Fly Tier Tips
Tip of the month :
When tying dry flies that use dubbing to have the proper segmentation it is an absolute necessity to use some form of dubbing wax. Dozens of waxes are currently available and there can be a personal preference. I have about six unique waxes to cover any instance. That said, many waxes have specific uses due to the amount of tackiness. Some patterns and some materials will require an immense amount of tack while most do not. For instance, using a rabbit dubbing, blended or not, should not require much wax or heavy tack. In this case I use a bees wax. Apply the wax directly to the thread and use the minimum amount of dubbing to build a noodle. Spin the noodle very tight before starting wraps. It is necessary to continue the spin as you wrap. Almost every other turn around the hook. The tight noodle should touch but not overlap and you will see the segments appear. Certainly each dub will have characteristics for your consideration in choosing a wax. This is regarding a Catskill style of dubbing and there are many other styles with varying methods of making the body right.
Tom Adams
When tying dry flies that use dubbing to have the proper segmentation it is an absolute necessity to use some form of dubbing wax. Dozens of waxes are currently available and there can be a personal preference. I have about six unique waxes to cover any instance. That said, many waxes have specific uses due to the amount of tackiness. Some patterns and some materials will require an immense amount of tack while most do not. For instance, using a rabbit dubbing, blended or not, should not require much wax or heavy tack. In this case I use a bees wax. Apply the wax directly to the thread and use the minimum amount of dubbing to build a noodle. Spin the noodle very tight before starting wraps. It is necessary to continue the spin as you wrap. Almost every other turn around the hook. The tight noodle should touch but not overlap and you will see the segments appear. Certainly each dub will have characteristics for your consideration in choosing a wax. This is regarding a Catskill style of dubbing and there are many other styles with varying methods of making the body right.
Tom Adams