I don't use wax, I use the sticky stuff from those sticky mouse traps. put a dab onto a slick business card (I have tons I don't need anymore!), fold it over onto the adhesive, then simply slid the thread through it and you're there.
I use it for two reasons. When I was tying commercially it was for speed. Zip the thread through, pick up a bunch of dubbing, and just dab it along the length of the thread, and wrap. Sticks like glue (which it is), and the fly ain't comin' apart. The second thing is, if you are doing Lafontaine style "touch dubbing" with super thin, super slick synthetics, this stuff will give you a brushy translucency you can't acheive any other way and still be as durable as a dubbing rope. Hare's ear on a size 18 to 22 hook? Unbelievable results. Nasty synthetic seal's fur without a dubbing loop? No problem. Bottom line is, use what you like, and what works for you. If you find you don't need something you used to need, hey, it's called progress, and you should be proud. Philster ----- Original Message ----- From: Ken Shipley <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Tuesday, January 21, 2003 8:22 PM Subject: dubbing wax > I'm a novice tier. Working on my third winter now and > have probably started into my second thousand flies. > So, I kind of know what I'm doing, but not really. > > My question is, what's the primary purpose of dubbing > wax? I'd always assumed that it was mainly used as an > adhesive. Helps stick the fur to the thread. When I > first got started, I needed all the help I could get. > But, as I got better at spinning the fur or synthetic, > I have no problem putting dubbing on bare thread. > > Granted, I don't blend my own dubbing. I buy the > premixed stuff off the wall at the fly shop. So, if I > need a super fine blend for a BWO, I get that. If I > need a courser mix for GRHEs, I can find that too. > Sguard#39;m not cleaning gaurd hairs out of a hare's > mask. Wax might be more critical if I did. > > Maybe I'm wrong about the primary purpose. I would > think that a fly tied with waxed thread, and the > attendant waxed dubbing, would be more waterproof and > would float better than an unwaxed version. Maybe > that's the primary purpose. If that's the case, > though, wouldn't using something like Mucilin be more > effective? I've been sitting at the bench most nights > now and trying this. Haven't had a chance to put the > flies on the water yet. > > Anyone have any thoughts on this? > > Thanks, > --ken > > __________________________________________________ > Do you Yahoo!? > Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. > http://mailplus.yahoo.com
