Don, Loud and clear, Working on the technique right now and I think I've got in down finally. I have a size 16 with about 8 segments (I know you can get more but it looks good). the only thing I have a hard time with is thetear drop, is there a trick to getting the teardrop?
Jim Burbank ----- Original Message ----- From: "DonO" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, January 23, 2003 1:02 PM Subject: [ROPE-DUB] Welcome message #RD-01 1/23/03 > Hi, John, Joyce, and all other 'ropers', giddeyap lil' doegee! Welcome! > > Thanks for joining my first swap. Splitting the group in 2 seemed to please > everyone. Less tying for each. > > On the topic of dubbing and yarns: > Ropes and noodles and spins and twists have been going on for a very long > time. Twenty years ago I was roping poly-u yarn for hopper bodies. This > is not what rope-dubbing is about. Also, almost all linear-fiber dubbings > (and thus yarns) can be tied down and spun-roped and wrapped forward, > creating segments. Lots of people do this- many patterns in the books. I > would not even approach this as a 'new' technique. But this is not the > rope-dub method, either. When Polly roped his big stone bodies, and many > like him- Dave Whitlock included, he allowed the thread to twist with the > material. Whether a loop, split strand, or single strand of thread, if the > thread twists with the dubbing, it's not my technique. In those methods, > the thread is the limitation of the roping, breaking before the dubbing ever > gets tight enough to create segments. > > The important thing to remember in the 'rope-dub' method is that the thread, > or wire, is a 'platform' on which to rope. Since the thread or wire core > does not twist with the rope, some variables now come into play. This is > where the rope-dub shines. Versus yarns, taper and color variations come > into play, plus the ability to easily vary segment width and body size in > one step. The ability to change the dub if it doesn't suit you is another. > Just unwrap, vary the rope, which is not fixed, and re-wrap. > > So far as I've seen, ANYTHING can be rope-dubbed. Bob Haerings 'Dubbing > from hell' was the toughest, but once I figured it out, the results were > well worth the effort. I'll be sending photos of various roped bodies using > everything in my possession that can be called a dubbing. Having one > technique that can apply all dubbings to any size fly, bushy or clean, is a > real find. My record so far is 21 segments on a size 28 Mustad shank. The > exact same method and dubbing will produce a #2 6X stonefly tail. People > were cussing ice-dubbing until I publicised the rope-dub for it, as all of > the previous noodling techniques fell short of shaping any kind of body with > it. A clean-segmented ice-dub caddis body can be done in 30 seconds flat. > And you don't have to vary the technique to do it. And wax, which is never > used, would just kill the luster of ice dubbing and many others. > > Learners should start with a long-fibered dubbing, like SLF or llama. It > ropes easily and shows the segmentation results quickly. Then move on to > different dubbings, starting with clipped furs and longer synthetics. Then > finally try short synthetics, which are the toughest to master. The nice > thing is that once you 'get it', it all becomes so fast and easy. > > Once you can rope your personal arsenal of dubbings, then experiment. Comb > the cat or dog and rope the fuzz from the brush. Rope dryer lint? Rope a > lock of hair from your head, if you can spare it. Mix dubbings, adding > flash materials like awesome hair scraps. As your 'final' step, try roping > on the new tying wires, either as a tag or as your tying thread. > > This should be a lot of fun. Any questions? 16 flies each. > > Again, Welcome ALL!!! > > DonO > > PS When you get this message, please reply 'received #RD-01' > > > >
