Whip finish with dubbed thread ?

[Scythe]

Howdy,

I've been experimenting with dubbing the thread intended to be used in the whip finish so as to avoid the visible collar behind the bead on beaded flies.

It ends up not being neat or with the whip finish screwing up the dubbed sections. I don't use dubbing wax, but don't think that would make much of a difference ... How do you guys do it ?

[gkieser]

I try to leave a deep gap right behind the bead so that when I tie off, the thread sinks into that gap and is hidden by the dubbing or whatever right behind it.

[GGY]

Howdy,

I've been experimenting with dubbing the thread intended to be used in the whip finish so as to avoid the visible collar behind the bead on beaded flies.

It ends up not being neat or with the whip finish screwing up the dubbed sections. I don't use dubbing wax, but don't think that would make much of a difference ... How do you guys do it ?

OBVIOUS (if you think about it)

Less dubbing, tighter twist onto the thread AND whipfinish TWICE - once without dubbing (4-5 turns), once with dubbing (2-3 turns). Leaving a small depression between bead & lead helps too.

Gary

[Scythe]

I try to leave a deep gap right behind the bead so that when I tie off, the thread sinks into that gap and is hidden by the dubbing or whatever right behind it.

Yeah I've been fooling around with that too, thanks for the suggestion.

Less dubbing, tighter twist onto the thread AND whipfinish TWICE - once without dubbing (4-5 turns), once with dubbing (2-3 turns). Leaving a small depression between bead & lead helps too.

Indeed, I suppose it just takes a little bit of practise not to destroy the dubbed section and I think I havn't been leaving enough space behind the bead on my control flies, the smaller ones I don't have a problem with.

Thanks for the tips Grant and Windbuks

As a second question ... What's your preference, Thompson Whip Finish, Maratelli Whip Finish or Hand Whip Finish ?

[gkieser]

I use the hand one. Not sure what it is called but i copied it from one of Oliver Edwards' DVDs.

[Matatazela]

just posted on another thread, but still relevant here... http://www.flytalk.co.za/forum/showp...9&postcount=14

[KevinE]

I do much the same as GGY (Windbuks?) does. I do two whip finishes, the second one with dubbing. I use longer fibers and dub very loosely to achieve a "collar" that suggests legs / antennae. Often I'll also have the collar dubbing a shade or two darker than the rest of the body.

Oh yes, and I always whip finish by hand. Can't figure out those tools.

PS. I don't worry about messy. Messy is good in my book!

[dlampert]

As a second question ... What's your preference, Thompson Whip Finish, Maratelli Whip Finish or Hand Whip Finish ?

Scythe,

I don't think it really matters as long as your flies don't come undone. I use half-hitches, hand whip finish, super glue and a materelli whip finish depending on what flies I am tying. I use half-hitches for small flies and dries which are hackled normally. I use super glue for parachute flies as it makes a very neat finish. Whip finish for all nymphs, streamers and saltwater flies and a hand whip finish for those places where it's difficult to use a materelli eg: tying off a body at the bend of a hook. I don't use head cement on dries or nymphs but prefer to whip finish twice as it's quicker.

Regards,
Darryl

[GGY]

Yeah I've been fooling around with that too, thanks for the suggestion.
Indeed, I suppose it just takes a little bit of practise not to destroy the dubbed section and I think I havn't been leaving enough space behind the bead on my control flies, the smaller ones I don't have a problem with.

Thanks for the tips Grant and Windbuks

As a second question ... What's your preference, Thompson Whip Finish, Maratelli Whip Finish or Hand Whip Finish ?

Be careful of leaving physical open space between bead & lead - your bead can move. I use superglue for ALL my caddis patterns - Bead glued to shank, as is 1st layer of lead, which is in direct contact with bead; 2nd layer lead is also glued to shank, but stops 1 turn away from bead. This gives enough space to whip.

Thompson/Matarelli Whip finisher - I have a tool which is SIMILAR to the Thompson in design (as it has only a single wire "crossarm", unlike the "loop" of the Matarelli), but works like the Matarelli (you keep the "4"- shape when whipping, not twist the tool at the hook eye like the Thompson).
I feel it is better than both since it works like the Matarelli, but to finish off the fly, you slip the thread off the thin, single "crossarm", rather than the Matarelli's "loop", before slipping off at the top of the tool - more precise.

Gary

[KevinE]

Be careful of leaving physical open space between bead & lead - your bead can move. I use superglue for ALL my caddis patterns - Bead glued to shank, as is 1st layer of lead, which is in direct contact with bead; 2nd layer lead is also glued to shank, but stops 1 turn away from bead. This gives enough space to whip.

How do you glue the bead to the hook?