Re: [VFB] Deerhair Spinning vs. Looping

[Wes Wada]

Thanks Martin, Allan, Paul, John, Joyce, Mel and Henk!

I tried the dubbing loop method after making the initial post to VFB and came to these conclusions:
1. Awkward way to do something that is much easier to accomplish the traditional way.
2. Makes a much shaggier, less dense hair head unless you continually pack he hair as you go along.
3. Because the hair in the dubbing loop takes off at all directions when it is being wound on, you are constantly fighting to keep hair out of your way.
4. Deer hair and dubbing loops are not a friendly combination. You should use wax in the loop, and a single prong dubbing twister
5. Still would like to see the flies that 'benefit' from using this technique.

For standard deerhair spinning:
1. I have been using 3/0 Uni-thread because that's the heaviest I have laying around. It works fine, though I will try the other suggestions such as the Berkeley Fireline 4# monofilament.
2. Definitely have to try Paul's suggestion about sponging the deerhair with water, combing it out and then spinning. Never heard that tip before.
3. One of the most effective tips was one I found on a web page. After you place your deerhair bunch with two loose winds, lightly grab the hair bundle and move the stack downward on the hook so that the hair surrounds the shank before you make your cinching spinning wraps.

For the Rolled Muddler pattern:
1. All the tips in past messages about wrapping tinsel are working beautifully. Paul suggested tying in the tail the length of the shank so that there is not a bulge at the tail. I then make a very careful flat thread wrap to the front of the hook, tie in the tinsel, wrap in butted, not overlapping turns to the tail, then back to the front tie-in point.
2. Instead of spinning long lengths of deerhair and then trimming (leaving 4-5 strands of hair only pointing back to the tail as specified in the pattern), I simply tie in 4-5 strands of hair pointing back towards the tail.
3. When I spin the small muddler-style head, I tie in a clump of deerhair, but before letting go of the stack, I trim the back end short so that equal amounts of hair are in front and back of the tie-in point. When I spin that, there is a minimal amount of trimming left to do.

Looking good. Again thanks to all.


Wes Wada
Bend, Oregon