dubbing

[troutchaser]

Yup. The different types of dubbing are specific to what animal or combination of animal furs it comes from. For instance, beaver floats really well. Possum is ok. Synthetic, I'm not sure about. They even make a synthetic with metal in it to sink the fly. I use it on Mackie bugs for Crappie.

On the other hand, I don't use enough dubbing to notice a big difference.

[Crippled Caddis]

<Thought about using my daughters glue stick, but haven't yet.>

Use it! Works great. If you wear a beard or mustache some relative has probably given you a 'beard care set' for Xmas that you have hidden on a shelf somewhere. Break it out and get the 'mustache wax' out and use it on your thread. As Terry pointed out you should only roll it on the thread in one direction; otherwise you'll be unrolling it each time you switch directions.

I'm a big fan of dubbing loops! Once you start using them possibilities open up that you never thought about before. You asked if the thread showed----depends on whether you want it to or not. Sometimes you do because it can change visual perception of the color of the dubbing. Get adventuresome; use copper, silver or gold wire or tinsel, even Krystalflash, for the loop. You can create all sorts of visual effects that way! Let your imagination have free rein. It is even possible to create dryfly 'hackle' using a dubbing loop and the stiff, hollow hair of Deer, Caribou or Elk in a dubbing loop in place of gamecock hackle.

Half the fun of flytying is experimentation. Flytying is at heart an artistic pursuit that requires loosing the imagination to get the most out of. Cut loose and try 'weird stuff'. Sure---you'll create a lot of horrors that you wouldn't want the public to see, but every once in a while it will prove to be exactly what the fish have been waiting on. And for goodness sake don't condemn a new concept out of hand---present it to the experts, the fish, for their opinion!

It has been long noted by fishermen that often a fly doesn't truly come into it's own and start to produce until it has became bedraggled and ragged. Why not just tie it that way up front?

There are no wrong ways to tie flies except in the eyes of the fish. CC

[jdmidwest]

I use dubbing wax and dubbing loops also. It depends on the type of body you want. I use wax and Uni thread for tight bodies on drys and tapered nymph bodies. I use the loop to spin a buggy nymph or scud body, leaves longer pieces of material to look like legs.

[Crippled Caddis]

I use dubbing wax and dubbing loops also. It depends on the type of body you want. I use wax and Uni thread for tight bodies on drys and tapered nymph bodies. I use the loop to spin a buggy nymph or scud body, leaves longer pieces of material to look like legs.

Good points JD. I believe in the 'spikey' look, but on small patterns it's hard to get it right. My best luck has been with 'touch-dubbing' one leg of an 8/0 dubbing loop with a dubbing that has a lot of short, spikey guard hair and then spinning it to keep it from shredding after a few fish. I make my own 'short & spikey' and right now one of the best is available. The back hair from a half-grown gray squirrel is jes' right and there's no shortage of road-kills if you don't want to collect your own. I take off the back hair with a set of clippers and then blend to suit with rabbit, sparkle yarn or----? I much prefer it to Hare's Ear. CC

[Don]

A good friend of mine only applies dubbing with a dubbing loop. I don't always use one, especially on very small flies. Anyhow, he waxes his initial strand of thread with a stick of beeswax. I'll have to ask him where he got it.

Don

[Terry Beeson]

Hey Don... He may tell you it's "none of your beeswax" where he got it...

:lol:

Couldn't resist...

Gordon McKenzie from the UK uses a dubbing loop with squirrel tail to make hackle. There was a guy at Sowbug last year demonstrating his technique for dubbing that was a bit different from anything we're use to seeing. I think he was from Montana or Wyoming... Anyone remember him?

Then there is the Marc Petitjean method...

Lots of dubbing techniques and methods out there.

[troutchaser]

he waxes his initial strand of thread with a stick of beeswax. I'll have to ask him where he got it.

Don

Ummm...maybe from bees?

Man, I crack myself up!

[Rolan Duffield]

Does anyone have suggestions on a type of glue, etc. that will keep the dubbing from coming off the hook when in use? I would like to prevent my scuds from tearing up so fast.

Rolan

[jdmidwest]

In order to make a more durable fly, you could add some wire in the pattern. Or you could use wire for the dubbing loop itself which would be really tough. There is a company that mass produces it in the form of a dubbing brush if memory serves me correct.

I tend to fish the fly till it does not resemble the original fly at all. Repeated catches tend to pick out dubbing and give it a buggier look. When it looks like crap, retire it to the scrap pile and tie another on. Then you get more practice retying a new fly. If you tye your own, it should not be a big deal.

[Crippled Caddis]

<Does anyone have suggestions on a type of glue, etc. that will keep the dubbing from coming off the hook when in use? I would like to prevent my scuds from tearing up so fast.>

Several possibilities depending very much on how you tie the pattern and the material used.

Thick 'superglue' applied to the thread and a touch-dubbing technique if you're using a very short-fibered, spiky dubbing might help. I would go so far as to use that method with the addition of a tightly twisted dubbing loop.

In addition you might consider using something like 6 to 8X tippet to rib it closely to prevent or delay shredding.

Or you could just thank the fishing Gods that you're catching enough fish to wear out your flies.;o)