Just one thing I may add to Ginger's comments. I tie all of my saltwater flies with Danville's clear nylon thread. The head-tie is very forgiving when you finally saturate it with thinned clear head cement (I like vinyl) and it goes clear, showing all the colors below like they were on the surface. So then, head 'shape' is the only critical thing. These flies are very durable and I like vinyl because it is very light-weight for casting larger saltwater flies. On very large flies- 8" and longer, I generally cement at every stage, thus the thread is not being depended on totally to hold the materials to the hook. On marlin flies, I tie with dental floss to begin with, and then finish the last layers and head with the clear nylon.
DonO ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ginger Allen" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, December 20, 2002 7:57 AM Subject: Re: [VFB] Lefty's Deceiver: tying question > I would also add, are you wrapping a body long enough? > I use regular shank hooks. Place the wing (saddle hackle) > fairly far back. Then wrap body mylar forward leaving 1/4 of > hook shank for shoulders and head. This works for me. > I > > > At 07:15 PM 12/19/2002 -0500, you wrote: > >Hi Ken, > >It sounds like you are not stacking the clumps of wing material on top > >of each other; but tying each clump in too far infront of the preceding > >clump. If you are not using it already I suggest you try a stronger > >thread like Danville's A+. This will allow you to put more tension on > >the wraps when tying in the wing clumps. It should only take about 3 to > >5 turns to hold each wing clump in place. Also the tie in spot for each > >clump of wing material should only be just slightly ahead of the the tie > >in spot for the preceding wing clump. Hope this will be of some help. > >Regards > >Mel > > > >Ken Staples wrote: > > > > > Hi Everybody, > > > > > > I wanted to get some advice on tying Lefty's Deceiver. I'm having a > > > problem with the head of the fly. The body seems to look okay but the > > > head comes out really long. It's almost like I'm tying a cockroach > > > (which I guess is a modified deceiver...). I think my problem is tying > > > the bucktail collar & wing. Maybe I get too much on there and > > > therefore I tie it farther back? I'm trying to tie the bucktail so it > > > doesn't overlap the eye (reducing what I would have to cut out). It > > > just seems like there's a bunch of material to fit into that little > > > bullet head (3 clumps of bucktail and the flash throat). Any ideas? > > > > > > Thanks, > > > > > > Ken, FL > > > > > Ginger M. Allen > Sr. Biological Scientist > Florida Master Naturalist Program Coordinator > Department of Wildlife & Ecology Conservation > University of Florida/SWFREC > 2686 SR 29 N > Immokalee, FL 34142-9515 > PH (941)658-3409(suncom974-3409) > Fax (941)658-3469(suncomfax974-3469) > >
