new dubbing material

[BenG]

I recently started flyfishing and tying flies. I like the bead head wooly bugger and have been losing a lot of them. Most designs call for a chenille body. I found a good sight that specializes in small flies and small wooly bugs and they use a dubbing body which works well on smaller wooly bugs. While staring at my dog a long hair daschund I thought his fur might make a good substitute for store bought dubbing. I made a coulple passes on his back with a brush and got a bag worth of material. I tied a few wooly buggers that looked good. I tried them in my pond but no takers as it was half iced over. I think they will catch fish though.

[Rob G]

Undoubtedly they'll only be good for catching dogfish.

 

On a more serious note, we once had a fly swap where the main material used had to come from some part of your pet. I found that cat under fur makes wonderful Hare's Ear nymphs, but of course all I could catch on the darn things was........

[Paul Chausse]

I'm gonna throw another new dubbing choice out. It's called "Wiggle Dub". Have any of you seen this stuff and/or tied with it? It is dubbing with built in rubber legs. I haven't played around with it yet, but it seems pretty interesting. I'm intrigued by the stuff. Problem is that I'm new to smallmouth fishing and tying flies for them. Anybody think this stuff will be useful?

 

Check out this video....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uG7Y5bxvUeY&feature=player_embedded

[Ben Lubchansky]

Ahh dubbing. One of the things that reps have figured they can never sell us enough of. Admittedly it is very cool stuff, and will wiggle dub flies work - of course. But if you are new to this invest in the basics. I'd say several packs of rubber legs in various colors and sizes plus a dispenser box of natural dubbing material and one of synthetic ( for trout dries), in addition to hares masks in natural, black, and olive are a good starting place. Stand alone, these are all good, solid, useful materials. And my mantra is "Quality pays" so get good matrials. I also like red squirrel, red fox, muskrat, and woodchuck. The real key to that video, good as it is, is the dubbing loop! not necessarily the material in the loop. The dubbing loop is a great technique useful with all kinds of materials. Next, I'd say start messing with blending your own dubbing mixes. You can for example mix some olive rabbit dubbing with some guard hair from an olive mask and add your own sections of fine rubber legs, rather than buying a separate material that can only be used as is.

As for wollybuggers, the sky's the limit. As i'm sure you know this is one of the most successful and varied patterns out there. Do with it whatever makes you happy and works for you. I personally am a huge fan of making the body from mohair yarn or angora dubbing (same parent material) after Mike's Mohair Leech. The mohair/angora takes the role of dubbing and hackle all in one and is killer. Search the pattern. It looks too simple to be true.

Also, if you can, come to the tying event on the 12th. PM me for info.

[Mike G]

Ben,

 

For the bodies of small buggers, try this. Tie the tail of the bugger as usual with marabou fluff. Do not trim the excess. Tie in the hackle feather and warp the thread forward. Twist the excess marabou fluff into a ribbon. It helps to wet it. Wrap the marabou ribbon forward and tie off. Finish off with the hackle and wrap the head. Presto! The tail and body colors will match perfectly.

[Rob G]

Mike, that so happens to be one of my favorite ties in a size #12 nymph hook 2 or 3 xl, tied in black or brown marabou for bluegill. Simple and effective.

[Gavin]

I've played with that wiggle dub a bit.Its not the easiest material to work with, and you must use a dubbing loop like Brian uses in his video there. The fly he's tying there has been a good one for trout & the occassional smallmouth on the North Fork of the White in S. MO.... Cheers.