crappiecripplerjigs said:
Neat looking bugs Jubs! Is dubbing really as hard as I make it? I was told to lick fingers and twist dubbing onto thread. Mine are too bulky or too thin so I gave up tying flies long ago... still have some dubbing if you have any pointers. = )
Thank you!
Dubbing is not that hard once you get a feel for it. This stuff I used was a bit of a pain to work with as the fibers were very stiff and I much prefer natural hare's ear to this stuff but I hadn't used it and give it a go. As for the bulk it really depends on what you're tying. Dry flies especially, less is more, you don't want to put much on the thread at all and if you need to build up the body (especially to tape the body to the thorax) then you just wrap the thread on top of itself to build it up as you need it.
Here is a good example of less is more when it comes to dubbing.
For nymphs or wet flies you can add more bulk and still the "less is more" method is a good one to use till you get a better feel for dubbing, the only thing is will just take you more time to build it up. One thing to remember is with wet flies is if you didn't quite get the bulk you were looking for you can pick out and it will benefit you in it will appear bulkier and buggier at the same time.
Practice, practice, and more practice and when you think you have it down practice some more! Thread choice is another important factor when it comes to what you're tying as well. Anything under a 12 or even a 14 I try not use anything larger than 8/0, most of the time unless its going to be something where bulk is wanted or I don't have the thread in the right size lol.
Another thing to take into consideration is the type of dubbing you will be using for the pattern you are tying. What I mean by that is that if you're tying a dry fly that doesn't have foam or some other method of high flotation you want to use fine dubbing and not something like Hare's ear since it absorbs water and will cause the fly to sink.
Doc Crappie said:
CCJ
I find there is really no need to wet your fingers if you are using waxed thread, also I use 6/0 thread when I am making flies and using dubbing. I have always been told that the thread should just have a fuzz look to it, you really dont need allot of dubbing.If the body is to thin you just add more dubbin and build the body to your liking. The 6/0 thread is allot smaller than the thread you use for jigs for if you are using that thread it will cause the body to build to quickly more than likely you will not end up with the end results that you are looking for.
So I guess my first question to you is what kind of thread are you using when you are using dubbing?
Also with dubbing if you think it is too bulky you can always pick it out and reduce the bulky look? Too thin you add more dubbing to the thread and continue wrapping building on the body.
But like everything else practice is the key to achieving that perfect looking fly or jig..
Doc
What do you mean by waxed thread? Are you referring waxed thread as in from the manufacturer or do you mean applying dubbing wax? I don't use dubbing wax anymore, it is messy and doesn't offer any benefit over spinning it on by hand. The only rare occasion I will use it is heavier dubbing and making a dubbing loop I MIGHT hit the thread with a once over but even then I rarely use it.
Another thing to remember is not all thread is created equal. 6/0 Danville is not the same size as 6/0 Uni Thread. I use Uni Thread for just about everything and will use Danville on some jigs but I just don't like it anymore compared to Uni Thread which is much more predictable for me, meaning I know how it will react do this amount of pressure as opposed to that amount, with Danville that can change depending on how twisted the thread is since it is a flat thread. Don't get me wrong it has its purposes but the majority of them time I don't like it for general purposes. The 140 denier makes good ribbing!
Doc Crappie said:
Jubs
Did you use wire in the peacock hurl for ribbing and added support for the hurl body...
Oh by the way awesome collection you have there and I see I have a long way to go to catch up to those. Also is the vise everything you expected while tying them, for they are very good... I really like that last one... I think I will call it the Blue Bomber excellent job
No I didn't use wire in the peacock herl this time I usually thread wrap it as well but with a peacock sword tail the fly isn't going to hold up anyway.
Thank you these are just playing around trying to come up with ideas for different uses of materials. The vise is working well, still working on getting the feel down for adjusting the jaws but every vise I have used is like that if you don't want to kill your jaws.
The blue one is just my take of the Rubber Legged Dragon in blue I guess its very popular in the Mid West for gills and the Red's Olive chenille version I tied about a month back is the first strike I got on one of my flies ( still learning to fly fish) but I got overly excited and yanked it from the fish too soon and put it in a tree... :-/ lol then I just switched flies instead of tying on another one for some reason.
Jiggin Joe said:
Those are some very nice looking flys!!! Great job Jubs
JJ
Thank you Joe.
LRB said:
Jubs.....
Those are incredible !!!!...
MaryLou~~
Thank you MaryLou.
