Epoxy flies

[sparkleminnow 0]

I had used 5-minute epoxy for streamer heads, and they worked. However, the heads would blow apart if the cast caused it to hit a concrete wall (fishing a spillway). You would think, "What's so suprising about that?" Well, If it had enough give to it, I would think that it would dent, but not crack and fall off.

 

I am trying to coat foam, and while I don't anticipate hitting any concrete, I do want the coating to not crack. I have a Crease Fly that I bought from a fly shop. It has an epoxy coting, and it does flex. I would have thought that if it were epoxy it would crack the instant it was flexed, but it doesn't. I bought an epoxy/fly turner from Flex-Coat. The catalog inside the box recommended using the rod finish coating. I have some Flex-Coat rod builder's epoxy glue....it is not rod finish. Will it still work as well, or should I save it for something else?

[mb82 0]

I have the same problem. Heck I dropped mine and I broke the epoxy. I did figure that I had put a bit too much hardener in and it made the epoxy very brittle.

[flytire 0]

Move away from the cement wall!!! Your backcast is part of the problem, more so than the epoxy!

[dontheo 0]

I saw this in a Texas Saltater magazine and it works great. Use some DAP caulk like the kind you find at home depot. Make sure it is water soluable and dries clear. It doesn't run like epoxy and dries clear as the epoxy. Also, being water soluable it is easy to work and you can get the head real smooth with a damp piece of cloth or Q-tip. Also, there is no mixing between flies or batches.

 

The best part is that it does not run. It stays where you put it so you don't have to turn the flies while they dry.

 

I havn't found a downside yet and it's cheap.

 

I thin it was in Texas Fly Fishing Monthly but am not sure about that.

 

Ted

 

 

[Guest]

I just got myself a jar of Softex today and so far am impressed. It should do exactly what you want it to do, but I have no idea what it will do to that foam. It comes in a jar and you just dip your fly into it, very easy.

[lthrnk 0]

I second the Softex as Smallie said. I've been using it for years on all kinds of stuff and it works great, Just takes a long time to dry.

[sparkleminnow 0]

Flytire, the concrete wall is where the fish are. If you get more than 12" away from the wall (retrieving parallel with the wall) you don't catch squat. The closer you get to the wall, the more hits you get. 7 years experience at this location. Also, I'm hitting the wall as a result of switching winds blowing my back-cast off track. I am making 80-100ft casts as well. The epoxy blowing apart when hitting the wall only highlights a concern about the durability of the epoxy material. The incident is not an ever-other-cast occourance.

 

Softex users, will the Softex get "Bass thumb"? By that I mean, if you land enough bass, the skin on your thumb will get shredded by the bass' tiny needle teeth. Will the Softex respond in the same way?

 

mb82, Yes, too much hardener will make it more brittle. I was suspecting that the 5-minute epoxy was not as durable as regualr epoxy for the very reason that it cured fast. No facts to support that hypothysis yet, though.

[BuzFly 0]

Coating for Crease Flies - The best is a thin - thin - thin coat of 30 min epoxy. You dont need a lot to get a good finish. You will take more off than you put on. I am not a big fan of Softex, but it does have some good applications. You can try loon hard head, but it will crack. The Lonnd Soft Head works ok, but you have to thin it out alot.

 

 

[Guest]

Yes softex will get bass thumb. I prefer VERYthin coat of 30 minute epoxy also or Devil sauce. it is clearer than softex, thinner than softex, but it takes a long time to dry. It can be dipped or spread on with a needle but I prefer to put it in a spinner to keep it evenly distributed on the fly. I also like to epoxy the fly then coat it with softex or devil sauce . It helps pad the epoxy and will hold it togather if you do hit a wall or rock