Online Fly Tying Course Part #1
Adding wax to your thread helps to get the dubbing to co-operate. Now, switch hands and hold the bobbin in your left hand and apply some downward pressure. Lightly slide the dubbing wax along the tight thread. If you can easily see the wax you’ve applied, you probably have too much. If its applying too much, add a small dab, pinch it between your thumb and forefinger (right hand) and spread it up and down the thread.
Pull small "wisps"of dubbing out until you have enough to begin. This is subjective, but you’ll soon realize
if you have too much. Its easier/better to have too little than too much.
With the thread still tight, touch the dubbing along the thread, pinch a little if necessary to make it stick
Applying the dubbing:THIS WILL TAKE SOME PRACTICE! Again, keeping the tension up with the bobbin in your left hand, place your forefinger UNDER the thread. Using your thumb, pinch the dubbing.
Keeping your forefinger stationary, your begin to slide your thumb~STILL IN THE PINCH~towards the tip of your forefinger.
Keep sliding that "still-in-the-pinch" thumb towards, and slightly past the tip of your forefinger
Move you thumb and forefinger down slightly and repeat. Notice how the dubbing has been twisted onto the thread.
On to the fly…..(remember, keep the thread tight so your fly will live past the first fish!)
Begin dubbing (now the verb, not the noun) the fly by wrapping the thread forward on the shank. In an effort to imitate the natural insects, most flies require that you create a taper in the body shape.
At the rear of this fly, you don’t want to build up too much material. Its easy to add more dubbing~difficult to remove it.
I’ve intentionally left a gap, or flaw in the taper of this fly. This happens, you simply wind the thread back and fill it. The result will depend on how evenly you’ve applied the dubbing to the thread. If the dubbing (noun) is very lumpy, it’ll be harder to correct. Again….this minute detail probably means more to the tier than to the fish.
With the dubbing corrected, continue until about 3/4 of the hook shank is covered~as shown. You will likely have had to apply more dubbing a few times by this point.
Now, apply some brown dubbing to your thread in the same manner. It is critical to use the dubbing sparingly now, adding only tiny wisps of it so as not to crowd the eye of the hook. Dub to the same diameter as the green, and reverse the taper.
Stroke the brown dubbing back and make several tight wraps of thread behind the eye. This is often called a "thread head." You can add extra for aesthetic reasons, or keep it minimal~your choice. (if you have the room!)
The "Half Hitch"
I like this knot to finish my flies, and can think of only one fly in the last dozen years that MIGHT have failed because of it. That fly might have held together if I had "whip finished" it, (another kind of knot) but I choose to blame it on the trout’s teeth.
Keeping the thread tight with your left hand, place your forefinger over the top of the thread as shown. The palm of your right hand should be facing down.
Rotate the palm of your hand (while sort of "hooking" the thread" with your finger tip) until its facing you~as shown. Note the change in the direction of the bobbin to make this operation easy.
Move your finger tip, with the tight loop of thread around it, close to the eye of the hook.
Place the back of the loop of thread BEHIND the eye of the hook as shown. I press my finger against the thread head to prevent it from unwinding. Pull the bobbin down, tightening the loop. Repeat this so that there are 2 half hitch knots~extra insurance. (I’ll often use 2-3 on my flies)
Using your bodkin or needle, carefully apply some head cement to the thread head, on all sides. Make sure the head cement is thin enough to penetrate the thread, not simply sit on top of it. Again, I find Dave’s Flexcement (with Flexcement thinner) to be the best.
The finished fly!
Congratulations and yes, this will catch fish! Practice these techniques until they become second nature, the next article will tackle more techniques and materials. Good luck!
