How to Tie Better Deer-hair Flies,
Based on the number of phone calls I receive and conversations at fly-fishing
shows, many fly tiers trying to make the transition from tying trout flies to
hair bugs get frustrated with their poor results. Typically they aren’t aware
of a few tips that can make the transition easy. Of course, there’s also no
substitute for practice.
 1. Buy Good Scissors
After teaching workshops for many years, I notice that many tiers lack a pair
of both straight and curved serrated hair scissors. The typical 1-inch-long
bladed scissors used to tie trout flies are not adequate. I recommend the
Anvil Ultimate Model 70 (right handed) or 71 (left handed), which cost around
$20 each. These scissors have adjustable cushioned handles, ice-tempered
stainless-steel blades, and one serrated blade that grips and cuts the hair.
Buy both the straight and curved models. The curved model is essential for
shaping the hair after all of the hair has been spun on the hook. Trying to
use straight scissors to cut a round shape is inefficient and leads to poor
results.
 2. Buy the Right Bobbin
Because tying hair bugs requires more thread tension than tying trout flies, a
bobbin that keeps the thread spool in place without having to squeeze the
bobbin, and automatically maintains the correct tension on the spool, is
invaluable. After a standard bobbin is broken in, it is often necessary to
bend the wire arms inward to achieve a reasonable level of tension on the
spool, and still some hand pressure is required. I have found that the Rite
Mag or Cermag adjustable bobbins put the necessary amount of tension on the
thread. The long thread tube makes putting torque on the thread and
manipulating the hair easy.
3. Buy the Right Hair Packer
I have tried all types of hair packers over the past 30 years, and the only
two that compress both the thread and the hair are the Brassie Hair Packer and
the Anvil Hair Packer. All other hair packers are not able to slide the thread
along the hook shank with the hair since the tool must be able to get past the
hook eye, which is always wider than the hook shank. Ballpoint pens, dowel
rods, and pieces of aluminum with a hole drilled in the center pull the hair
toward the hook shank rather than push the hair along the hook shank. By
establishing a small 1/4-inch to 5/16-inch thread base before spinning or
stacking the hair, and then packing both the thread and hair, you get a more
durable fly that is less likely to rotate on the hook. Make sure to use a drop
or two of thin head cement after packing each clump of hair.
4. Use the Right Thread
I have used gel-spun polyethylene (GSP) thread since 1988 and find it superior
to nylon or polyester for hair bugs. It is two to three times stronger for the
same denier than either of the other materials. I have used Gudebrod GX2 (130
denier) for several years, which has a breaking strength of 6 pounds 8 ounces.
Other gel-spun threads that work well include Uni Cord 7/0 (100 denier), Ultra
Thread GSP (100 denier), and Cascade Crest GSP (100 denier). There are also a
number of gel-spun threads between 50 and 70 denier that work well for small
hair bugs (size 6 hooks and smaller) and trout flies where small clumps of
hair are used. Some tiers prefer Danville’s Flymaster Plus (210 denier), Flat
Waxed Nylon (210 denier), Gudebrod G (330 denier), or Wapsi 210 denier. These
threads work most of the time with smaller clumps of hair equal to one to two
#2 wooden pencil-size clumps of hair. With too much pressure, nylon or
polyester thread may occasionally break. Gel-spun thread is more slippery than
nylon or polyester, so the thread slides easier against the hair when spinning
or stacking. There are a number of patterns that I stack three to five large
clumps equal to four or more pencil-size clumps of hair. In this situation I
try to put as much pressure on the hair as possible without cutting the hair,
and gel-spun thread works every time. Some people use rod-wrapping thread and
Uni’s Big Fly thread, but I have found these to be too bulky and they don’t
slide against the hair nearly as well as gel spun. Use the gel-spun thread
only for the hair portion of the fly. For tying materials such as rubber legs,
hackle, or marabou on the back of the shank, use 6/0 (140 denier) threads.
5. Get These Other Tools
You’ll also probably need double-edged shaving blades for smoothing the body,
a bone or aluminum hair comb for removing underfur from the deer hair, a
bodkin for pulling out hairs that sometimes get caught when applying repeated
clumps of hair, an extra-large hair stacker for evening hair tips for collars
on divers and other patterns, and a thin head cement that penetrates easily.
6. Select the Right
Hair for the Job
There are three different animals that most experienced tiers use for tying
hair bugs: late-season cow elk, whitetail deer, and mule deer. Each animal’s
hair has different qualities and certain parts of the hides have more suitable
hair for spinning and stacking. Some hides have superior hair; others have
hair that is not suitable. Having processed my own whitetail hides for 20
years, I am still amazed at the uniqueness of the hair on each whitetail deer.
Ideally the hair should be 2 inches long. Late-season cow elk hair is usually
longer than that. Late-season whitetail and mule deer hair is usually around
13/4 inches to 2 inches long, with a few hides having hair as long as 21/4
inches. The hair should be close to a nylon paintbrush in texture and snap
back quickly to its original position after running your thumb across the
center of the hair. As a general rule, when looking at natural hair, lighter
color hair tends to have this crisp characteristic more than dark hair. The
darker the hair the less likely it is good spinning hair. Take the hair out of
the package and inspect it before buying. If the hair feels soft or mushy,
don’t buy it. Cow elk is usually firmer and more consistent from animal to
animal than whitetail or mule deer, and many consider it to be more durable. I
still prefer to use good quality whitetail or mule deer because it flares
better.
