Help dubbing?

[Ryan Kral]

Hey guys, I just started tying up some dry flies, and am having a hard time getting a nice tight thread with the dry fly dubbing. I have tried with and without wax, but just cant seem to get as nice and clean of a body on the fly. At first I was using to much dubbing, but I have tried it with far less now, and still no luck. Any advice?

[bjensen]

What kind of dubbing are you using? For small dries I usually use "Super Fine" or Orvis SpectraBlend.

 

Use just a wisp of dubbing placed evenly along the thread. I've gotten away from using wax; just spin it on the bare thread. Wax can actually prevent the dubbing from spinning around the thread. I'll make one or two turns of the thread over the hook shank to catch the end of the dubbing on the hook, then spin it tighter on the thread and sometimes place my index finger against the dubbed thread to keep it from loosening as I wind it around the hook. Also, I'll start my dubbed thread 1/16" or so up from the rear of the body, wind back to the rear, then start forward. This prevents a loose "ball" of dubbing at the end of the body. Slightly moistening your fingers to spin the dubbing will help get a grip on it. Avoid gripping the thread to hard between your fingers when spinning as this will spin the dubbing AND thread. The idea is to just spin the dubbing around the thread. It takes a very light touch.

 

Hope this helps some....

 

Brian

[Ryan Kral]

Thanks, I will give it a shot, maybe I have been gripping the thread to tight when spinning the dubbing on. I was using Wapsi Dry fly dubbing.

[Mike Flyrodder Miller]

Ryan,

Put a wisp of dubbing under the thread with your index finger under it. The thread should be positioned so it is parallel to the joint of the index finger (finger perpendicular to the thread). The dubbing should start at the 1/2 point of the joint. Place your thumb tip over the thread and the index finger joint with the thread and dubbing between your two fingers. Hold the thread tight and spin the dubbing and thread between your fingers tightly by moving the thumb tip toward the index finger tip. Repeat this as you work your thumb and index finger down the thread making sure to keep the dubbing under the thread as you do so. If you don't you will end up with a noodle of dubbing next to the thread instead of wrapped behind it. If you keep everything tight as you do this the thread/dubbing noodle will be tight and thin. Less pressure on the fingers will create a looser noodle. I hope this helps.

[klrbaer]

Check out this video for any more assistance.