Stacking vs Spinning

[Gerrit Viljoen]

For those of you that love spinning or stacking Deer Hair for example,which is your favourate between the 2 and why?

What have you found to be the main difference in the end result other than the obvious difference between the 2 techniques if any?

I personally haven't found any to be honest,if u do both correctly and especially focus on compressing the hair tightly,the end result is pretty similar once your head is trimmed.

I'm talking about streamer heads spesifically.

Also,when commenting be sure to consider dumbell eyes where u can't exactly spin the hair over and between the eyes.

Thanks
G

[FastAction]

They are two different tecniques, in mounting deer hair onto the hook.

Stacking the deer hair (in a stacker, to align the tips), then tying it in is mainly for wings (i.e. elk hair caddis dry fly...no spinning of hair is involved to finish the fly off.)
Spinning involves taking a bunch of deer hair, combing out the fibres, and then spinning it onto your hook shank. Then trimming it with a blade to shape.

So, I dont quite understand your question about preference for one...they are two different methods, to achieve very different results. There is of course a use for both, with different flies.

[Tango]

Depending on the end result I want I'll use the method that gives it. Spinning the hair puts the one colour around the hook, stacking enables you to have different colours wherever you like in the pattern i.e. fins, stripes or spots. Often both methods are used on the same fly.

[chris williams]

That's it, two different techniques for two different applications

[Ryan]

Good day all..

Lately I have been tying up a number of deer hair patterns. It is certainly a material I thoroughly enjoy tying with. I have a few patterns which I'll post shortly.

The reason I am posting though is because I'd like to try challenge myself by tying up a pattern similar to Murray's Leopard Frog which can be viewed in his shop (Flyfishers Unlimited) or in the August 2010 Complete Fly Fishermen magazine. I have a number of ideas on how to go about it, but more specifically, if you look at the pattern you'll see that there are circular patterns created in the deer hair. I would imagine stacking is used to create this..but I would like to hear some ideas on how others think this was created ie. Was stacking done underneath and how were the clumps stacked in order to get the green to form neatly round the circular patterns..

I'll probably go and speak to Murray anyway in order to obtain some guidance, but I look forward to hearing what you have to add.

Lastly, if any of you know of any decent books specifically on tying with deer hair, please let me know.

Thanks

[firephish]

definately done with stacking I would say. A friend of mine has a book on tying with deer hair by "skip Morris" (i think) where he shows the technique. Think its called "tying bass bugs" or something.

[FCLoretz]

Good day all..

Lately I have been tying up a number of deer hair patterns. It is certainly a material I thoroughly enjoy tying with. I have a few patterns which I'll post shortly.

The reason I am posting though is because I'd like to try challenge myself by tying up a pattern similar to Murray's Leopard Frog which can be viewed in his shop (Flyfishers Unlimited) or in the August 2010 Complete Fly Fishermen magazine. I have a number of ideas on how to go about it, but more specifically, if you look at the pattern you'll see that there are circular patterns created in the deer hair. I would imagine stacking is used to create this..but I would like to hear some ideas on how others think this was created ie. Was stacking done underneath and how were the clumps stacked in order to get the green to form neatly round the circular patterns..

I'll probably go and speak to Murray anyway in order to obtain some guidance, but I look forward to hearing what you have to add.

Lastly, if any of you know of any decent books specifically on tying with deer hair, please let me know.

Thanks

Hi Ryan,

I know nothing of stacking or spinning deer hair, but on recent visit to Murray we spoke about the leopard frog pattern in particular.

He showed me the photos of how it all came together and all the deer hair was spun and not stacked. I would say go round the shop and ask him to show the pictures he took of the progress of the frog.

I also believe theat the The Fly Tiers Benchside Reference book is extremely good for all different materials and techniques for fly tying.

[Andre]

To me, stacking is when you lay the hairs on the hook, after using a hair stacker to get them all to the same point, and not allowing them to splay out, such as the method used for elk hair caddis's. Spinning, you put a clump on the hook, and pull the thread to spay them out, and then you trim them to shape, such as DDD's. I think they are two very different techniques to my mind, and both used for completely different flies. Some materials stack better, and other materials spin better.
I anyway, dont use either technique very much anymore, since I discovered CDC.

[Ryan]

Interesting... Two different opinions.. I think I'll go have a chat with Murray.

[ArcherFish]

Depending on the end result I want I'll use the method that gives it. Spinning the hair puts the one colour around the hook, stacking enables you to have different colours wherever you like in the pattern i.e. fins, stripes or spots. Often both methods are used on the same fly.

Gee, and I thought you spun your hair then stacked it?