7. Prepare
the Foundation
Always wrap a small, 3/8- to 5/16-inch-wide thread base before beginning to
stack or spin hair. Don’t believe the old wives’ tale that deer hair can or
should only be spun on a bare shank. After establishing the thread base, place
the thread in the center of the thread base.
8. Learn Thread
Control
Cut two to three #2 pencil-size clumps of deer or elk hair as close to the
skin as possible. Comb out the hair to remove the underfur. If the hair is to
be spun or stacked and the fly won’t have a collar, cut off about 1/4 inch of
the tips.
A. Lay the hair at a 45-degree angle on the side
of the hook closest to you. Make three snug thread wraps around the center of
the hair ending up with the tip of the bobbin about 1/4 inch from the clump of
hair.
B. Flare the
hair about halfway. Use the tip of the bobbin to roll the hair around the hook.
You may need to move the bobbin tip closer to the hair before spinning the
hair after you flare it. Thread control is critical. Practice this technique
until you get good at it.
Another technique for spinning the hair
is to make five snug wraps of thread around the center of the hair, then pull
the bobbin toward your stomach or chest depending on where your vise is
positioned. The hair will spin and flare. At least two of the wraps that you
made will unwrap.
C. After
spinning and flaring the hair to its maximum, bring the thread up from under
the shank and make two thread wraps in front of the spun clump. Now make two
half-hitches. Maintain firm thread pressure throughout this process.
Next, holding the hair from behind with the
left hand (right-handed tiers), use the hair packer to pack the thread and the
hair. Place a large drop of head cement at the base of the hair.
Now make another thread base and repeat the
process. Continue until the hair is about 1/16 inch from the hook eye. When
spinning the final clump of hair, make sure to use at least three to four
pencil-size clumps of hair. Make sure you use enough thread pressure to flare
the hair at a 90-degree angle to the hook shank. This procedure helps
eliminate the less-dense look that is sometimes found in the front of some
popper bugs. If you are tying a diver body, cut the hair close to the shank
and the hair will be as dense as cork.
After you have spun or stacked the final
clump of hair, make two or three half-hitches and cut the thread. Gel-spun
cuts best under tension and if you use a sawing motion with one scissors blade
or razor blade.
9. Know Your Limits
Do the following exercise to learn how hard to pull on the thread. Grab the
clump of spun hair with your left hand (right-handed tiers). Gradually
increase the pressure on the thread until you cut through the hair. This
exercise will help develop a touch for flaring hair without cutting it. Repeat
this exercise until you know when to stop pulling. The hair stops flaring just
before the thread cuts through the hair.
10. Form a Neat Head
with Plastic
Poke a hole in the center of a 1-inch-square piece of 3 mm plastic. Push the
hole over the hook eye. This plastic keeps stray hairs from catching in your
thread while you are finishing your fly. Attach 140-denier (6/0) thread and
build the head. After making six or so wraps, put some head cement around the
head, then continue building the head until you have a fairly large bullet-shaped
head. Whip-finish and apply a coat of high-gloss head cement. After the first
coat dries, apply additional coats as needed to obtain a smooth, glossy head.
|
With the proper tools, a few tips, and your imagination, you can
create tightly packed deer-hair patterns with different-colored hair.
|
11. Use Your Hands
Stacking hair involves the same technique as spinning hair except that the
hair on the bottom of the hook is usually a different color and requires
“rolling” the hair onto the bottom of the hook shank before flaring the hair.
Make three thread wraps around the clump of hair and push the hair with the
bobbin tip onto the bottom of the hook. Hold the hair firmly with the thumb
and middle finger of your left hand. Pull down with the thread and flare the
hair. To stack the top of the fly, make sure the total amount of hair used
equals the amount on the bottom of the hook. If you plan to use three colors,
divide the hair accordingly to achieve the same quantity. Lay the first clump
on top of and parallel to the hook shank. Make two or three wraps. Place your
thumb on top of the clump and your middle finger on the bottom of the fly and
pull straight down. Repeat with the other colors. Pull the hair back firmly
with your left hand, make two thread wraps, and tie a half-hitch. Pack the
thread and the hair with the hair packer. Place a drop of head cement at the
base of the packed hair. Repeat stacking hair until you reach the hook eye.
12. Finish Trimming
with a Razor
When trimming any hair-bug body, you should follow a standard procedure to
avoid ending up with an asymmetrical body. Start by trimming the bottom of the
fly with the serrated scissors. Then use a double-edged razor blade to finish
trimming the bottom. Next, trim and shape the face or top of the fly (depending
on the type of fly) and then finish by trimming each side of the fly. Be sure
to hold the fly by the hook bend in your left hand and look at the fly head-on
and from below to make sure everything is symmetrical. If you are tying a
standard flat-faced popper, apply a coat of glue such as Bond 527 to the face
of the fly. You can also coat the bottom of the fly.
13. Practice
The most important advice I can give you is to practice these tips repeatedly.
As time goes by you will see continual improvement in handling the hair and
trimming. The more time you spend practicing, the quicker the entire process
will become second nature to you.
(Source by Christopher Helm) |
