball-point pen and use it to push the bunches of hair tightly together. The hole in the barrel fits over the hook eye.

On body materials made like rope---that is, a thread core holding other material--such as chennile, estaz, etc., strip off a quarter inch or so of the other materials, exposing the central core. Use that to tie the material down, thus reducing both bulk and a sloppy connection.

I'm a big believer in durable flies. So, for everything except drys (which I don't tie, anyway) I use head cement liberally, applying it at almost every tying stage. Tie in some chennile for a body? A drop of cement at the tie-in, as well as the tie-off point. Applying any material for a wing? Hold the bunch in place, apply a drop of cement at the tie-on point, make a soft-wrap and pull it down. And so on. My flies might not be the best. But they never come apart.

Brook
http://www.the-outdoor-sports-advisor.com
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[flygoddess]

Another tip to you AWESOME list Brook, on those smaller flies.
Add the head cement or Zap-A Gap in my case to the thread before tie off. then you only need to do ONE whip Have to work fast though so it doesn't glue before tightening last loop.
On my #30's that is the main thing.

I agree totally with the drying wheel. I got one this year and use it all the time, because I tie so many Chironomids and coat them well with Sally Hansen Hard As Nails for a great body on the fly.
Before I go the wheel I could only tie three at a time as I had three vises[cool]
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